Midgar: The Soap - Season Two: Episode 2
Dec. 7th, 2009 09:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaded_grin2
Reeve wasn’t sure how long he stayed in his studio, but when he pulled out of his dazed spurt of artistic genius, he had the beginnings of a painting very different from his usual ones. It was dark and brooding, the edges indistinct, the background awash in a strange glow. Reeve’s paintings were usually exact, the edges crisp, the detail down to the tiniest hair – there was no corner left untouched, no shadow left unfilled…but in this painting there were shadows galore, and those shadows wore murky faces.
The figure off to the right of the painting was barely fleshed – just glowing blue eyes and the suggestion of smug assurance. There was something missing from Reeve himself, something he needed to have before he could add detail to that face, to trace the outlines with brush and paint to form the fallen angel who dominated this strange and frightening landscape.
He backed away, amazed that he’d managed to fill a canvas twelve feet tall with nothing more than feverish imagination. It was oddly freeing to do so, to see the blacks and grays fade out near the edges, to see bare canvas such as he’d never left before.
His eyes were gritty from lack of sleep and he was still jet-lagged, thirsty, and starving. He checked his watch and saw that it was nearly three in the morning, but he was so worn out by what he’d just done that he only registered it with dull surprise. He cleaned his brushes on auto-pilot and dropped into a chair next to the table that held his paints.
‘I’ll just put my head down for a moment,’ he thought, his bleary eyes on the painting. He laid his cheek on the table and drifted away into dreams of a one-winged angel bearing the Apple of Life aloft with gleeful, despairing intent.
Rufus nearly revolted again at the uppity tone of Lazard’s voice, but the reality of his situation forced him to be circumspect. He drew back a little, loosely clutching the books in his lap, and said, “Alright. Alright. I wanted the Jenova’s holdings in Wutai and I thought that if
Lazard heaved a weary sigh and said, “Rufus, you know as well as I do that there is nothing in Wutai – the Jenovas have token holdings – ”
“So they claim!” Rufus cut in, earning himself another disdainful look.
“And this blackmail you speak of, I take it that
“Yes,” Rufus said, frowning. “He came in, printed two sets of the pictures and then came here. A little while later he returned – and in a pitiful state, mind you! – and was able to tell me that he’d done it and handed me the other set of pictures. He had a seizure or some nonsense and I had him put to bed.”
“Two sets of photos?” Lazard inquired.
“Yes.”
“Of
“Well,” Rufus said, his tone nasty. “I rather doubted that pictures of them playing chess would be sufficient incentive for her family to hand their shit over. Or am I wrong?”
“No, you were quite right about that,” Lazard said, idly pushing his glasses up. “The part that is concerning me is that there is no second set of photographs in this suite.”
Rufus paled.
“M…maybe
“Did he, now?” Lazard murmured, smirking slightly. “Or perhaps Rudolph Doležal has some very weighty pictures in his keeping?”
Rufus frowned and sighed, “Well, fuck.”
“That isn’t our only problem, but we will add it to the growing list of your nonsensical efforts to completely knock yourself out of your inheritance,” Lazard said. “There is also the issue of the blackmail itself. It will be a bit more tricky to convince the Jenovas that their precious daughter is gone of her own accord whenever someone used force to coerce them out of holdings and she was the cause. In fact, I daresay they will become quite suspicious.”
Rufus swallowed hard and whispered, “That’s bad.”
“Yes,” Lazard said, almost amused by his dismay. “That’s very bad. But here is what I want you to do – you will take those books back to your suite and you will begin to read the first one. You will not drink anything or make any phone calls. I want you to take this very seriously, Rufus, because in order to play the wounded husband, you will first have to know what it feels like to lose a wife. And in order to do that you will have to get to know your wife. The world is hardly likely to buy your grief when you don’t even know her favorite color, let alone will the Jenovas.”
“How do you propose I do that?” Rufus inquired, not forming the connection.
Lazard gave a nod at the books and said, “By reading your wife’s diaries. You’d best go get started.”
Rufus stared at him for a long, tense moment before he gathered the books up and stalked off, silently fuming at his own powerlessness.
“Where?” he snapped, hands on hips, pacing the length of the landing.
“He wouldn’t say, Mister Reno,” she said, her voice warbling. “He was in your room with Zack and Mei Li – ”
“Where the fuck are they?” he demanded, the headache intensifying.
“I don’t know,” she whimpered. “Kadaj ordered everyone to their rooms and closed down shop for a few hours. When he came and got me he just left me his key ring and said that he wasn’t going to come back.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”
She blanched and whispered, “I did, Mister Reno. For hours.”
He pressed his fingertips to his temple, realizing that he’d been too busy over the course of this god-forsaken night to check his messages.
“Mister Reno? Ahmed called from The Brink and said the gas lines are failing now, and Siderunners is out of port for some reason – I know Kadaj ordered a month in advance, so something must have happened with the supplier and no one thought to report it. Katie S. has the flu again so
She kept going, reciting a long list of things that Kadaj took care of with ease, but
The pain blossoming in his chest made him realize that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
He made an impatient gesture for the list and began to look it over, knowing that his days of leisure were finished. He had an Empire to run once more, and who better to run it that the man who had built it in the first place? He’d get these things squared away, and then he’d start searching for that fucker, Doležal. Grief and loss would simply have to wait.
Cloud passed Rufus on his way to
As he drew near the suite he thought he saw someone emerge and withdraw into deeper shadow, but he also thought he was just being paranoid. It had been a long night with too many surprises and he didn’t trust his senses right now.
He found Lazard once more combing
“What are you going to tell her friends?” he asked, coming straight to the point.
“As far as I am aware, Mrs. ShinRa was not in the habit of having close, personal friends. Her acquaintances will be informed of the circumstances and promptly taken out of circulation,” Lazard said, sighing when his second search turned up nothing.
“She did have some friends, actually,” Cloud said. “Yuffie Kisagari is one. Genesis Rhapsodos is another. They both were in frequent contact with her and were actually the ones who thought something odd was going on with her.”
Lazard gazed at him with those strangely still, intense blue eyes and breathed, “Oh, really?”
Cloud didn’t like the sound of that.
“Yeah.”
Lazard shrugged a little and said with a vague air of conclusion, “Then I suppose if they decide not to believe it, they must be kept from their own personal investigations.”
Cloud waited…
“I suggest you do your best to keep them running around in circles.”
Ah.
“Is that the part you want me to play, now?” Cloud asked, arms crossed over his chest. “I think you owe me a bit more than that.”
“Mister Strife, I am a firm believer in people getting their just desserts,” Lazard told him, straightening his tie. “You keep doing as you’re told and we will have rewards for you, as a service to this country and to your President. Believe me, young man, having the gratitude of a world leader is not something to take lightly.”
Cloud shrugged a little and said, “Okay, I’ll throw them off if they start to question things. But if you even think of cutting me out or leaving me in the dark, I’m sending everything I know to the Jenovas.”
“Duly noted,” Lazard coldly said. “And it would be in your best interest, Mister Strife, not to make threats to me. Now, tell me everything.”
He relayed what he’d found out from Marlene, and Lazard sighed at the confirmation that the Jenovas knew Yazoo had been blackmailed, but he offered nothing more on the issue except to say that he would handle it. Cloud was summarily dismissed and shooed along his way, leaving Lazard alone once more in
The small, private jet landed at an equally small airstrip in Dai Jiao, going unnoticed in the velvety darkness. No one but Tseng ever used this airstrip, they simply didn’t dare – and no one wanted to brave his wrath by inquiring into his business, so they landed without fanfare.
Kadaj was numb with exhaustion. He lay in his chair, silent and withdrawn, while Tseng quietly arranged transportation for their small, feathered passengers. After a long while, he brushed his fingertips over Kadaj’s forehead and murmured, “I have a surprise for you.”
Kadaj’s eyes fluttered open and he asked, “You do?”
“Yes,” Tseng said, his voice a soft purr, his dark eyes glittering as he looked down at Kadaj. “Come.”
Kadaj rose, stretching tall. He felt ill from lack of sleep, sick at heart with displacement, and very apprehensive. Tseng seemed to sense his unease and did not push him, touching him as little as possible.
“You look drawn,” the man said, gesturing Kadaj down the steps onto the oiled surface of the tarmac. “Perhaps you would like to rest in your suite first?”
“My suite?” Kadaj echoed, pausing on the stairs to look back at him, the warm air dancing through his silver hair.
Tseng’s mouth curved up into a soft, secretive smile and he murmured, “Yes, of course. You have a wing of my ancestral home for your own use, my Jewel.”
Kadaj managed a small smile in return, a little of the tension easing in him.
“It is very hard to surprise me,” he said, a subtle offer to see it now.
Tseng lightly tugged on a lock of Kadaj’s hair and said, “We shall see.”
They got into a sleek black car and were driven onto the vast estate that Tseng said was a part of his family line as far back as the first Emperor.
The last time that Kadaj had been here was on his birthday, and he had not looked at the place closely. Now it was to be his home, which plucked at his interest, but the darkness kept it veiled from his curious gaze as they rolled through the gates of the compound.
“Will you take me around when it’s light?” he asked, catching the glint of Tseng’s eyes in the darkness.
The man smiled, and said expansively, “What is mine is now yours, my Jewel.”
Kadaj smiled and subsided against the seat, well pleased.
“Hey, there, handsome – that hand looks like it could be a lot of fun.”
The tall, bulky-muscled man with skin the color of dark chocolate and a scowl that would terrify a tiger slowly turned to regard the drunk socialite leaning on the bar next to him.
The hand in question was a gleaming prosthetic replacing what he’d lost years ago. He flexed it, his scowl deepening, his broad shoulders tightening beneath the fine material of his expensive, tailored suit.
“Do you know me?” he demanded, and she recoiled a bit from the volume of his voice. “Do you know me?”
“N…no – ”
“Damned right, no!” he said, his tone disapproving. “What da fuck is wrong wit you, woman? I could take you home, tie you up, rape yo ass raw and kill you! You want dat?”
“No,” she said, shocked, understanding lighting her hazy eyes.
“’Course you don’t!” he boomed. “Have a little self-respect, woman! You ain’t gotta be rubbin’ yo ass all over every man in dis place! You need a husband’s, what you need! Keep yo ass outta trouble! Gorgeous lady like you have no problem findin’ a husband! An’ when you do, you tell him Barret Wallace put you on da straight an’ narra’!
She nodded tearfully, uncertain and more than a little drunk.
“No cryin’, now!” he said, and patted her ass with his false hand. “Bartender! Get this fine thing a drink on me!”
“Th…thank you,” she said, and took it with trembling hands when it was promptly delivered. “Y…you’re really nice…”
“You betcha!” he agreed. He downed his shot, tossed a fat roll of bills onto the bar, winked at the trembling woman and headed out of the bar onto the street.
He’d gone into the bar in the first place because he’d gotten a call from
And Barret Wallace was just the man to do it.
It was precious little to work with, but Barret had started with worse. He’d made some calls, gotten a license plate from old security videos, and had politely threatened patrolmen to keep their pals away from the ShinRa end of town while they got this figured out.
Now he was waiting on word through the lowlifes, and that was why he’d stopped in for a drink. He’d put word out to the District Dons, who contacted their rank and file, who talked to their various gang heads, who told their petty dealers and pimps, who started questioning the junkies and Reno’s lowest-ranked whores, who talked to their family members, their johns, and the street-dwellers.
Someone somewhere would’ve seen something, and with the Big Boss wanting it, it wouldn’t take long for some responses.
Sure enough, as he chewed on the end of his cigar, his phone jangled the opening strains of Loveless, Act One. He fished it out of his trench coat and read the message.
‘Car came through the docks less than two hours ago. Your man boarded a yacht with a body in his arms and headed out to the bay.’
Barret quickly headed to his car as he forwarded the message to
He dialed
When he was done, he calmly pocketed his phone and relaxed in time with the concerto drifting out of his car speakers, because he knew that this was going to be a very long night.
“Here we are…”
The hands over Kadaj’s eyes were pulled away to reveal a huge, softly lit aviary.
The immense, glass-domed structure reached into the night sky, the entire space sheltering a huge, tropical garden.
Kadaj stared around, overwhelmed for once, just taking in the bubbling stream, the arched bridges, the mossy, cobbled footpaths, the flourishing trees and bushes…
…and birds of every kind.
They roosted in special nests, in low and carefully pruned branches, at peace and at home. The faint lights that illuminated the paths did not disturb them at all – they slept in blissful contentment.
“So…did I manage to surprise you?” Tseng asked, watching his reactions with a faint, soft smile.
“Yes,” Kadaj said, his voice breathless, his anxiety and sickness lessening in the face of this tranquility. “This isn’t a new structure…”
“No,” Tseng murmured. “It was built years ago for my own exotics. I had no idea that you had a love for birds, or I would have shown you the last time that you graced my home.”
“It’s…it’s beautiful,” Kadaj said. “Truly, it is.”
“It is the closest thing to freedom that I can offer them,” Tseng said, and touched Kadaj’s cheek. “How else to keep them near me, wild as they are? Ah, but a gilded cage is still a cage, in the end.”
The boy felt his instincts rise, a warning knocking insistently at his thoughts.
He ignored it. He deliberately pushed it aside. Tseng was his future. Tseng held the key to his past.
Rude was no fool.
He knew that someone would notice she was gone. Too many things revolved around Yazoo ShinRa in that stiffly formal house, though none of them cared for her one whit.
There was a small company of ships waiting in International waters, ships that would split into as many different directions simply to befuddle anyone tracking them. He had his sources, his means – he knew the dogs had been called off when his small yacht passed through the Harbor without proper procedure. But he was leery of it, still.
His path could be cleared by one hand and blocked by another; it was simply up to him to hit open water before either of them won.
He upped the speed on the yacht, his eyes on the distant signals coming from the Chechislanian ships. Behind him, the boneless body of Yazoo ShinRa lay shrouded in fine linen that he’d prepared for just this moment.
It was the moment he’d worked half a lifetime for – when the first of his people would see that he intended to keep his promises. They would look upon her body and believe, and the rest of his nation would follow.
He guided the yacht closer and pulled alongside of the huge frigate where hundreds of anxious Chechislanian faces peered down at him in the darkness.
He transferred her body to the lowered lift, doused the yacht with gasoline, planted the remote detonator, and joined her. With the utmost care and respect, he held her in his arms and stood proudly while the crew hoisted them aboard, only the effort of their strong arms and backs keeping Rude and his precious cargo from the killing hands of the sea.
The lift settled into its dock and he stayed there, aware that he was above them, that they looked up at him with the passion of religious fanatics.
“I have her,” he said, his voice rumbling. He twitched the linen back to reveal her still, pale face to the collective gasp of his crew. A murmur spread through them and flags went up, signaling the other ships. “We return to our home.”
A loud, resounding cheer went up from the gathered crew as they all scrambled to their places, eager to be on their way. The coordinates were set, the other ships were given their courses, and Rude was victorious as the huge ship began to pull back to deeper seas.
The body lay sprawled on the bare platform beneath the chute, a large, dried pool of blood spreading out from beneath him. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow, and the faint thrill of his heart was thready, weak, hard to make out.
The Butcher came forward, pushing past the grubby child whose finger pointed at the body. It had generated confusion, because such things were not simply tossed down to them at random. There was warning, preparation, reason. Always reason – it was simply their way.
The child jabbed his finger in a silent demand for an explanation, but the Butcher cuffed him and he retreated, scowling and baring his sharp little teeth.
After a long moment of consideration, the tall, muscular figure reached down and rolled the body over, checking his injuries. He’d lost – and wasted – quite a lot of blood, but neither the gunshot wound nor the injury to his head from where it had struck the platform threatened his life, now. Not directly, anyway. The faint scent of infection had already settled into the double wounds at back and front, putrid and cloying.
He hefted the loose-jointed body up over his shoulder, the limbs dangling, and made a shooing gesture at the child, who stubbornly followed despite repeated, silent chastising.
There was nothing to be done about it. Until word came of who this man was and why he was once more with them, he would be kept. Nero would consider it a sign, he knew – they all had been baffled by this one once before. That he had returned to baffle them again was more than just simple chance.
Without any hesitation in his slow, easy walk, the Butcher carried the man’s limp body deeper into their lair where Nero the Sable was busy Blessing the day’s dead.
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Date: 2009-12-07 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-09 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-07 07:44 pm (UTC)(Yes, I caught up on the series. Fear me and my ridiculous reviews.)
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-07 09:25 pm (UTC)Lazard is such a cold, hard bastard! I love him. I love the growing tension between him and Rufus, how Rufus is getting pissy about not having power but knows he has to bide his time XD (Psst though - Lazard wears a cravat, not a tie. Nitpicky I know, but cravats are sexier anyways. ahahaha. I thought it was a scarf until
I'm pleased with how well the plot is flowing. The new season seems to have invigorated you. :)
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:09 pm (UTC)Lazard isn't about to let Rufus's incompetence smear the ShinRa name, namely because it is President ShinRa's name and he wants the man to remain respected and in charge...perhaps so that he can take over for him? And try not to get too caught up in the original character appearance for me, yeah? I know that he wears a cravat, but that would be really out of place in this version of Midgar. I haven't kept anyone in their original context, so don't be upset to find him wearing black suits and trench coats as he's a very polished businessman ;)
And you're right, the new season is refreshing for me! I'm feeling like I'm actually moving things along.Looking back, the first Season happened over the course of a few weeks, and that's like WHOA! Hehe! Thanks, kiddo! As always, I love to hear from you!
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Date: 2009-12-07 10:05 pm (UTC)I approve of this chapter. This chapter is awesome. *thumbs up*
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-07 10:09 pm (UTC)Next up to show up: Cid, Aerith, or Tifa. Let's hope it's Cid. ^-^
ZACK IS ALIVE!!! *hugs*
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:11 pm (UTC)And yes, Zack is alive :D *dances*
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Date: 2009-12-07 11:19 pm (UTC)*Cries*
YES! Reno is BACK IN THE GAME! :D Okay, I'll come back later when I have something more constructive to say... ♥
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:12 pm (UTC)Reno IS back in the game, and so is Zack!...well, sort of, anyway. But yes, Season Two is on the menu now, so Mondays beware!!!
*ps, love that icon!*
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Date: 2009-12-08 12:55 am (UTC)I'm too brain-dead to say anything more than...
YummY!!!!
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:14 pm (UTC)I'm getting a package for you into the mail tomorrow, and I luffs ya as always!
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Date: 2009-12-10 02:14 am (UTC)Yep!! I saw it!! And I answered. You didn’t have to get me anything tho’ *hugglesquishes* You’re such an awesome friend, thank you for everything *LOVES*
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Date: 2009-12-08 02:29 am (UTC)DAMNIT KADAJ!! Those are perfectly good Jenovan instincts, use them! Sweet Jesus kid, I thought you were jaded.
Brilliant way to bring Barret in. It's freaking hilarious just how decent he is while still being completely rude and crass.
Oooh, Tseviets. Nice. It'd be a good place for them actually, underground.
And I keep forgetting, Tifa's already been mentioned. She's an events planner for Shinra, she popped up at Yazoo and Reno's dinner, I think it was just before he first screwed her? Yazzie came back from the bathroom to see them talking and got all insecure.
I got confused for a moment about 'this one baffling them before' and then realised dur, Zack and Kadaj's trip below plate.
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:18 pm (UTC)Yes, Kadaj is deliberately allowing himself to be harmed, but I think he's trying to recapture a sense of normalcy that his memories of Yazoo evoke, a normalcy he wants Tseng to give him that Reno never could.
And hah! I love Barret, so thank you for that! He's just so loud and odd in the game and even in the movies that I couldn't pass up the chance! And who better for Reno's main enforcer? :D
And yes, Nero is the Head Butcher, but I have no idea who else is down there. I sorta slap characters willy nilly into the Soap and call it a Monday, haha!
And yes! You're right about Tifa! But I need to develop her more. And yep, Yazoo was at dinner with Reno at his new restaurant and she came out of the powder room to see Reno flirting with Tifa (cue melting of self-confidence) so you got that right on the money!
Hahah! Dur! *noms you* You're funny! I realized I might've needed to clarify that a little, but then I got lazy....Haha!
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Date: 2009-12-08 02:56 am (UTC)And Nero ? Yes, he adds a nice touch to the Butchers, allright ! LOL !
Cant say I like seeing poor Yaz in her linen like that but.. :D Ill wait and see !
and yeah for Reno going after Rude !!
and thumbs down to Live Journal for not sending me any update notification.. :(
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:20 pm (UTC)And I feel bad for Yazoo, too, but stay with me! *snuggles you*
Reno wouldn't have it any other way. He still doesn't know what part he played in it, but by golly he will break the bank trying to find Yazoo and at least bring her body home for burial.
And yeah, WTF is up with LJ lately? I've been getting gift notifications about everyone and their pet dog, but no comment notifications....screwed up priorities, LJ, for reals!
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Date: 2009-12-10 01:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-08 02:56 am (UTC)This is going to be interesting. Kadaj isn't used to being idle or powerless and without Reno's empire to run what is he going to do with himself? Hmm... I wonder if Tseng thinks Kadaj is going to start doing his bidding like Mei Li did? (I hope not.)
*Sobs* Zack is still alive! Thank God. How the hell did he let Tseng beat him again? That boy needs more fighting spirit. Zack is suposed to be an ex-member of the Brotherhood. Those guys aint pussies! He should of snapped Tsengs neck like the dry chicken bone that it is.
I think you should consider Cloud and Zack hooking up. Cloud's kicking ass in this soap and Zack is being all angsty and letting himself be killed. So far everyone's kicked his ass. Reno, the butchers and now Tseng. Mei Li manipulated him and almost got him killed. Then Kadaj chose someone else.
Zack is so worried trying to protect everyone when in reality he is like a lost puppy in the rain. He needs help. Cloud could protect Zack and keep him out of harms way.
Or maybe Aeris could show up and heal him then feed him pie!
Also, Rufus is going to read Yazoo's diaries?! O.o If Rude didn't kill her then she's going to die of embarrassment when she finds out.
Alllso this fic was the highlight of my Monday, keep up the good work. :)
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:24 pm (UTC)And AW! Zack is just a good guy, and he's eaten up by a guilt that he really shouldn't carry. It's why he didn't fight back against Tseng, because where else would he go? Meh, he's complicated, but I will consider him hooking up with Cloud if/when he comes back from the Underplate. Cloud could use someone he can finally rescue for reals...oh, plot bunnies...Thanks!!!
And yes, Rufus is going to read the diaries, but when you consider the kind of person Yazoo was, what would really be in them? So naive, so sheltered, so friendless...I think Rufus is going to get a good picture of the person he consigned to suspended animation so long ago, and I don't think he's going to walk away unaffected ;)
Thank you so much, honey! I really appreciate it!
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Date: 2009-12-08 03:38 am (UTC)I don't think I even blinked during this episode. I was holding on to every word on the page. And I must say, very excellent job. I usually have those words somewhere in my review for you. Lol. But I mean it.
Yay! Zack! He's somewhat back in!
And Reeve's so exhausted, he can't think straight anymore...no pun intended. The way he acts when Gen's involved it so cute to me, so I hope they wind up together soon.
And Reno, poor Reno. Who is still struggling with those things called emotions.
Rufus being scared outta his wits made me laugh. Someone should smack him and say, "That's karma for you, you ass!" But then that would take the fun away from those of us who like to complain about him. :D
Oh, and good luck on your book. I dunno what it is about erotic content that just is bleh where agents are concerned. I had a friend try and get a homo-erotic (is what they called it) book published, and he went through I think six or seven different people before deciding to do massive editing and try again. So, good luck. I hope you find someone.
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:28 pm (UTC)I'm glad the tension was effective! That's definitely good news! And thank you, for reals, it means a lot to me!
And Zack is kinda back, yep! I couldn't leave him hanging, but it's going to be awhile before he's "ok" so hang in there.
Reeve and Genesis are going to be my Soap Couple, I think - which means they are going to have to go through everything in time to be together eventually. Patience is the key! Haha!
Rufus needed a healthy dose of fear, didn't he? He's so dead set on being an insensitive moron...I tell ya, he needed it. And it is rather fun to complain about him, haha!
And thank you for that, kiddo! I'm having trouble finding a single agent, and I know that smut sells so they can't use that excuse! So thank you very much for the luck, and if I find someone and your friend still hasn't, then I'll send you a name and you can pass it on. Writers help each other out, don't we? :D Thanks, boo boo!
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Date: 2009-12-14 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 11:04 pm (UTC)I just have to agree with you. Complaining about Rufus being an insensitive idiot is too much fun to give it up entirely. =p
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Date: 2009-12-17 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-08 05:05 am (UTC)Rufus is one of the lousiest people imaginable...though I get the feeling the Lazard is less pleasant than he seems to be. I don't know what he's going to do to clean things up with the Jenovas, but I'm looking forward to things.
I love how you describe Reeve's painting. It's so vivid and yet it leaves enough to he individual that I think we all have our own interpretation of it, which is really cool.
I look forward to seeing Yuffie and Genesis again; they're so funny, although I think I see why you're not including them right now; things are very serious, and that's good. It seems like the story is really picking up momentum again, and that's very exciting.
Kadaj is going to pay big time for going with Tseng, I'm sure. It feels happy, with an underlying tenseness that just won't go away now. I look forward to seeing what's going to happen to him, too.
I almost feel sorry for Zack, but I can't get past the notion that maybe he's better off with the butchers than with Reno, for now.
All in all, a hugely satisfying chapter, and typically fantastic. This is certainly the highlight of my week.
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:32 pm (UTC)Rufus is a truly reprehensible man. He's got an ugly personality, but Lazard is smooth and polished, though no less ruthless, you are right about that. But he'll find a way to fix things with the Jenovas, because the future of the Presidency rides on their treaty, so he's going to find a way.
And thank you! I didn't want to make you guys see it my way, I wanted to get some imagination into it, so I'm happy that worked!
And yes, you're right, Yuffie and Genesis need to be partying the night away for now - other, serious business is afoot, and I'll need their levity later on.
Kadaj has bitten off more than he can chew, but I think Tseng may have done the same thing. Kadaj isn't about to be bossed around like he was with Reno, so some serious adjusting will come into play.
And you know, you're the first person who voiced what I thought, that Zack is in the safest place he can be right now. So far, the Butchers have never tried to harm him, and lord knows if Reno got ahold of him right now...ugliness.
So thank you so much, honey! I'm glad I could make your Monday a little brighter!
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Date: 2009-12-08 06:48 am (UTC)Loving Rude in this fic..he's the only character that doesn't make me want to wring his neck at times.
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:33 pm (UTC)And hehe, Rude is the MFBomb :D
Thanks!
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Date: 2009-12-09 06:37 pm (UTC)Rude is definitely orchestrating something, and hehe, he and Lazard are rather stealing the show right now! Zack is an unconscious mess in the Underplate and Reno is inundated with the needs of his business, so they are both pretty powerless right now.
Kadaj needs to be careful, but Cloud needs to watch his mouth. Lazard is no one to be trifled with, and Tseng is going to start changing now that he has what he wants and his bird is thoroughly caged.
And lol! Yeah! I had to start adding in these great characters! And I thought they fit their parts!
I'm so glad you liked it, kiddo! Thanks!
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Date: 2009-12-08 01:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-09 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-08 08:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-09 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-13 12:02 am (UTC)Friggin awesome episode, honey! I agree with everybody here, Season Two is off to an amazing start, and I'm going to brace myself, keep my walking stick, umbrella, hands, other limbs and my toupé inside the vehicle at all times and enjoy the amazing ride!!!! XD
Zacky!!! *cries* He's alive!!! But I can't stop thinking about how he reacted to the cannibalism the first time, and now he's down there! Talk about cruel fates... They will need to feed him something in order to keep him alive, right? And I'm not entirely sure how his already heavily weighted mind will react to that. *is concerned* I hope he will somehow be able to make peace with it and make it back topside, stronger than ever! I can't wait to get to know more about how things will play out for him down below.
And YUM! Nero... ;D
I look forward to seeing how the Tseng/Kadaj situation will evolve! I'm not even sure which one is worse off... Tseng deserves a kick in the nuts just because, and Kadaj really should start to listen to that inner voice screaming at him. I hope he will make Tseng's life a living hell for thinking that he can just do as he pleases.
I want to see Sephiroth. I want to know how he will react to all this, and what his part in Kadaj's disappearance really is!
I sure hope the diaries will be a turning point for Rufus. God, he needs a reality check, and I hope his conscience will be hurting once he's done reading! Step up and be a man, you twat!
I'm not sure I like Lazard. Well, that's not true, because I really like him, but I'm not sure he's... likeable. I mean, I think he's far more ruthless than he lets out, and meh... Let's see how he turns out. He has the power and ability to really hurt, and I'm still waiting to see if he has shown his true colors just yet... But no matter what, you've really made him a strong character and I like that!
Cloud needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut. I love his sassy little ass, his reporter perception and sharp wits, and I hope he will realize what kind of people he's dealing with. And what I wouldn't give to see him and Zack hook up.... *dreamy sigh* You know me... ;D
You really got things going, honey, I'm amazed. That's not even news, but still! Good thing it's monday soon! (Wait! Did I just look forward to a monday???)
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Date: 2009-12-17 05:21 pm (UTC)Zacky is alive! But there are complications and other dramatic issues that have to happen before he can be happily restored to proper society, so keep your hat on!
Hehe, Nero was the perfect Butcher!
Kadaj is definitely going to make Tseng's life more interesting. Tseng doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. I think the only person who can properly handle Kadaj is Reno, but then he's hardly likely to think that his lover ran off with his business parter (and how cliche is that?!).
Sephiroth will come in later, near the end of this Season, I think. His role in Kadaj's kidnapping isn't a good one.
Rufus will definitely change when he reads those diaries. It is easy to objectify and dehumanize a person when you don't know what they are feeling, but when confronted by their inner thoughts, hopes, fears, and unfinished dreams they become pretty damned three dimensional, and he's going to learn that the hard way.
Lazard is a hard man. He has things that he wants and he won't stop until he has them. And thank you, he's one of my favorites!
Cloud couldn't keep him mouth closed if he was drowning, he just has to push matters! I'm glad you like him, though! He really has shaped up quite nicely. Hehe, dreaming, dreaming...
Thanks a lot, Zill! *snuggles you* You know you're the best!
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Date: 2009-12-15 11:06 pm (UTC)Good job all round!
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Date: 2009-12-17 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-29 12:34 am (UTC)Kadaj, my dear, listen to that warning jangle in your head! You're going from one gilded cage to another.
How in the world is Lazard going to keep EVERYthing secret? What a mess he has to deal with! And dumping it all on Cloud, who's not being nearly careful enough. He's either really confident or really desperate. Or both!
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Date: 2010-05-24 06:37 pm (UTC)Kadaj really does need to listen! He's about to head into a world of trouble and he refuses to see the signs.
Lazard has the power, influence, and balls to keep it all secret, plus the smug assurance that he absolutely can do such a thing, so he probably will be able to pull it off. We'll see how far his confidence gets him in the episodes to come ;)
Glad you liked it, honey! And thank you!
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Date: 2013-06-19 11:43 pm (UTC)And thanks for not killing Yazoo - not killing anyone. Theyre too lovely to be dead. xD