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Title: Dain af Niohoggr
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Skeren
Fandom: FFVII: Mercverse
Claim:![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
mercverse for story_arc
Themeset/Prompt: Thirty Set 01: 28-Shadows
Wordcount: 1,421
Ratings: PG-13
Link to Archive Post: Here
Dain af Niohoggr
Zack did have to admit, it was a rare thing when someone landed on his head. Usually because it was him landing on other people.
Still, that little ninja brat was good at it, and he was soon in a scuffle with her, working on trying to get the girl off of him. Laughing, she clung on, while Cloud, who had been reading what Rufus had sent over, absently moved out of the way. That absent attitude would cost him shortly. After a bit of scuffling and cursing, Zack managed to dump her off on his friend, then scamper back.
Giving off a few startled curses of his own, Cloud glared at the taller man, trying to peel the girl’s arms off his throat. “Yuffie. Down. -Now-.”
While the princess of the Wutai Family didn’t listen to people very often, Cloud had managed to earn her respect, and she let go, sliding down his back. As the man tugged at his shirt, trying to straighten it so it stopped digging into his neck, Yuffie snagged the letter he had dropped.
“Cloud, you dropped....” She stopped, eyes going a bit wide. Dodging Cloud’s attempt at taking the letter back, she held up a hand as she read the letter. Frowning some, she looked at the older man with wide eyes. “It’s wider than we thought.”
Since that was the reason Yuffie had been invited over in the first place, Cloud sighed. “Sounds like you have news from your end. Did you find out what I ask for?” While she didn’t look it, Yuffie was the daughter of Lord Godo, the head of the Wutai family. A major part of the massive, sprawling criminal base within the city of Midgar and the country around it was lead by the Wutai. Which meant that, through the slip of a child in front of him, Cloud had access to all sorts of things that Rufus might try to cover up.
Moving to perch on the arm of the couch, the ninja nodded. “Yeah. The clans got hit hard. And it wasn’t just us. All the families are scrambling around, trying to figure out what is going on. Being tied to you has helped a little. We managed to get all the Heads in contact at once.” A smirk. “Not in person, of course, but video works just as well. And it sounds like they are all just as worried as the rest of us.” The woman wrinkled her nose. “And getting the Heads to admit to that was liking stealing eggs from a chocobo.”
Nodding, Cloud watched her. “So the Wutai family and all its attendant clans are planning what, exactly?”
Rolling her eyes at that, Yuffie just gave him a look. He should know better than to ask that blatantly. Just because they had ties with each other didn’t mean she was going to spill anything secret to him. “In any case, the various clans all over the place are starting to send in reports to the Heads of their respective families, not just the Wutai group.” A grimace. “Though there are a few power plays going on, Godo has most of the other Heads working together rather than trying to take this time to try killing each other.”
She shifted, leaning against the back of the couch. “We knew it was bad here, and in the area around, but from what Shinra says there, it’s all over the country.” A nod. “Though I can tell you one thing. Most of the missing? Are demonblooded. Not strong in most of them. Not even enough to show up as nifty extras. But most of them do have something. Rather like our prettyboy here.”
Still in the room, Zack snorted at the wave his way. But he didn’t interrupt. That told everyone just how serious he was taking all of it.
“Another thing.” She waited until Cloud was focused on her again. “I can’t say this about all of them. I don’t know all of them. But I’ve noticed another trend so far. One Godo hasn’t noticed yet, but he doesn’t spend as much time with the lower levels as I do.” Absently fingering a bracer, she tried to think of how to put this. “The ones that are vanishing? They’re the ones who listen to anyone.”
From the look on Cloud’s face, he wasn’t quite getting what she was trying to say. So Yuffie tried to explain better.
“You know how there are some guys who just follow anyone who is strong enough? Who you can talk into doing just about anything, cause they got no willpower of their own?” A slow nod. “Those guys. The ones I know, they are all that sort. Joined the family because they were born into it, and never had the guts to really push their way out. Mooks. Minions. Whatever you want to call them. They are still family, but we don’t tell them anything important. Nobody does. Because you never know when someone is going to convince them to share it, and then your shorts are hanging out in the wind.”
Ah, there was the wonderfully confused look that Cloud gave her from time to time when she sprung one of her sayings out on him. Not that it was really the time, but one should always enjoy the little things. “In any case, they’re rather rubber-spined. Never really standing up for anything unless there is more than one of them to agree.” The ninja shrugged. “Don’t know if that helps or not.”
Cloud nodded, then looked to Zack. The man nodded, then headed out. Yuffie watched him go, appreciating the view. Just because he was very much taken didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the eye candy. He was probably off to tell the others in the house what she had just passed on. Which was just as well. Because she had a few things that she was going to tell Cloud. And only Cloud. Because while the family did have their secrets, she owed Cloud. Big time.
“Father says that Leviathan was agitated.”
The use of that word would tell Cloud that this was her, Yuffie, not the princess and heir apparent of the Wutai Clans, telling him this. Which meant he had damn well better keep it under wraps. From the nod, he understood, and his eyes were intent. That made her want to shiver.
Maybe, someday soon, she would have to make a play at him herself.
But not now. Now was for focusing.
“Leviathan has been quiet for a while, but since that magic, the Great Serpent hasn’t been still. The shrine is always changing, and I think Father is afraid.” She looked at Cloud. “He is talking about having me go through the battles already. That means he is afraid of dying. Like when the King tried to wipe out the Families and Clans. That was before I was born, but I know how afraid he was then by his face.”
Cloud -had- been there for that rather blood filled event, and grimaced. “Is it as bad as that, then? I thought there was going to be a civil war if the King hadn’t backed down.
A small nod, and Yuffie absently tugged at the end of her bandana. “He thinks something bad is coming. Real bad. Which is why Leviathan is reacting that way. And the foreseers....” Another bit of her clan secrets she shouldn’t be sharing. “The foreseers see death coming.” Death on flaming feet and metal wings. Whatever that meant.
There was silence as Cloud looked thoughtful. For a long moment, she wondered if he was going to ask her any questions that she really couldn’t answer.
Though it seemed like he knew better, and just nodded. “Thank you. Let Godo know that we’ll pass along any information when we find out something that might actually be useful. If his mages come up with anything, could you please let me know?”
Nodding, Yuffie bounced to her feet. “I’m going to go harass Seph for a bit. Think he’ll mind?” A wicked grin, once which was answered in kind by Cloud.
“Of course he will. Which is why you are going to do it. Try not to get fried.”
Waving at Cloud, Yuffie laughed.
She was the world’s best ninja. As if she could be fried by anything. Not even the gods could fry her, let alone a silver haired prettyboy mage!
And off she went to prove it.
Author: GW Katrina
Beta: Skeren
Fandom: FFVII: Mercverse
Claim:
mercverse for story_arcThemeset/Prompt: Thirty Set 01: 28-Shadows
Wordcount: 1,421
Ratings: PG-13
Link to Archive Post: Here
Zack did have to admit, it was a rare thing when someone landed on his head. Usually because it was him landing on other people.
Still, that little ninja brat was good at it, and he was soon in a scuffle with her, working on trying to get the girl off of him. Laughing, she clung on, while Cloud, who had been reading what Rufus had sent over, absently moved out of the way. That absent attitude would cost him shortly. After a bit of scuffling and cursing, Zack managed to dump her off on his friend, then scamper back.
Giving off a few startled curses of his own, Cloud glared at the taller man, trying to peel the girl’s arms off his throat. “Yuffie. Down. -Now-.”
While the princess of the Wutai Family didn’t listen to people very often, Cloud had managed to earn her respect, and she let go, sliding down his back. As the man tugged at his shirt, trying to straighten it so it stopped digging into his neck, Yuffie snagged the letter he had dropped.
“Cloud, you dropped....” She stopped, eyes going a bit wide. Dodging Cloud’s attempt at taking the letter back, she held up a hand as she read the letter. Frowning some, she looked at the older man with wide eyes. “It’s wider than we thought.”
Since that was the reason Yuffie had been invited over in the first place, Cloud sighed. “Sounds like you have news from your end. Did you find out what I ask for?” While she didn’t look it, Yuffie was the daughter of Lord Godo, the head of the Wutai family. A major part of the massive, sprawling criminal base within the city of Midgar and the country around it was lead by the Wutai. Which meant that, through the slip of a child in front of him, Cloud had access to all sorts of things that Rufus might try to cover up.
Moving to perch on the arm of the couch, the ninja nodded. “Yeah. The clans got hit hard. And it wasn’t just us. All the families are scrambling around, trying to figure out what is going on. Being tied to you has helped a little. We managed to get all the Heads in contact at once.” A smirk. “Not in person, of course, but video works just as well. And it sounds like they are all just as worried as the rest of us.” The woman wrinkled her nose. “And getting the Heads to admit to that was liking stealing eggs from a chocobo.”
Nodding, Cloud watched her. “So the Wutai family and all its attendant clans are planning what, exactly?”
Rolling her eyes at that, Yuffie just gave him a look. He should know better than to ask that blatantly. Just because they had ties with each other didn’t mean she was going to spill anything secret to him. “In any case, the various clans all over the place are starting to send in reports to the Heads of their respective families, not just the Wutai group.” A grimace. “Though there are a few power plays going on, Godo has most of the other Heads working together rather than trying to take this time to try killing each other.”
She shifted, leaning against the back of the couch. “We knew it was bad here, and in the area around, but from what Shinra says there, it’s all over the country.” A nod. “Though I can tell you one thing. Most of the missing? Are demonblooded. Not strong in most of them. Not even enough to show up as nifty extras. But most of them do have something. Rather like our prettyboy here.”
Still in the room, Zack snorted at the wave his way. But he didn’t interrupt. That told everyone just how serious he was taking all of it.
“Another thing.” She waited until Cloud was focused on her again. “I can’t say this about all of them. I don’t know all of them. But I’ve noticed another trend so far. One Godo hasn’t noticed yet, but he doesn’t spend as much time with the lower levels as I do.” Absently fingering a bracer, she tried to think of how to put this. “The ones that are vanishing? They’re the ones who listen to anyone.”
From the look on Cloud’s face, he wasn’t quite getting what she was trying to say. So Yuffie tried to explain better.
“You know how there are some guys who just follow anyone who is strong enough? Who you can talk into doing just about anything, cause they got no willpower of their own?” A slow nod. “Those guys. The ones I know, they are all that sort. Joined the family because they were born into it, and never had the guts to really push their way out. Mooks. Minions. Whatever you want to call them. They are still family, but we don’t tell them anything important. Nobody does. Because you never know when someone is going to convince them to share it, and then your shorts are hanging out in the wind.”
Ah, there was the wonderfully confused look that Cloud gave her from time to time when she sprung one of her sayings out on him. Not that it was really the time, but one should always enjoy the little things. “In any case, they’re rather rubber-spined. Never really standing up for anything unless there is more than one of them to agree.” The ninja shrugged. “Don’t know if that helps or not.”
Cloud nodded, then looked to Zack. The man nodded, then headed out. Yuffie watched him go, appreciating the view. Just because he was very much taken didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the eye candy. He was probably off to tell the others in the house what she had just passed on. Which was just as well. Because she had a few things that she was going to tell Cloud. And only Cloud. Because while the family did have their secrets, she owed Cloud. Big time.
“Father says that Leviathan was agitated.”
The use of that word would tell Cloud that this was her, Yuffie, not the princess and heir apparent of the Wutai Clans, telling him this. Which meant he had damn well better keep it under wraps. From the nod, he understood, and his eyes were intent. That made her want to shiver.
Maybe, someday soon, she would have to make a play at him herself.
But not now. Now was for focusing.
“Leviathan has been quiet for a while, but since that magic, the Great Serpent hasn’t been still. The shrine is always changing, and I think Father is afraid.” She looked at Cloud. “He is talking about having me go through the battles already. That means he is afraid of dying. Like when the King tried to wipe out the Families and Clans. That was before I was born, but I know how afraid he was then by his face.”
Cloud -had- been there for that rather blood filled event, and grimaced. “Is it as bad as that, then? I thought there was going to be a civil war if the King hadn’t backed down.
A small nod, and Yuffie absently tugged at the end of her bandana. “He thinks something bad is coming. Real bad. Which is why Leviathan is reacting that way. And the foreseers....” Another bit of her clan secrets she shouldn’t be sharing. “The foreseers see death coming.” Death on flaming feet and metal wings. Whatever that meant.
There was silence as Cloud looked thoughtful. For a long moment, she wondered if he was going to ask her any questions that she really couldn’t answer.
Though it seemed like he knew better, and just nodded. “Thank you. Let Godo know that we’ll pass along any information when we find out something that might actually be useful. If his mages come up with anything, could you please let me know?”
Nodding, Yuffie bounced to her feet. “I’m going to go harass Seph for a bit. Think he’ll mind?” A wicked grin, once which was answered in kind by Cloud.
“Of course he will. Which is why you are going to do it. Try not to get fried.”
Waving at Cloud, Yuffie laughed.
She was the world’s best ninja. As if she could be fried by anything. Not even the gods could fry her, let alone a silver haired prettyboy mage!
And off she went to prove it.