Chapter Fourteen

Yazoo

I looked at the man, who was now staring at the wooden floor. Whatever he had been using to hide the tears in his eyes had shattered, as I watched a few fall to the floor. With a sigh, I said. "It's true, Nicolae. Sometimes I come here hoping for a friendly word, or any words of encouragement I get kicked out of your home. You're not the easiest person in this town to get along with. Earlier in the week was one of those days. I felt as soon as I stepped through the door, you didn't want me around. Once I got home with Kadaj, he lectured me. Though his lecture was one of concern, you kicking me out was because of something you assumed I was doing."

"You weren't reading my thoughts?" Nicolae asked, his focus remaining glued to the floor.

"Not a chance. You and Leonard try to act mysterious, though you may be too AVALANCHE. The three of us see right through the masks. Everything about this home was clear that you had another run-in with Reno, considering the two of you are always at one another's throats you shouldn't have assumed that I would need to read your thoughts to see something that is an everyday thing. There isn't a day that goes by that the two of you aren't butting heads."

Nicolae sighed. "You knew how I felt about documents about Aria."

"Once again, that was a given. Once it comes to Aria, you go into defender mode and since Aria has moved into the home with you, anyone can bring up her name, and you're ready to start another Jenova war. And since everyone who knows you, knows that once it comes to the condition of your bookshelf and the contents of it, being disturbed and left in that state. Every finger would point to you going after Reno because of something he may or may not have said about the child. No one needs to search someone's thoughts when the evidence screams the cause of the home being torn into a new one. Leonard is the one that doesn't believe in privacy, me I don't care most of the time. Just because I can invade someone's thoughts and make them see things that would haunt their nightmare doesn't mean I do it for fun. It takes too much of my time, and I don't have the time to waste most of the time. I have a life."

"Yazoo, I apologize, for my attitude."

I sighed, looking at the man. "Show the three of us you are truly sorry. Anyone can say I apologize, but I'm not one that words can persuade. Even if I forgive you, Kadaj will be a tougher case to crack. And seeing as Loz is on your side, you have nothing to apologize to him about. Instead of trying to be this tougher than life, whatever this is, you have yourself throned up as being in your imagination. Even the strongest warriors enjoy their family, often using those they love and appreciate as fuel. In battle, or making them a better person. No one likes a prideful." I stopped with a sigh. "You get the point, work on getting better. I forgive you. Like I just said, I don't care about much of anything or anyone. That's who I am. I am a mere remnant. A creation, you aren't, you can do better than what you are doing. Cherish the life you've been given, Nicolae. Don't waste it, don't paint the wrong picture of yourself then try to go back once the bridges and villages are burned to the ground expecting to put an apology bandage on something that will take time to mend, by then don't be surprised if someone tells you that your change came too late. Your cake is going to burn." The girl jumped to her feet, got her towel, and got the recipe from the hot oven. I looked once more at Nicolae. "Now, if we are done with this, I need to be at work. Homes don't pay for themselves." I stood up, looking at Charmaine. "Thank you for the invite, but parties aren't my thing." I picked my keys up from the table, leaving the home.

Nicolae

I looked at Loz, who was chewing on the remaining cookie. "How is it you don't care about the way I treated you?"

"That's because I don't care. That's one thing that Sephiroth gave us a generous amount of. When your brother and his friends try to kill you, thoughts of someone not liking you are something you couldn't care less about. I like you and Aria. The two of you haven't wronged me. It's Leonard that I'm not fond of. That meanie beats me up. He used me like a slingshot, then throws me. Do you think he ever came to me and apologized, nooo he didn't? He won't even let me play with Kourtney and Kyra."

I sighed. "You know you're going to be waiting a lifetime for that apology, right?"

"Yep, I'd be surprised if I get one. It's been three years and he won't even say hello when he sees me."

"That sounds about right."

"Alright, enough of this. Let's get in the party mood. We're not going to have negative Nancy attitudes at a birthday party. Everybody just perk up, think fun things now, and think of this later. Nicolae, your brother texted me while Yazoo was here and he said that he wouldn't be able to make it. Work-related things came up. He said he sent the girls with Vincent."

"Vincent, can come to this?"

"Yeah, he called me this morning and said he was coming, Cloud and Tifa, too. Barette and Marlene, as well as Denzel. The entire gang is gonna be here. I need to get things ready for everyone. Loz, will you help me set the table? Yazoo helped me hang the decorations while he was here. All I have left is table preparations." Loz pouted. "Come on, if you do, I'll let you taste test everything I've made. I'll even add three more of my homemade chocolate chip cookies as payment."

"Boy, count me in." Loz stood to his feet as I walked out of the room.