I feel really bad for ignoring you.

So here's a present.

^^;

~Abandon~

These men and women, afraid to die,

In anger raised lamenting cries.

They toiled and slaved to cheat the grave.

Jealous they became, and sly.

-The Song Of The Earth:

Spirit Thorn

There was no ad in the paper. That's not how ShinRa did it. Even if she killed every successor that Hojo had, it wouldn't increase her chances of getting the job. Which is why she had sent a list of credentials in early, looking for any opening that might be within her field. Everything on it easily surpassed anyone already in line for the job, and if the position wasn't taken, she had no doubt that'd she'd already have the job. Fortunately that was easily enough to remedy. So, everything on the right track, now she had to kill the man who held the spot she desired.

It was easy to make herself look like a man. She could bind herself well-enough to look flat-chested, with easily-tamed dark brown hair and a face just pale enough that she could paint in any fashion she may desire. Wearing something akin to a trench coat, she set up her spot in an alley, leaning against the damp brick walls. Her eyes, the only thing that had to be truly disguised, would've have normally glinted a bright green in the moonlight, but now instead had a murky brown hue. She heard his foot steps in those rather ratty work shoes he always wore. Days were spent researching where he went and why. That is why, right now, she knew he was alone. Without any further ado, she slipped silently from the shadows, and brought the sickle around his neck. A simple twist of the blade, and he was gone.

"Should've made it more painful for you." She whispered, as the blood spurted from the neck wound. "Too bad I didn't have the time." A drop hit her skin and she recoiled. Memories and thoughts, of terrible, awful things filled her head. Inner decay of the body, death, monsters, angels with only one wing. Disgusted, she took off in the other direction. She had much to change, and it started with that monster being dead.

The next morning, a young man wearing a turk uniform arrived at her door, looking somewhat grave for the happy news she knew was coming. His red hair stuck up everywhere and he was quite attractive, yet not what she saw as her type of man. She giggled at the sight of him, while he gaped at her. Behind him, a tall man with a shaven head and thick, black sunglasses stood a bit of aways off, taking in her home. It wasn't much, just a small two bedroom thing on the edge of Midgar, with a small garden she had fought with for years to get it to grow next to it.

"Your her?" He looked at the large manila envelope under his arm. "I thought you'd be like.."

"Older? I don't blame you for thinking so." She held out her hand for him to shake. He grasped it, mouth still open.

"It sure is nice to meet you, I'm Reno...how do you pronounce your name? I'd hate to get such a beautiful lady's name wrong." Flattered, She blushed. Killer she may be, but she was a woman as well, and this was a lady's man. Plus, no one liked Hojo, or at least that's what she told herself.

"Sea-no-vee-ah Er-mini-ya." She told him one syllable at a time, her accent rolling the letters out. He tested it on his tongue.

"Pretty name. You foreign?" She chuckled at him, holding the long sleeve of her robe up to her mouth politely.

"Is it that obvious?" He looked away blushing. "You better have good reason for being here, Turk. I could be in bed right now." He looked up, startled.

"Oh yeah!" he handed over the manila folder. "Welcome to ShinRa babe. I'd pack your bags." he finished it with a wink. Sinovia opened the top and pulled out the papers, and her eyes lit up. It contained the lengthy contract, the ID...everything. She swore that tears were pooling in the corners of her bright green eyes as she hugged it tight.

"Thank you so much!" She squealed. Reno took a step back, and she rushed back into the house, her bags already packed beside the bed. She heard footsteps as they entered her house, looking around.

"She seemed awfully excited." A voice she didn't recognize muttered. She assumed it was the tall guy.

"Maybe she's desperate for money. I don't see no kid, but a woman like that ain't single. Probably has an abusive husband or something. Though she ain't one of them stick thin things that roam the streets now, that girl has got curves." She heard a clink as he picked up a vase, looked at it, and set it back down. Sinovia stripped herself of the bedclothes she had been wearing, and shoved them in an open suitcase. She had forgotten her effect on people. She'd been a hermit for so long, it seemed natural to look into the mirror and see nothing different. Everyone else saw unparalleled beauty where she saw some sort of deranged thing, face twisted into a leering grin and monstrous smile. To her people, she was hideous, for while she was fair to the humans, to the elves, her ability to kill had her made an outcast. Elves longed for peace and beauty, while she, herself had no problem shedding blood.

Her ears had never matured fully, since she was exiled from the company of others, to this world. So while they were slightly pointed, they were still the size of a normal humans, and she was happy for it. She dressed quickly in a formal suit, with an A-line skirt instead of slacks. She took a deep breath, and met her eyes in the mirror, arranging her dark brown hair. Soon, she'd be away from this place, bound for better things. She stuck out her chin proudly. She wouldn't cower in fear while other's died. It wasn't her style. Sinovia grinned, and finished with a dab of perfume.

She carried her bags out, and almost immediately Reno and the other man helped her with them.

"Did I take too long?" She fidgeted with her hands. Reno shook his head.

"Nah, we thought you'd take longer, but I guess not, huh?" He laughed and she saw the other man roll his eyes. They loaded the car up, Reno and herself flirting. Somewhere along the road, she found out the other man's name was Rude. She was nervous when they pulled up to the building, an intimidating man she had seen waiting in the lobby after they had gotten through the double doors. He had darker skin, looking as if he came from a coastal area, and a dot was in the middle of his forehead. His eyebrows shot up.

"Reno, I didn't ask you to pick up a date, I asked you to pick up our new scientist." The man lectured. "You went to the wrong house, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry sir, but if you are looking for Sinovia Erminia, that would be me." He looked down at her, and his face returned to a state that revealed nothing.

"Ah, sorry. It's a pleasure Ms. Erminia, would you please come with me?" Sinovia nodded, and looked back at her companions.

"You don't have to be so formal dot-man." Reno swaggered over. The man rose an eyebrow. "This is Tseng. He acts like he's got a-" Sinovia moved slightly as Rude came up behind Reno, clamping a gloved hand over Reno's big mouth. Sinovia giggled.

"Forgive him, Tseng." Tseng nodded.

"If he were not so useful," Tseng spoke to her as they walked towards the elevator. "I would have killed him long ago." They got on, and Tseng continued on a different path. "I am taking you to your lab. You are to look over what has been started by our last head of science, Hojo. Twice every two months, you are to have patients in your lab. Once for a check-up, another to administer Mako treatments. They are our SOLDIER class. How much Mako they are given, as well as any other drugs you may wish to test's quantities are up to you." He looked a little pained as he said this. "Any questions so far?"

"Yes. Did the scientist before me leave documented records, and so on?" Tseng nodded.

"Besides what I have told you, you are to help in developing new weapons for ShinRa, and take care of injured men, materia creation, and things of that sort. You are also to train new nurses, create meal plans for the SOLDIER class, as well as the Turks, and the cadets who have joined. Medical exams are conducted by you when they first arrive, and after that they are seen by a nurse or doctor that you have suggested." Sinovia wanted to whistle. This was a big job. A challenge. Just what she was looking for. "Anything else will be in document form within your new lab. As well as rules you must abide while working for ShinRa." Reno had gone over a few of them.

"I assure you've brought your contract?" He motioned to the folder. She pulled it out and handed it to him. He looked it over, then pursed his lips.

"Are you sure you want this job? You look as if you could have a very nice future. This job is not for the young." Sinovia shrugged.

"My life is nothing without purpose. If I choose this as my purpose, then who is to disagree if I am content?" Tseng gave her a small smile, then motioned for her to slide her card in the folder. She did so, and the elevator, that had stalled, continued up.

"Your room and lab are connected, and you have the entire 63rd floor to yourself. Floors above you and below you also have laboratories for your use, as well as First Class barracks and other things. You have clearance to any floor you wish to visit, though I suggest avoiding the 65th and 66th floor." They stepped off the elevator, and Sinovia looked around.

"It's kind of gloomy." She commented, looking at the closed shades.

"Feel free to renovate. You have another week from today before the Firsts come in for their check-up. Make yourself at home, because chances are you'll never leave, Ms. Erminia." And he was gone.

"Cryptic much?" she whistled, and took off down the hallway. Opening doors, she quickly found what was supposed to be a bedroom. The bed had been stripped of sheets, and the walls were white-washed. It was a blank canvas. Tomorrow she'd go to town and buy some things to decorate the place, because included in the orange envelope was a check for a hefty sum. Quite a bit of gil.

The week went by quickly, mostly with her memorizing what she considered were idiotic, obvious rules.

No. 135: No ShinRa personnel, including SOLDIER First Class members are allowed within the air ducts unless otherwise specified.

No. 137: No ShinRa personnel, including SOLDIER First Class members are allowed to bring chocobo's within the building unless otherwise specified.

No. 142: No ShinRa personnel, including SOLDIER First Class members are allowed to bring weapons into the women's bathroom unless otherwise specified.

...And on they went. Some made sense, other's didn't. Too soon, the day she was to meet her patients rolled around. Though she was going to do something different. Hojo's reports told her the process was painful. When she wasn't reciting stupid rules she was trying to change that. Many things exploded when they first touched Mako energy. Other things reacted differently, or mutated the Mako. A commonly known drug for numbing pain, and in it's raw state, an aphrodisiac, seemed to coincide with the Mako. Trying it on the monsters they she had found caged on the same floor, she noticed how they had calmly accepted the Mako into their bloodstream. It was sad though, seeing them caged. One of the creatures caged was a small puppy, with eyes the color of blood. On the third day, she let it out, too distressed to keep it in the cage any longer. With no hesitation, it began to tug on her pant leg and tried to get her too play. It entranced her to no end, and she decided to keep it. There was nothing about not having a pet in the rules.

Trying to look as nonthreatening as possible, Sinovia smiled warmly as her patients came in, taking them in. The first nearly knocked her off her teeth, and she inhaled. He too seemed to be struck with confusion.

"Where's the creepy old guy?" He asked her, looking around. His spiky black hair defied gravity, and his cerulean blue, Mako fueled eyes scanned the room.

"Dead, Zack." A red head entered the room, reading a book with 'LOVELESS' printed on the front.

"When we find out who killed him, I'm going to give that guy a high five." He looked at Sinovia. "So are you our new doctor?"

"Yes, my name is-" A man, looking quite a bit like Zack walked in, a large sword on his back, interrupted her.

"Sinovia Erminia. It's good to meet you." A silver haired man entered silently behind. Every movement about him seemed to spell business. He had nothing but apathy in his face. The great Sephiroth.

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet the warriors of ShinRa. I suppose you are Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth, the Great General of SOLDIER. Then Zack, the newly christened First." Zack saluted her.

"You're much better to look at then that old man." Zack commented, earning him a smack upside the head by Angeal.

"Don't be rude." Sinovia, deciding that Angeal would be the best to start with smiled at him.
"Unlike your last doctor, I know nothing of your bodies. I'd like to start with drawing a little blood. None of you would mind terribly?" Sephiroth grunted and stepped forward, setting himself in a chair with leather straps. His look said Do what you will. So, without further ado, she did as she planned, drawing blood from him, and the others. Zack spoke constantly, while Sephiroth and Genesis didn't even acknowledge her.

"So where did you come from?" Angeal asked as the needle pierced his skin, and the blood started to be drawn from his body.

"Down south. Near the coast." She adjusted the bag.

"What made you want to work for ShinRa?" He asked next, looking at her carefully.

"I wanted to make my parents proud. They wanted better for me, so after I got a decent education, I decided it best to go for the highest paying job in the country. They're still alive, see? I want them to have some money to have some fun with before they.." It was true, the family that had taken her was still alive, the original parents not so much, but still...Angeal placed a hand on her arm.

"..I understand. I still send money home to my mother in Banora." he smiled comfortingly, and she knew he would be a great friend to her while she was there. After the drawing was done, she did her regular routine, checking blood pressure, weight, ears. When they were about to leave, Zack ducked his head down to talk to her one last time.

"Hey doc, that was a new experience for them I think." She raised her eyes to look into Zack's. He was somber and honest. "The last guy wasn't really nice. He was kind of sadistic." Sinovia nodded.

"I know. I don't have any desire to hurt any of you, Zack. My job is take away your pain, not cause you more." Zack waggled his eyebrows.

"If you say so doc. See you in the next week or two!" And with a grin he walked out. Sinovia, let her muscles relax. That hadn't been too bad, despite how unfriendly Sephiroth and Genesis had been. Taking a drop of blood from vials that she had filled not too long ago, she created slides, and hummed as she slid them underneath her microscope. It was...odd. She focused her lens, then pulled the slide away. Zack's blood. It didn't seem human, almost. It matched more to a monster that had more bird gene then human. Next, she looked at Sephiroth's, noting the same thing. But when she reached Genesis's, she noted it was far too different. The cells were deteriorating quickly, few of them making any new cells. Checking Angeal's it was quite similar. Her patients...her mind flashed back to Hojo's dying memories. He knew that they were dying, yet didn't even try to help them. Cursing she slammed her fists on the table. Lifting them up, she noted the dent she had placed in the metal counter. She narrowed her eyes. It was time to do some research.