Tired eyes came to rest on the small digital clock in the corner of the computer screen. Another coffee fueled late night. Its not as if the man had any pressing engagements that night, nothing better to do then work late and absorb himself into his study and research it had gotten to the point where his employer had stopped paying him over time these long nights had become so frequent. No matter money was not the issue at hand, no what he was after was something much more difficult to obtain.
"uhmm... I... I was to give you this sir"
He looked up silently, the eerie green glow of the computer screen he sat in front of reflecting from his frameless glasses the only source of light other then the computer itself. He didnt need to turn to know who it was speaking, that soft lion growl of a voice could only belong to one person in this god forsaken corporation, actually he was the only one with a voice like that in the mans known world.
"What brings you down to my world, Vincent Valentine?" he asked in a velvety smooth voice without turning to face the young Turk. There was no reason to do so, because if it could be said anyone in the world honestly had eyes in the back of their head, it would have been said about Hojo. He knew that Vincent was standing an arms length behind him (because he also seemed to be a psychic when it came to judging measurement as well) holding a tray of what ever ShinRa was giving him and passing it off as food that day(one of the few things he preferred to not ever discover was what exactly it was ShinRa employees were being fed as there were theories of what happened when the scientists no longer had any more use out of a body what happened to it) The scientist knew that Vincent was standing straight and up and tall, a nervous look about his lips despite the false sureness in his eyes, his still young face painted a pale rose from the combination of the travel from half way to the top of the building to the one of the lowest labs, and his being nervous about the smell of death and the sight of blood on an empty operating table. He knew this one very well, even though he was one of the relatively new Turks. "I've seen you down here more then I've seen some of the cadavers I work with"
Vincent's eyes laid on the back of the scientists head, or rather what he could see of it. He quickly figured that the reason behind the mans need for glasses was the fact that he seemed to insist on working in the littlest light humanly possible. He couldent help but feel a little annoyed by the fact that along with his habitual murder of his own eyesight , the man before him also seemed to have a habit of not facing people when he spoke, something that if HE dared to do would result in being yelled at, at the very least.
"Its part of my job to bring you food, ShinRa dosent want to come down here one day and find out that you starved yourself to death in the name of your research" He attempted to try to get over being nervous by cracking a joke and failed miserably at the mention of death in the lab. Every time he ventured down the halls- something about it always put him on edge.
"hmn…I doubt many people would mourn that" he retorted as if it were no more then a point blank observation, his eyes remained locked at the screen filled with green printed letters detailing some procedure that Vincent didn't even bother to try to comprehend, something about some the JENOVA project that he had heard about from a few others in ShinRa. The man seemed to have quite a bleak outlook didn't he? "So Vincent Valentine…" he continued taking the food blindly still typing away with one hand. "was it you were drafted into this job or is it you were the only one willing to come down here?" Hojo asked him seemingly cocking his head briefly glancing back at Vincent as he ate without turning to even look at the food. Many of Vincent's co-workers would joke saying that you could give him an empty plate and he'd go about trying to eat and not even realize there was nothing there, it was in moments like this where he was so absorbed in his work that made Vincent see that they could very well be right. As if the thought garnered the professors attention he finally turned around to face Vincent. Though he could not actually see the mans features well, only the silhouette of his turning body the Turk knew he was staring him straight in the eyes, Hojo wasn't the only one who knew the other well- on the rare occasion Hojo would actually look to whomever he was speaking with he'd always make unbreaking eye contact and Vincent knew this all to well as the mans near black eyes when visible behind his glasses were
rather chilling. "Or are you being punished for forgetting protocol?"
Vincent narrowed his eyes very so slightly, he didn't dare let the man see the glare in his eyes, but oh did he know how to get under his skin. "I do my job, theres no reason for me to be punished"
"WhAt? So Shinra has finally realized im not his babysitter for those he sees as troublemakers?" he chuckled quietly to himself. Ugh Hojo's laugh was creepy enough. His chuckle however was worse, one of someone with something that he knew no one else did, one of someone who seemed to be running things in his own way without much effort. "Well theres a first for everything" he sighed standing up cracking his neck making a sickening pop that made a physical shiver go down Vincent's spine. Hojo walked over towards him sighing softly removing his glasses to clean some unseen smudge off them, close enough that Vincent could at least now see him in the dim light. "It's a good change."
Geeze this guy knew how to give someone the creeps. Vincent wasn't sure exactly what it was about him that made his blood freeze. It could have been his too sweet to believe innocent smile that came with that creepy ass giggle. It could have been the way the little light of the room hit him, making one lense of his perfect circle frameless glasses glare so much it seemed opaque leaving only one small black eye that always seem perpetually bent into a glare visible. Or maybe it was just the mans preference to be in the company of the dead and dying rather then someone with a properly functioning body who wasn't unconcious, strapped down helpless to an operating table. What ever it was it was getting to him and his brain was telling him to leave fast. "yeah? well then... I'm going to go now..."
Vincent turned around sighing heavily in relief mentally thinking he was home free, only to have hojos hand come down firmly grasping his shoulder stopping him. "one moment..." Oh if only Vincent had eyes in the back of his head as Hojo did.
If he were to have eyes in the back of his head he would have seen it. He would of seen the man lowering his head bringing his glasses out of the glare revealing the vicious animalistic glare about his eyes. He would have seen that too sweet smile twist into a sick smirk. He would have seen the scientist hand reach into one of the pockets of his lab coat eagerly fidgeting with what ever was concealed within it. He would have seen Hojo hungrily drawing his tongue across his lips as his eyes locked onto the exposed skin of his neck. Had Vincent been able to see out of the back of his head he may have seen the danger he was now in, unfortunately-he couldent.
AS he walked around in front of him, using the hand on his shoulder as a pivot, the change of Hojo's demnor became apparent. It was too late though, seeing it only caused Vincent to freeze up even more as the scientist's hand drifted down his shoulder to the front of his chest seemingly in a manner of slowly dropping his hand that came back to the older ones own side as he clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Lucrecia as well, has seen an awful lot of you lately"
Vincent gave no response but a cock of the brow to the man. Was he this nosy with everyone. "Yes, we talk…" he finally answered slowly. So what if he had maybe something of a crush on her, its not like he was making any plans on making a move any time soon. At least not around him always. "I'd like to know why" he responded quickly a tone of what for a split second seemed like…resentment.
Taken aback by the sudden demand it instantly made him grow defenseive. It was none of his god damned business, not that it was anything that needed to remain hidden but nonetheless he didn't feel like explaining to the man that him and Lucrecia seemed rather close. "You don't have to know everything you know?" Bad move.
Hojo's hand snapped firmly under his chin, tilting his head up expossing the young mans neck. He glared slightly defiance not something Hojo was suited to deal with. Even as Vincent struggled his grip was firm keeping his head twisted up as he leaned closer seeming to be examining his throat. "Amazing it is really, the human body so efficante, so meticulious and well designed, possibly one of the biggest flaws however is the throat" he mused eyeing the turks exposed skin. His voice gave the wird vibe of someone who seemed to get off on imagining how the body works. "Yet something so nessacary to the humans is so fragile and delicate and left completely unprotected and exposed" he muttered his warm breath sending a shiver down vincents spine as it touched his exposed neck. "Perhaps you'd like to rethink your anwser Vincent Valentine."