lucetilogs | The Music Box [OPEN]

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The Music Box [OPEN]

Who: Vincent Valentine and anyone interested.
What: A mysterious music box is found near the outskirts of the library.
When: Before the rain started.
Where: A little farther away from the village.
Summary: Vincent finds a rather old, yet interesting music box that mysteriously, reminds him of fond and happy memories.
Rating: G

The sky was darker than usual, and already, he could hear low growls of thunder. Vincent frowned and continued to walk, to wherever, he didn't mind. He just needed to stretch and to move his legs, the silence that met him at his house was deafening.

Although sleeping in a coffin for 30 years did make him completely used to being stiff, he wouldn't want the feeling to return, so he decided to jump to a tree branch and practice. He felt a little naked without his gun to accompany him, but he could manage.

He swiftly leapt into the air and used his claw to grab on to a branch of a nearby tree. He pulled himself up with grace and did the same thing, over and over again, complicating his leaps with twists and turns and somersaults even, until he was satisfied with his skills and decided to rest for a while. He took a spot underneath the shade of a big tree and crossed his arms, as he leaned on the hard trunk.

Vincent heard something click, however, and looked down to his feet. He moved his right foot, and he heard something click again. He blinked and bent down, searching for whatever it was that was causing that noise. He felt a smooth item grasp his hand, and lifting it up, he saw a small, dirty white box, probably made of porcelain. He traced the gold plated features with his free hand and toppled it up and down.

He felt an urge to open the small box, and he soon went with his instinct and lifted the cover. There was nothing inside, except small cogs and bolts moving in harmony, producing a soothing melody.

Vincent felt his eyes droop. It was a refreshing sound to hear. The song lifted his emotions, his abyss colored wings subconsciously moving in approval to the rhythem of the music. He suddenly remembered his time with AVALANCHE, when Marlene first said his name and asked him to play with her, when they defeated Sephiroth and when she smiled at him and offered to eat lunch with her. He didn't notice it, but he was soon drifting away into his own world, his dreams returning, even though he was still wide awake.

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Anita was bored.

In Hong Kong...well, it was busy. There were people and places and things to do every day. In Japan, she had school and friends and that little business of making sure everyone on Earth wouldn't be brainwashed by a dead man trapped in a couple of books.

But despite the mild pressure of getting experimented on by sadistic, unseen and omnipotent powers...Anita was bored.

She was taking a walk through the woods, keeping the village in sight. Her pink wings flexed back and forth to exercise her new muscles. Anita tried to keep her senses attuned to the forest for any wandering threats, but she was obviously distracted.

It was when she rounded the library when something finally caught Anita's attention: the sound of a music box. Frowning, Anita followed the tune.

Alice couldn't keep Yuri from her thoughts. The water that flowed in the river reminded her of the better times the two had. All the times he saved her, and when he got seasick. She giggled lightly, placing her hands over her heart. The way he was, the silly innocent young man, the serious hardened soul..she had saved that soul.

Her wings fluttered gently, and her heart pulsated with ache. She had saved that soul, and she would never regret.

Alice sighed and turned from the water, heading back home, when she noticed a beautiful sound coming from near the library. Her lips pursed, Alice headed towards the sound, wondering why such a simple tune could make her heart feel lighter.

Vincent continued to listen to the soothing melody of the music box, slowly slipping further and further away into his own thoughts and dreams, memories continually flashing in his mind. Unaware of his surroundings, he was unsure of whether to stop and close the music box to check who was there. He sighed, and closed the box, satisfied it closed with a sharp snap.

He quickly turned his head around. It took him longer to get his senses back on track, but he soon found himself walking again, the box still clutched firmly in his hand. No sooner had he turned, however, just a few feet away from where he was standing, he came face to face with a little girl adorned with pink hair and wings. He blinked.

Vincent held back his tongue when he heard small footsteps behind him, approaching them. The little girl in front of him blinked and followed his head turn, slightly, awaiting another person to appear. He soon found a young woman, blonde and elegant in her stride, enter his peripherals.

It had just registered to Anita that the music had stopped, but not soon enough when a tall...person was suddenly in her way.

Anita staggered and nearly tripped with a yelp of surprise. In that moment she managed to get a look at the sudden obstruction, and the girl automatically took another step back, a hand going to her sleeve.

Was this...the Malnosso?

"Hi," Anita said, trying to keep the sudden tension out of her voice.

Vincent ignored the rigid way the little girl greeted him, and continued to survey his new companion. She was less than half his height, and her stature was petite. Her pink wings twitched continiously, was she afraid?

He took a small step closer to her, and she moved back in the process. He closed his eyes. "I'm not one of them," he said to her. He took no offense to it, however. It wasn't the first time he was mistaken to be a monster.

"Oh." Anita slowly exhaled. Her stance relaxed, although her guard wasn't completely down. He didn't look like he wanted to maim her for his own sadistic amusement, but something about this guy gave her the creeps.

"So...you got kidnapped from wherever you're from too?" Anita asked.

Alice was startled to see two people a small ways ahead of her. One was a young girl who appeared to be fourteen, Alice noted, and seemed tense. The other was almost cold in his stance and looked to be several years older than Alice herself.

Was she interrupting something...? It was then she noticed that the alluring tune had stopped its playing some time ago.

Alice hesitated before she gathered the courage to speak.

"Excuse me, but do either of you happen to know where", she paused," where that wondrous tune was coming from?"

Vincent cocked an eyebrow, but it was subtle, so he didn't think the little pink haired girl would see. He felt her tension still lingering in her movements, readying herself for anything he might be trying to do. Was he really that intimidating?

"Maybe." he simply answered. He didn't have the motivation to ask her what her name was, Vincent just wasn't the type to start conversations, much less continue them. Whatever the case, he was used to awkward silence. Whenever he and Cloud would talk, Cloud would always keep the conversation on its toes, not the other way around.

Vincent turned around completely, facing the young woman. She was a little shorter than him, and she brought an air of loveliness as she talked. He nodded silently, and brought his clawed hand up to the light, opening his palms, and revealing the small box.

"It came from this," he replied.

"What do you mean 'maybe'? You either got kidnapped or you didn't!" Anita was clearly irritated by the taller man's...apathy, for lack of a better word.

...Good god, this guy was like Tir. Why couldn't anyone she meet be normal. Anita would've liked to yell and take her irritation out on the stranger, but seeing that they would all live longer if they got along, she opted for being huffy and...well, irritated.

The beauty of the little music box caused Alice to gasp gently. Though the white of the little thing was dirtied, to Alice it was the hope in Pandora's box. Hope, it seemed, was what everyone in this village needed desperately. She knew what it was like to lose all hope, and she never wanted to feel that ever again.

Alice looked away from the small music box, and up to Vincent. She was startled by the red eyes, for the only family that had eyes like that were the Hyuga's. Could he, perhaps...? No, She frowned, He couldn't be.

"Is that your music box? Mr..?"

Vincent shrugged slightly, once again ignoring her protests. At least she wasn't as tense, but he didn't respond to her rash behavior. Wasn't "maybe" a good answer? He didn't really know how he got here, so there was a possibility he got kidnapped.

"Then I got kidnapped." he answered, retaining his stoic manner. "But then again, I don't remember how I got here, so I wouldn't really know."

It was amusing to Vincent, however, that such a small girl could hold such big emotions. She was obviously irritated with his...demeanor.

He watched her eyes dance in amusement as they laid their sights on the small box he was holding. The woman looked at him and Vincent's eyes widened. For a second there, he thought he saw...No, it couldn't be.

Vincent shook himself out of his slight trance and allowed his arm to retreat back into his cape. He shrugged. "I just found it." he answered her. There was silence, before he continued.

"Vincent." he added.

"Huh." Anita crossed her arms and looked away. "Anyway, I heard a music box out here. Do you know where it is?"

Alice nodded, smiling gently. She kept her eyes on him, and stepped closer. She felt no threat from Vincent but there was something inside him that felt sinister, as if he locked away a monster from the world. Could he be a harmonixer, like Yuri? Her wings gave a shudder, and she looked to the ground. She shouldn't think about that..

It took her several moments to force the flood of emotions away. Wasn't she stronger than this? She glanced back up at Vincent and whispered," Vincent, huh? Well, I'm Alice Elliot, It's a pleasure to meet you."

Vincent remained silent and handed her the small, dirty white box he found earlier. "Here." he simply stated.

He nodded back in response. Vincent felt all her emotions pointed to him, but he paid no heed. He, however, felt that this woman had gone through more than hell, and back. Something in common, he told himself.

As soon as his gave her the small music box, their eyes met and he nodded to leave. "You can have it," he told her. "...just don't lose it. I might borrow it from you once."

"Hey!" Anita's face lit up with interest as she examined the box. "Where'd you get it?" She opened the box and the melody played. "It's pretty."

Alice glanced up towards the sky, the dark luminous clouds began to block the sun. The birds twittering began to quiet, even the forest seemed to grow dreary. It was almost as if the storm was being forced upon the land, and the land wanted to reject. Reject desperately, in fact.

She brought a hand to the cross around her neck, feeling the forbidden tingle of magic.

"Vincent, It does seem a storm is on it's way", Her voice is still at a whisper as the clouds grow ever darker," I think you should be careful on your way 'home'."

Vincent sensed the coming storm, as he turned his head to survey the surrounding area. The leaves on the tress were swaying, and the cold silence greeted them instead of sunshine.

He turned back to the woman and nodded, slowly. "Home." he merely repeated, as he started to walk away. "I'll say the same for you, Alice." Vincent took three steps forward, before he turned back to her and replied, silently.

"Just take care of that music box." he said. "I have a feeling we're going to need a little happiness around here."

Vincent shrugged. "Near that tree." he simply answered. From the looks in her eyes, Vincent had already concluded in giving her the small music box. She was so interested in it, more than he was, that it was more than obvious.

"Do you want it?" he asked, quietly.

"Eh?!" Anita was surprised at the offer - it was such a pretty thing, how could he just give it up? Still, she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth - if someone her age would use such a phrase, anyway - and accepted it. "Sure, thanks!"

Anita continued to admire the box and its sound for a minute before she realized that she hadn't even given this...man her name.

"Oh, my name's Anita. What's yours?"

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The Music Box [OPEN]

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