It was dark inside the corridors. The lights were dimmed down to a ficker, indicating it was early, was still nighttime almost and it was quiet too.
Too quiet.
There were no people bustling in the corridors yet, no announcments or calls, blaring form the inbuilt speakers. There was just the steady low hum of the generators, the constant buzzing of the endless rows of refridgerators and incubators.
There was the soft tapping sound of Sephiroth's foodsteps everytime his slippers hit the marble floor, accompanied by another set of feet belonging to the nurse beside him and the low growl of his tummy.
He hadn't had a chance to eat yet.
He was walking the corridors of his childhood again, the place he grew up, the place he knew so well, the place he'd once called home. Those endless corridor burried miles and miles beneath what ten years later he would come to know as Midgar.
The woman beside him led him over to one of the endless white panelled doors set into the flawless white concrete, opened it for him to enter.
She was dressed in a white cotton lab coat as they all were, wore a pair of freshly laundered white pants and a set of those typical white leather slippers. There was a tiny bit of soft pink fabric peeking out above the top buttom of her collar and soft brown hair that curled down to her bosom. She wore spectacles on her face and a kind welcoming smile.
'How are you feeling today? Are you ready for your treatment?' the woman asked as he walked past her and suddenly Sephiroth was three feet short.
The room beyond was almost empty.
The only things inside were one of the standard preparation table and a leather covered patient chair, where he knew he was destined to take place.
The palms of his hands feeling sweaty, and his empty tummy clenching uncomfortably, Sephiroth could feel a tiny shiver running down his spine.
That chair, it gave him the creeps.
Still. There was no evading it, he knew that.
It was ignoring his body's subtle warnings, his inner turmoil really, that obediently he walked over to the chair, accepted the help of the woman beside him as she hoisted him up unto the chair by his waist.
'I have your injection ready over there. This will only take a moment.' The woman told him as she took out one of those black elastics she was going to use as a tournequit and made to fasten it around his right side upper arm.
The silver haired young boy he only stared at the blank white wall ahead.
It was ridiculous to be afraid, he knew.
There was nothing to be scared of.
He'd received that treatment like a hundred times. Knew what would await him, knew how these things went.
It was going to hurt, he knew that.
Still. Pain was nothing to be scared of. That much he did know too.
Maybe it wasn't really the pain that scared him in the first place.
No it wasn't.
What scared him most was that he might cry again.
And he didn't want to cry.
Warriors didn't cry.
And he was going to be a warrior. Wasn't he? He was. He was going to be the very best. He couldn't allow himself to cry over a little bit of pain.
He was not a child anymore.
'Okay here we go...' the woman announced as she stepped up to him, a vibrant green syringe ready in her hand.
It was releasing a deep drawn breath that the silver haired boy leaned back into the seat, that he let his body relax into the hard leather upholstery of the patient chair.
There was no use in being tensed up, no use in fighting really. It would only make things worse, he knew that much already.
It was a moment later that he sensed the woman next to him lean down, felt the tip of the needle pierce the skin at the crook of his elbow, felt a tiny prick as the needle found his vein, and then, the sickening feeling of the mako making it's was into his blood, his flesh, his tissue.
His eyes fixed on an imaginary spot up on the white plain ceiling he made to focus on his breathing, tried to relax into the pain, embrace it even, as he had tried to do every single of the past few sessions.
This time it seemed to work.
His searing insides screaming at him in agony, flesh ablaze with pain as his muscles fought the toxic treatment, it was with utmost self control that the young boy managed to hold still, managed that his mouth stayed shut.
Warriors don't cry.
Not a single tiny wimper did escape him this time, not a single moan, and while his eyes watered from the extend of the pain he was enduring, there wasn't a single tear making it's way down his cheek this time.
He had finally mastered his emotions.
Suddenly he felt relieved. So infinitely relieved. The pain would never stop, he knew that. There was no way he could control that. At least not one that he could think of. But his reaction to the pain, that was something he could control, something he could learn to master. Something that he finally had achieved. Something they could not take away from him ever again.
It was ture. Warrior's didn't cry at all.
General Sephiroth Crescent woke up to the soft fabric of his blankets on his skin, the cozy patterned tapestries of his bedroom. Suddenly he was so infinitely glad to see them.
There was the soft morning breeze tugging at the curtains of his windows and the sound of palmtrees outside rustling in the gentle wind. The chirping of some early birds and crickets, the steady rushing of the waves, the sounds of nature, suddenly they were so infinitely soothing.
It had been a dream. Just a dream.
He was aware.
Still the dream had left him with his heart pounding crazily and his sheets wet with sweat. Had left him with a little headache pounding in his temples and a sudden almost overwhelming mako craving, that made him feel on edge.
His thoughts travelling over to the little mako injection case savely stowed away in the bottom drawer of his bathroom cabinet he quickly made to get up to his feet, made to walk into the hall.
He hadn't thought of deepground in a while. Hadn't thought about his past, his childhood.
Hadn't thought about Midgar or Shin-Ra or Hojo. Or even a mako shot. But now that finally he did, the desire to get one was almost irresistable.
The silver haired first class unconsciously quickening his pace he swiftly made over to the bathroom opened the door and stepped up to the drawers.
It was on slightly weekened knees that he got into a crouch, was with slighty trembling fingers that he pulled out the bottom drawer, was with slightly shaky breath that he took out the inconspicious little bag.
Biting his lower lip he pulled open the zipper.
There they were.
Two perfectly preserved mako shots innocently sitting in their pockets. Green and vibrant, still intact and safe and ready to use.
It was only with utmost self restraint that he finally managed to put them away again.
No.
He couldn't give in to his mako cravings, at least not yet. Not while he didn't really need them.
He only had two shots left. And no hope of procuring more. Forever. He could not afford to be lavish with them. He would have to ration them, would have to safe them up until the time he really needed them.
It really was the only way.
Shoving them to the very back of the drawer, stowing them away as deeply as he could, he quickly pushed it shut and got back up to his feet.
It was then that he caught his reflection in the mirror.
A tired looking man staring back at him with his hair in a mess and deep dark rings beneath his eyelids. With catlike slits as pupils and unnaturally glowing mako cold dead monster eyes.
That was who he was.
A monster.
A monster and a drug addict. With mako as his drug.
Never had he felt so weak, so small, so lost.
What would he do once he ran out of mako?
General Sephiroth Crescent had no idea.
Taking in the reflection of that monster, that killer, that abomination, he realized he couldn't blame Lightning for not wanting him.
Of course she didn't want him. Why the fuck would she?
He had done so many things in his life. Things he wasn't proud of, would make undone if only he had a chance to.
He had thought he had changed. That somehow miraculously those few months in Bodhum could have changed who he was, could have turned him into a different person. A better person. A person with a future that wasn't pain and grief and war.
But there simply was no way. The person looking back at him from the mirror. They didn't seem to have changed one tiny bit. A little bit more battered maybe, his cheeks a little bit more hollow, his overall appearence a little bit more tired a little bit more weak. But all in all he was still the Sephiroth that had left Midgar.
The truth was one couldn't change who one was. One couldn't simply reverse time or change the past. One had to take responsibility for their actions and live with the consequences of it.
No matter how far one would try to run away, the past would always catch up. If only in the form of a dream or the craving of a mako shot. Or a bunch of angry words thrown at you in a dimly lit deserted side street.
It was that very same thought, the memory of all the things Lightning had thrown at him down there in that alley that made his throat run dry everytime he thought about it, made his eyes sting and his vision go a little blurry from the sudden excess moisture that accumulated there.
He'd always thought he'd be a warrior. The very best. That he'd do all the right things, that all he did was for the greater good.
Shin-Ra had always seen to that.
But he was not a child anymore.
There was no honor in all the things he did, had done, no virtue and no glory. No accomplishment.
And there was no denying it either.
The man on the other side of the mirror giving a desperate little shake of his head it was quickly reaching forward that General Sephiroth Crescent turned on the faucet to splash his face with ice cold water.
The truth was he was a failure. An abomination. A monster.
Yes. A monster.
But just as warriors, monsters didn't cry.
'Anything new?' Angeal´s voice ripped the silver haired man out of his musing.
General Sephirth Crescent was examining the carcass of yet another of those weird dog like creatures Cloud and Zack had affectionately baptized 'dogsters' and somehow his mind was drifting in and out of focus.
Looking up from his task he found his dear comrade and friend standing in the doorway to his office.
He only shook his head.
'No... Not really.'
It was almost the truth.
Almost.
Although he hadn´t exactly managed to gather any more insights on the beast´s origins, there was still something else... Something more like a dark suspicion, an unsettling crazy idea, creeping into his thoughts and festering somewhere at the back of his mind.
The truth was something about those beasts had been bothering him. Had been bothering him ever since his first contact with them.
Because yes. There was something strange, something otherworldly about them, something that ran deeper than just their weird looks.
Something he couldn´t quite place, or in fact didn´t want to.
Something strangely familiar.
Yes... It did feel familiar indeed.
Looking over past Angeal and to the open door of his office he briefly let his mind carry over to the pink haired woman busy somewhere in one of the adjoining rooms, the woman he didn't talk to anymore, the woman who evaded him at all costs.
Lightning...
He was wondering whether she could feel it too.
Had those things' cell abnormalities anything to do with their's?
Somehow he wasn´t sure.
And somehow he had no desire to find out. To investigate this any further. Would rather dismiss it as just a stupid fluke, as nonsense. But still...
'Zack found another two of them this morning. Upper half of their bodies missing...' Angeal revealed somewhat carefully.
'No idea what causes those `injuries´ if you can call it that... But whatever it is... We really need to locate the cause... Or rather identify it. I mean, before -'
'I know, Angeal.' the general cut in.
'Whatever it is... We cannot let it get near the village. Don´t you think I´m aware of that?!' he snapped at the burly first class.
The latter looking rather taken aback at his comrade´s unsuspected moodiness, Sephiroth quickly averted his gaze, suddenly felt ashamed of his behavior.
Fuck...
He really needed to calm down. Had to get a grip on himself.
Whatever it was that had gotten him so irritated, it definitely wasn´t Angeal´s fault.
No, not at all.
'Anyway... I´m not any closer to locating it´s whereabouts than the rest of you.' Sephiroth offered, carefully controlling his voice and his temper this time.
'Hmm...' Angeal hummed.
'One would think a thing that size is bound to leave some tracks.' the burly first class added somewhat suggestively.
Yeah... Tracks. Sure. There should have been tracks. There should have been tracks all over the place.
But the truth was there were no tracks at all.
At least none Sephiroth wanted to find.
His short exchange with Angeal, it bothered him all day.
Those stupid beast, he couldn´t get them out of his head.
And there was something else that was bothering him of course.
Lightning.
Or rather her strange behavior.
He had suspected something was off with her, but what he´d seen that day before...
She´d gotten herself injured by one of the dogsters. Or that was what she had claimed.
But how was this even possible?!
Sure, those things might pose a challenge when they attacked in packs. But Lightning...
With her outstanding abilities he would have thought her more than up to it.
Still... She´d gotten herself hit and possibly had received internal injury. It had been a lucky coincidence he had been there.
And it had been a welcome opportunity to approach her too. To talk to her again, to feel her close, to feel their bond. To try and find out what was going on with her lately.
But really...
When exactly had she gotten so weak?
Where the effects of the Jenova mutation wearing off again?
No...
That was impossible. One couldn't not just get rid of something like that. That much was for sure.
Plus he had felt it there again.
Their connection.
It had been as strong as ever.
Her cells had been responding just the way he knew they would. Everything had been just the way he had expected.
What was it then?
Was she seriously ill? Was some kind of disease impairing her abilities?
No... Impossible... He would have felt that. Wouldn´t he?
He would.
And still... He had felt something, hadn´t he?
He had felt something strange that day. Something off.
Something that shouldn´t have been there.
Something he hadn´t felt there before.
Something that didn't make sense. Not at all.
Or had he?
Hmmm... Maybe he hadn´t. Maybe it was just the fact that she wasn´t exactly happy to let him in that had made the experience feel slightly different than before.
And that was exactly it, wasn´t it?
She wasn´t happy to do anything with him anymore. Seemed not exactly pleased to see him whenever their paths did cross accidentally.
Okay.
He'd thrown a fit there that night out with the others.
She'd thrown quite some ugly things at him. Things she'd wanted to take back, he was aware. Things albeit spoken in the heat of the moment, spoken to hurt, still carried a piece of truth at their core, of that Sephiroth was aware too.
Still. All those things weren't new. Had been there between them since long before the two of them had gotten intimate.
Surely that couldn't be the root of the problem.
Okay. He had probably overreacted there, leaving like that, saying he couldn't put up with her anymore.
Well... At that moment it'd been exactly what he'd felt. He'd been hurt. Had fled the scene like a wounded dog, tail tucked between his legs, had hidden away from her to lick his wounds.
Yes. The truth was it still hurt. The fact that she rejected him like that. The fact that she didn't really want him, not like that. It hurt in a way Sephiroth couldn't have found the words to describe even if he wanted.
And the truth was he still missed her. Missed her terribly.
Despite it all.
He still loved her, he couldn't have helped that, not even had he tried. Those feeling he had for her, he couldn't just get rid of them, not even had he wanted. He still cared for her, still worried for her wellbeing. That wasn't something a few words could change just like that. Not even words as harsh as her's had been.
He wasn't sure there was anything that actually could do that. At least nothing he could think of.
Still. Her patience with him seemed to have run out, and so had her affection. She wasn't even looking at him anymore these days. Not if she could help it.
And while he knew, could feel it somewhere deep inside of him that she didn't really hate him, that somehow she still felt for him, still wanted him. He also knew that she would never be the one to admit it, to give in. No... She was just too proud for that.
Was he supposed to take the first step?
Should he just walk up to her and appologize? Would she even want him to? Somehow he wasn't sure.
She could be stubborn sometimes. Stubborn and proud. It inconveniently were some qulities they both had in common.
Also what was he supposed to say? If only he knew what she wanted to hear, what she wanted him to do...
Somehow he wasn't even sure what had led to all their trouble in the first place.
They had fought there in that alley. Sure.
She'd been treating him dismissively ever since the day she woke up in his bed, had been pushing him away from then on.
But how had it come to that exactly?
What had he done wrong?
Suddenly he couldn´t remember anymore.
They had been getting along fine. They had spent the most amazing times together, had spent nights together and dinnner and had shared the bed to sleep.
He had only wanted for the two of them to be together.
He'd thought she'd want that too.
He loved her.
He still did.
But she didn´t even want to give him a chance. Not really. She didn't even want to make their love official. If it had even been love in the first place. Didn't even want to be seen with him. Didn't let him take her hand when they were out in town with the others. Had forced him to hide away his affection, to limit it to the foot space beneath the table where noone would notice, just to jump at him the second they were alone.
But why?
Why was she doing this to him?
What was so wrong with him she didn´t want anyone to know the two of them were together? That she didn't want to be seen with him?
Why did it always have to be a secret?
Was he really that bad?
Maybe he was...
Maybe she never really wanted to be with him in the first place...
Maybe she just enjoyed to have sex with him.
Was that it?
No, it couldn´t be that... Right?
RIGHT?!
Maybe it was...
Or maybe he should have given her more time.
Maybe he´d just been trying too hard...
Maybe he shouldn't have asked her to move in with him, or suggest to get a pet, maybe he shoudn't have bought her breakfast, or followed her home to talk with her.
Maybe he shouldn't have pushed her like that.
Well.. That was something easier said than done.
The truth was he'd wanted her close so badly. He needed her. Having to hide his feelings for her, had been torture. And spending time apart from her was torture too.
He loved her. He didn't want to be her sex toy or her secret lover, he wanted them to be more, needed them to be more. He wanted them to be partners, wanted them to be a family.
Offering her to move in with him, getting them a beautiful place for them to live in in the first place... Somehow it had all seemed like the next logical step. Now suddenly he wondered. He didn't exactly know a lot about relationships.
He might have had a lot of women. That was something that just came with his legendary war hero status. But despite all that, or maybe because of it, he had never had a steady girlfriend. He'd never felt the need to have one.
Maybe he should have talked about it to someone, should have asked for advice. Maybe Angeal. Or even Zack... Zack knew what girlfriends wanted that much was for sure. That guy had been single for maybe five weeks in his entire life. Five weeks Sephiroth remembered with a sour aftertaste. Okay... Maybe Zack was not the right person to talk to after all...
But yeah.
He'd also been scared, he had to admit, scared to loose her again.
Now his actions, they had accoomplished exactly that...
Great.
Well what was done was done.
No way to undo any of it anymore.
If she didn't want him, there was nothing he could do about it.
Maybe he'd do better to accept his fate.
If only he could forget about her that easily...
Giving a frustrated sigh the silver haired first class made to exit his office and not caring to look where he was going, he ran straight into something soft.
Or someone rather.
'Shit... I´m sorry, I didn´t -'
Looking up in surprise he suddenly found himself face to face with a tall pretty woman, sun tanned bronze skin and wavy dark hair framing a confident face with sparkling green eyes, a cocky smile forming on her lips as her shock of being run into slowly passed.
His mako gaze shortly lingering at the beauty mark beneath her right eye, General Sephiroth Crescent carefully took a step backwards to take in the stranger´s appearance.
The strange woman who couldn´t be older than twenty-five, she wore a strange kind of dress, more like a sari really, blue in it´s color and a black top underneath. There was a large tattoo there on her arm and a vicious spear clasped in one of her hands.
No... He certainly hadn´t seen her before.
Ever.
He had his hand ready at Masamune´s hilt in less than a second.
'Who are you and what are you doing outside my office?!'
'Oerba Yun Fang, huh?' Genesis' theatrical voice bounced off the ceiling of the guardian corps station´s entrance hall and around the walls of Lightning´s skull.
'What a pleasure to meet you my love.' he muttered in a silky voice while icy pale blue eyes were busy staring daggers at that female newcomer´s back.
Oerba Yun Fang. What a stupid kind of name was that supposed to be in the first place?
'The pleasure´s on my side... uhm...' the stranger replied out of courtesy. Ligtning could easily sense the discomfort in her voice.
Well... Genesis seemed to have that effect on a lot of people, really.
'Genesis! Genesis Rhapsodus! Former elite SOLDIER of Shin-Ra!' The redhead eagerly introduced himself, proudly throwing out his chest.
'But... For you... Just Genesis.'
Ugh...
Claire Farron had heard enough. Seen enough.
Her insides churning uncomfortably, she felt ready to throw up again.
She´d been watching her all day.
And the evening before.
Her...The pretty mysterious stranger, who was stalking around the station now as if she owned the place.
Yes.
She´d seen her having dinner with Sephiroth, Zack and Angeal last night at the clubhouse, had watched in dismay as the silver haired general had let her sit next to him.
The way she´d occasionally touched his arm in conversation and the way he hadn´t cut it off yet...
The way he´d talked with her and even crack a smile at some of her doubtless stupid jokes...
She had seen her pace the beach promenade with Sephiroth this afternoon too. The both of them. Alone.
And it hadn´t escaped the pink haired female´s eye one second, the way that wench had been looking at him ever since she had arrived at the station that day.
Sephiroth...
Those secret glances she´d been throwing his way whenever she thought no one was looking, the way she´d been checking him out every possible opportunity.
She was doing it again.
Trying to catch his gaze with those sparkling green eyes of her´s. As if silently trying to ask him to help her get away from all of this, from Genesis´ constant babble and from all the curious eyes that were watching her in the entrance hall.
And it hadn´t escaped Lightning´s notice either... The way the silver haired general looked back.
That curious familiar stare his stern mako green eyes he'd once used to reserve for her. And her alone.
It made Claire Farron´s insides burn.
Burn with...
With what exactly?
Was she jealous?
Was it making her feel insecure?
Was she scared?
Scared...
Scared of what?
Losing him to that bitch?!
No way...
Or was she?
They weren´t exactly together in the first place, weren´t even on speaking terms...
Was it possible this strange brunette woman had piqued general Sephiroth Crescent´s interest?
No. No way.
They´d only met few days ago. This woman couldn´t possibly pose a serious threat to her, or could she?
Suddenly Lightning wasn´t sure.
Following the source of her discomfort to the other side of the room the pink haired female stopped dead in her tracks as she saw that newcomer side with Sephiroth again. The two of them engaging in what seemed to be a very interesting conversation, Claire Farron watched in utter horror as she saw the father of her unborn child crack a smile at something Fang had said.
The way that smile of his had reached his eyes, it was making her skin erupt in goosebumps, was making her blood run cold.
It had taken years of having the hell beaten out of her by him at Shin-Ra for her to finally see that smile. Years. And now he was dropping his mask in front of this girl after barely days...! DAYS!
It was only a second later that the two of them found their way outside and out of Lightning´s view. The front doors of the guardian corps base closing with a heavy thud she was left inside with her heart pounding fast inside her chest.
No, no, no, no!
That was all wrong!
What was going on?!
Why were they spending so much time together?!
And, why was he laughing at her stupid jokes?!
Sephiroth hadn´t looked at her even once since she had entered that room. Had he? No. His attention had been set on this girl ever since she had arrived here and she...
She...
'Hey Lightning... Gotta check the caves for beasts again. Are you coming?' Zack suddenly asked out of nowhere.
She hadn´t even realized he had been standing right beside her.
'Lightning?' Her comrade prompted when she made no move to answer but just kept staring at the couple making down the street together through the station´s filthy window.
'Why are they spending so much time together?'
'Huh?!'
The pink haired female hadn´t even realized she´d said that one aloud. She didn´t even care.
'This Fang girl...' she clarified.
'What-?... Oh... Uhm... Dunno... She kinda offered to help with those beasts and... Guess he´s showing her around or something?' Zack said somewhat carefully, rewarding his companion with a strange look.
'Why... Why is it bothering you?' He inquired even more carefully.
Shooting him a venomous glare Lightning just bend down to pick up Blaze Edge leaning against a corner before straightening her uniform, she started towards the front door.
She was so not going to answer this question.
'Are you coming or what?' she barked at Zack who only looked at her with huge confused eyes.
'S-Sure...' he said catching up with her.
And off they were.
Clearing another piece of the map of monsters. Like they did now almost every day. While her former mentor and lover... The father of her unborn child... Was enjoying himself with that woman.
Oerba Yun Fang.
'So this is one of Bodhum´s famous beaches...' Fang had said somewhat dreamily. 'I can´t deny, it´s beautiful.'
'It is.' Sephirot answered somewhat warily.
It was only a second later that he felt the touch of her hand on his arm, the contact making him stop dead in his tracks and stare at her inquisitively.
Whatever the mirror showed him these day, those months there at Bodhum, they had changed him. Had changed him a lot.
Never had he dreamed of a day where he´d feel comfortable enough around people to let an almost stranger touch him without instinctively reaching for his sword. Somehow those white sandy beaches, the soft gentle sea breeze, so far away from Midgar and the grasp of Shin-Ra, they had a calming effect on him. Suddenly he felt like a different person alltogether.
A person. Rather than a company controlled war machine.
Those who´d been chaining him down for his entire life finally gone. Finally. For the first time in his life. He was free.
Or was he?
'I can´t believe I´m actually standing here with the famous war hero Sephiroth.' the brunette woman said looking up at him expectantly.
No. His past in Shin-Ra. It would never release him. Would always be a legend that preceded him, would always be a shadow stalking him.
General Sephiroth didn´t known what to say in reply. The whole thing was making him feel rather uncomfortable.
He didn´t exactly need reminding of his oh so noble past.
He gave the woman a tight smile though and a tiny shake of his head before he made to continue down the beach promenade.
'Hey... Did I say anything wrong?' Fang´s gentle voice carried over to him from a few paces behind.
It only made the general emit a pensive sigh.
Stopping under one of Bodhum's proud standing palm trees he turned to look at her again.
'It´s not that... I... It´s just that I´m not exactly proud of most things I did... Especially considering the Wutai Wars.' he answered somewhat carefully.
Thinking about everything that had happened, everything he had done, it just made him realize once more how stupid and naive he had been back then.
Well. It was a shortcoming that wouldn't accompany him into the future. A mistake he would not make again.
The pretty brunette only studied his face with that curious stare of her's.
'I guess we all have done things we´re not proud of.' She suddenly said. And he was not ready to feel her touch on his hand this time.
It made him flinch. But only a little. He didn´t think she even noticed.
She was right of course. But she couldn´t fathom the extend of what he had done in his past. All those lives he had taken. Just because Shin-Ra had told him to. Did she even know what she was talking about?
She probably didn´t.
But that wasn´t her fault, right?
She was just a normal person. A normal woman, who´d grown up under normal circumstances. Nothing like him. Nothing like the monster he´d been. The monster he was. And nothing like Lightning either.
Of course she couldn't understand, couldn't even fathom.
Lightning would have understood. He was aware.
'I guess you´re right.' he finally replied, giving her another insecure smile.
He wasn´t exactly sure where this conversation was leading. Or that whole walk actually.
Fang had asked him to show her around Bodhum a little and so he had done. He wasn´t doing a lot of joyful free time activities lately and somehow walking her round the city, listening to what she got to tell and answering her questions about their work and the beasts and everything had proven a nice distraction to the dull everyday life he was leading these days. Well... Until now at least.
Carefully pulling his hand away from her´s, he made to walk down the trodden path again that he knew would lead them back to the main street.
The conversation they´d been having was taking down paths he hadn´t anticipated and he was thankful when after a few minutes of silence it changed back to Bodhum and the plague of beasts that had befallen the city, the reason Fang had actually joined them in the first place.
To help them fend off those monsters that seemed to not only be roaming the streets of Bodhum anymore but were spreading to the adjoining villages as well, one of which Fang had come from to get rid of those waves of beasts from the very roots.
And it was a good thing too.
With so many beasts about they needed every hand they could find.