PUDDOR'S PROFILE

[COSPLAY CRISIS][CANON] Friendship

Levi swore hurriedly as he grabbed his keys from the kitchen bench and rushed to the door, fumbling with the handle as he hastily pushed it open. He was going to be late for school--again-- and it was the first day of the week. The principal was threatening expulsion if he kept up his tardiness record and though he had somewhere to go once school had finished he at least wanted to get his certificate of completion.
He slammed the front door behind him, which locked with a click, and ran down his driveway, turning into the prim street and heading for the train station. The sun glared from above him as he swished past the other residents, who regarded him with knowing looks; Levi was always running at this time of morning.
He skidded into the train station and ran down the stairs, the heavy concrete stairway descending into the lower part of the station, where the conductor was about to signal for it to leave.
"Wait!" he shouted, running to the conductor and standing in front of him, wheezing as he lent against the train. The conductor looked at him and smiled.
"You'd think you'd learn after the 50th time" he chuckled, opening the door for him. Levi breathlessly thanked him and clambered onto the stuffy train, full of people on their way to work. Sighing to himself, Levi grabbed one of the handles from above him and resigned himself to the trip, as the train chugged into motion.
As usual, he let himself drone out the babble of the voices on the train and strangely he felt his mind wander to think of someone he hadn't seen in years; Kumo Atsureki, his childhood best friend. At one point, Levi had sworn he hated him for leaving without saying goodbye like he had, but it'd been a few years now. The pain had worn away, like an old scar.
He unconsciously touched his face, and then suddenly realized that he had and shoved his hand into his pocket, cursing to himself. He hated it when he behaved like Squall; especially when he didn't mean to.
Levi glanced up and looked at the reflection in the train window. His own, tired blue eyes looked back at him, rimmed with dark circles. He'd had a bad weekend; he'd run out of money Friday and hadn't had any alcohol. For some strange reason whenever he -didn't- drink his memory ended up being awful. He doubted he could remember more than five hours of the entire weekend, and three of those were the Sunday night as he had woken up to find himself with his clothes inside out and his feet bare and mudcaked. How that had happened, he'd never know.
The train grinded to a halt and Levi shuffled out onto the platform along with a stream of others around him. He was about to turn and head toward his school when a sound caught his ear. He was going to be late, he knew it, but something told him that he had to wait, he had to see what had made the sound.
He checked his watch. Ten minutes...it would take him five to walk to school. He had time to spare. 
The people from the train gradually dispersed, and Levi headed down the stairs of the platform, listening for the sound again. He could hear the gentle chugging of the train's engine, the sound of cars zooming through the streets down the path. And then...humming. Someone was humming as tune, somewhere. He listened to it, wondering if it was made up, or if it would repeat. It eventually did; and it was a tune Levi recognized. The Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII.
Folding his arms, he began looking for its source. He couldn't see anyone in his direct vicinity, so he headed left; the opposite direction to his school; and continued looking for the soruce of the humming. It was soft and slow, almost mournful in a way.
Levi turned down a small side street, almost too narrow for two people to fit side by side, where the sound was echoing. Someone was sitting on the ground, but he couldn't see them clearly.
Levi's head told him to go to school. It told him that it was probably some Final Fantasy-obsessed bum who would probably mug him and leave him for dead. But his instincts told him that he needed to investigate.
For once, he listened to his instincts, and entered into the alley quietly, but his footsteps reverbrated against the walls and the humming stopped. The person looked up at him with a confused head tilt.
"Are you...are you alright?" asked Levi quietly, not quite sure what to say.
The person turned their head away from him, as though they were contemplating their answer. "No...I don't know. I'm not sure what I'm doing to be honest...I should be at home with my brother but for some reason something told me to come down here and hum. Stupid, huh?"
Levi chuckled. "Yeah, just a little."
The person sighed and stood up, brushing himself off, so Levi went out of the alley, closely followed by the person behind him. As soon as he got out into the light Levi turned. He wanted to make sure he saw this person; something told him it was important.
The person stepped out into the light and covered their eyes. "Aah, it was dark in there" he muttered, blinking and rubbing his eyes, as Levi felt his jaw slide open in shock. He...he had barely changed. Taller, older, shorter hair...but...
"K-Kumo?" he stuttered in surprise, hardly believing his eyes. 
He blinked and looked at Levi, and he took a step back, his eyes going wide. "L-Levi?! Is that really you?!"
Kumo ran up and hugged him and then jumped back a few seconds later, looking around. "Oh jeez, I got excited, sorry man. But holy crap, how long has it been?!"
Levi grinned and slapped his hand to his forehead. "I don't know. Six years or so?"
Kumo breathed out. "Six years. Man... I saw my brother this morning, and holy crap has he grown up. I only saw him a few years ago but man...I've missed out on a lot. Apparently he's working in some sort of theatre troupe or something."
Levi laughed. "Didn't he tell you the full story?"
Kumo looked confused. "Full story?" he asked. Levi shoved his hands in his pockets.
"You can ask him later. Man, I don't want to go to school now. It's been forever."
Kumo grinned cheekily. "Still trying to follow that dream of yours?"
Levi closed his eyes and smiled slightly. "I don't have the money for that yet. I'm still at school, and I do mercenary work part time. I'm a member of Forest."
Kumo folded his arms. "Is that some sort of eco-protection group or-"
"LANDSLIDE is the big eco protection group. Forest is pretty much a mercenary organization."
"Oh, like Garden in FF8?"
Levi stared at him for a few minutes, and then moaned. "Oh, god. I didn't even realize."
Kumo laughed. "Hey, it's not a big deal, Mister Leonhart."
Levi rolled his eyes. "I'm not Squall. Let's just keep this whole simularity thing quiet, eh? Miri will have a fit."
Kumo winked. "Hey, I've already forgotten about it. Besides..."
He punched up into the air with his free hand, his other one still over Levi's shoulder. "No matter how much you act like a silly emo, you're still manly! Say it with me!"
Levi raised his eyebrow, glaring slightly. "Silly emo?"
Kumo chuckled again. "Now, now. Don't get offended. You're too manly for that.  Though you need a goatee."
Levi shoved Kumo off him. "I do NOT need a goatee. YOU need to cut that silly lock of hair off."
Kumo pouted and fiddled with the side lock of hair. "But...I like having some long parts."
Levi folded his arms. "Well, it is an improvement over that ponytail."
Kumo pouted again. "I was planning to grow that back, thanks."
Levi rolled his eyes and started heading toward the college. "You do and I'll kill you."
Kumo sighed loudly and watched as Levi walked away, but Levi turned, raising his eyebrow. "Are you coming or what? We need to get you enrolled in school again."
Kumo took a step back in surprise. "S-school?"
Levi smiled. "Don't react like that. I'm sure they'll let you back in, plus, you need something better to do than sit in alleys humming your days away."
Kumo laughed heartily. "True, true" he pronounced, and he ran to catch up with Levi, putting his arms behind his head.
"So, what have you been up to in the last six years?"
Levi closed his eyes and smiled again. "A lot of silly shit you won't even believe" he said disdainfully, walking out of the train station.
"That doesn't mean I don't want to hear about it!!" he shouted, following him out as a happy bubble built up inside him. It was nice to have an old friend back, when so many of them had been lost...