First Impressions
The women leave Hojo's office with a congratulatory handshake for Shai and a pat on the back for Dr. Moreau. They walk in silence to the elevator bank. Moreau taps the up button and chances a glance at the young woman beside her. Shai is preoccupied with the progression of the elevator as it rises to their floor. She is carrying a medium-sized suitcase, that has seen better days, and a small leather portfolio common among traditional artists.
"Are you an artist?" Shai turns to Moreau and nods her head imperceptibly, then returns her attention to the numbers lighting consecutively over the elevator doors.
"What medium do you use?" Shai sets down her luggage and moves her right hand pinkie twice in front of the flat palm of her left. When Moreau looks at her oddly, Shai mimics the motion of drawing with an air pencil on invisible paper.
"Oh! You draw! Wonderful! One day you must show me some of your work." Shai smiles and makes a circular motion over her face with open fingers before closing them together at the completion of the circle. Lovely. Moreau politely returns the smile, having no idea what Shai just said. The doctor realizes that she is going to have to take a crash course on sign language if she is to form a working relationship with this woman. The ladies are spared from further awkwardness by the chime of the elevator arriving. Once inside the car, Moreau holds her security ID to the card reader on the button panel and waits until the green light appears and a bell intones, then she hits the number sixty three.
"Certain floors can only be accessed by individually programmed ID cards. Did Professor Hojo have one made for you?" Shai pulls a card from her shirt's pocket and shows it to Moreau.
"Excellent. Think of it as your house key. Keep it on you at all times whenever you are not in the condo. Ah! Here we are!" The doors slide open to reveal an attractive foyer with a contemporary design. The floor is carpeted in a light neutral tone and the facing wall is layered in natural cut stones of multi-hued slate; the remaining are painted in a smokey blue. There are two sets of doors made of solid timber and stained black walnut. One set is to Shai's immediate left and the other is in the far right wall. As they exit the elevator, Shai sees there is a second one next to theirs.
"You needn't worry about that elevator. It's an express programmed to bypass this floor." Moreau gestures to the doors to the left.
"That is the general's dojo. I doubt you will have to concern yourself with that. And these doors here are to the condominium." Moreau presses the doorbell and a muted melodic tune of church bells rings inside. Not long after, the sound of locks being disengaged can be heard and the right door swings open. There, in all his glory, stands General Sephiroth. Shai's heart beats hard against her chest.
"Good evening, general."
"Hello, doctor."
"My apologies at calling at this hour, but Hojo said you were expecting us. May we come in?"
He does not answer. He merely backs away to allow the two women to enter, his tall form looming over them as they walk by. The condo's living area is open-concept. To Shai's left is the kitchen with an island with bar stools lining one side and a wrought iron pot rack laden with cookware hung over the stove, a dining area with a dark wood dining table surrounded by upholstered chairs with clean, simple lines, and an L-shaped living room with a gas fireplace. To the left, off the living room, is a closed door that Shai assumes leads to a bedroom and to the right, off of the other leg of the living room is a hallway. The outer wall of the living room is constructed entirely of windows.
Moreau leads Shai to the couch set in front of the fireplace. The doctor makes herself comfortable, sitting back into the cushioned backrest and crossing her legs. Shai seats herself in a less casual manner, placing her luggage off to the side, out of sight. They hear the door latch and soon Sephiroth joins them, preferring to remain standing. Shai keeps her focus on the fire, its flames fluttering gold and orange in a hypnotic dance. In any other context, this would have had a relaxing effect on her, but tonight it only serves to draw her gaze to the general, now leaning against the mantle, eyeing her like a bird of prey tracking an unsuspecting rodent. He has clearly showered and dressed for bed. His hair is damp, his long fringe hanging limply to frame his face and neck, and he is wearing a black silk dressing gown over black silk pyjama bottoms.
"It's nice to see you again, doctor," he says, his attention never wavering from Shai, "I am sorry for how we left matters last time."
"I accept your apology, general, but it is unnecessary. Your reaction was understandable and well within your right, but now, I hope, we can start this venture anew." Moreau puts on her most assuring smile and places her hand on Shai's shoulder.
"Shai? I would like you to meet General Sephiroth, your new client. Sephiroth? I would like you to meet Shai Montgomery, your new domestic live-in." Shai's nerves send her springing off the couch to stand in front of the fireplace. She looks Sephiroth bravely in the eyes and offers to shake his hand, unable to stop the slight trembling in hers. He glances down at it with a look of faint disgust before engulfing it in his own. Shai winces at the firmness of his grip, a subtle and unspoken message to those on the receiving end; do not trifle with me. Sephiroth, on the other hand, makes a more aesthetic observation; the graceful length of her fingers as they curl about his. They withdraw their hands. He looks at Moreau.
"I still have no say in this?"
"I'm afraid not." Resigned to his fate, he lets out a sigh then returns his attention to Shai, who remains patiently standing in front of him.
"Do you speak?" he asks, assuming anxiety over their meeting has rendered her mute. He cocks an eyebrow in surprise when Shai signs no and points to the scar on her neck. Sephiroth's eyes fall to Moreau.
"What is this, Sybelline?"
"Quite simple. Shai has lost her ability to speak and now communicates with sign language. Are you conversant in sign language, general?"
"Rudimentary."
"Perhaps Shai would be willing to instruct you." Shai looks at Moreau like she ordered her to kiss the man and makes several signs that leave Moreau and Sephiroth watching her questioningly. She looks from one to the other for a futile response, then nods.
"Thank you. But I'll manage on my own."
"Well, then," says Moreau, standing up and pulling the hem of her shirt down and smoothing out the creases in her jeans, "Why don't you show us where Shai will be living?" Sephiroth leads them towards and down the hallway. There is a door to Shai's left that leads to a den or office that has empty bookshelves lining two of the four walls, a leather couch positioned in front of a wall of windows, and unopened boxes stacked two, three high in the center. There is a door at the end of the hall that Shai assumes is the bathroom, and a door to the right that opens on to the guest bedroom. Shai's bedroom now.
Sephiroth switches on the light. The room is situated in the interior of the condo, so there are no windows. As you walk in and look to the right, there is an unmade queen size bed with four pillows and a padded upholstered headboard. White stained bedside chests sit on either side of the bed with matching lamps designed of embroidered silk shades paired with glass bases. Against the far wall, is an armoire made of barn wood. Standing to the left of the armoire is a torchiere; to the right of it, a chest of drawers. To the left of the entry, is a door that leads to the bathroom. Next to that door is a large rectangular cheval mirror stained the same wood as the armoire. Shai cannot help but be impressed with the decor and wonders if the condo had come furnished or if the general had a say in the interior design. Doesn't matter, really. Shai is in heaven. Her dinky apartment could fit in this room. She watches Sephiroth walk to the armoire and open the doors revealing linens, towels, blankets, and a duvet.
"Well, this is beautiful. Thank you, general. I think we can take it from here." Shai's wide eyes shift from Moreau to Sephiroth and back to Moreau. She is sure this man is not accustomed to being dismissed so casually, let alone in his own home, but he surprises her by nodding to the doctor.
"As you wish. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask." He strides from the room, leaving Shai standing in front of Moreau with her mouth gaping open. Moreau smiles at the young woman.
"Believe me, had anyone else spoke to him that way, they'd have his odachi through their abdomen, but I have a different relationship with him than most." With the tip of her forefinger and thumb touching and remaining fingers splayed, Shai waves her hands back and forth horizontally. Explain. Moreau looks at her funny again, and Shai twirls her hand to indicate for Moreau to elaborate.
"Oh! I have known Sephiroth since he was a child. Toddler, actually. There are only a handful of people who have known him for as long or longer. Most are no longer employed with Shinra." Moreau walks to the armoire and pulls out a fitted sheet, top sheet, and four pillowcases. She looks over her shoulder at Shai.
"Duvet or blanket? Or both?" Shai points to the duvet and Moreau pulls it from the shelf. She walks to the bed and plops the bedding on the mattress. Shai moves to help her spread out the sheets. While they work, Moreau continues to talk.
"I'm not sure what information Professor Hojo passed on to you regarding the general, but let me add my two cents worth. As you may have noticed, he is not exactly thrilled that you are here. Sephiroth is a very private man. He leads a solitary life, some of that of his choosing, some of it not. I'm sure you have heard all sorts of rumours about him. Take them at face value." Moreau slips a pillow into its case and gives it a few good fluffs.
"You are in a privileged position, Shai. You have the opportunity to get to know an exceptional and unique individual. It will not be easy to gain his trust, but once you have it, well, he will be a loyal friend." Shai's eyes widen again as she hooks her fingers in a repetitive flipping motion. Friend? When Moreau looks at her with an unknowing expression, Shai just chuckles to herself and shakes her head in resignation.
The bed finished and Shai's clothes put away in the chest of drawers and armoire, Moreau pulls a smart phone out of her shirt's pocket and hands it to Shai.
"Keep this with you, always. I know you cannot call me, but text me any time, day or night. Alright?" Shai nods yes and looks at Moreau with a furrowed brow, glassy eyes, and a weak smile, her poor attempt at a brave face. When Moreau moves to comfort her, she backs away suddenly, rubbing at her eyes roughly with the back of her sleeve. Regaining her composure, she curls the fingers of her right hand into a fist and does a circular motion in front of her chest. Sorry.
"You'll do fine." Shai takes a deep breath and makes a sign that Moreau actually recognizes. She folds her hands and smiles.
"You're welcome."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Moreau walks out into the living room where Sephiroth is reclined on the sofa in front of the fire, reading a leather-bound book on philosophy. He sets the book aside and stands as Moreau approaches him.
"You think the best companion for me is a mute girl?"
"Woman, and she's lovely."
"Sybelline-"
"She is Hojo's choice."
"Then I should be immediately suspect."
"Give her a chance? Please? I know you do not understand my reasoning for setting this in motion, but with time, I hope you will."
"You still think me a child hiding under a hospital bed."
"Not at all, Sephiroth. I see you as a man hiding behind a facade of intimidation and indifference. Despite what the professor thinks, you are more than a weapon."
"I am what they made me." Moreau takes a few steps to stand in front of him, her neck craned uncomfortably to hold eye contact. She places a hand on his cheek, his skin soft and smooth. Unaccustomed to displays of affection, he flinches. Seconds later, however, he recognizes the warmth of that hand as it comforted him underneath that hospital bed and he leans into her touch.
"No, my boy. You are so much more. You can have so much more." She drops her hand and smiles, then walks to the door. The general's attention focuses on the fire licking up and around the fabricated logs. Moreau opens the door and pauses before passing through.
"Sephiroth?" He looks up at the doctor, his expression revealing a man deep in thought.
"Yes?"
"Be gentle."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Shai remains in her day clothes, sitting at the end of the bed, wondering what to do next. She glances down at a small pocket sketchbook and pencil she pulled out of her portfolio in order to make communicating a bit easier. The general's comprehension of sign language is probably limited to basic words and phrases, like a tourist on holiday in a foreign land. Given his fluency in other languages, Shai hopes he will find her worthy enough to become the same in hers.
Up until now, she has accepted employment that had her working in the background, behind the scenes, rarely as a chef and never as a server or anything that required a great deal of communication. But when word spread of a lucrative domestic position at Shinra Headquaters for a high-ranking official, the offer demanded her consideration. After a thorough background check and preliminary interviews, she finally met with Professor Hojo. When he informed her who the "high-ranking official" was, Shai was tempted to hightail it and never look back. Who in their right mind would work as a live-in domestic for the most dangerous man on the planet?
But Professor Hojo seemed intent on hiring her and put a new monetary offer on the table, one that would allow Shai to start a savings for the first time in her life and the chance to relocate to warmer, greener climes in a few years. So, Shai said yes, and now here she sits, afraid to even move around lest she make a noise that disturbs or annoys him. Imagine her surprise when she hears a knock and sees her new client standing in the open doorway, his height, broad shoulders, and chest seeming to take up the entire space. His hair has dried and his fringe hangs perfectly on either side of his face, a face Shai wonders if she'll ever have the opportunity to study in greater detail. There is no doubt regarding the rumours about his appearance. The man is breathtaking.
"Is there anything you need?" Shai's right hand waves in front of her, moves to touch closed fingers to her chin before sweeping them away from her. No thank you.
"Then I will say good night." Shai stands and gestures in two motions the signs for good and night. Sephiroth nods in reply, his eyes never leaving hers and disappears from the doorway. She listens to his footfalls fade as he retires to his bedroom on the other side of the living room.
She stands in the center of her room, motionless, her eyes still staring at the empty doorway. How long she stands there, she does not know, only that it feels like forever and seconds all at once. She finally breaks from her trance-like state, closes the door, and goes to the dresser to get her pyjamas. The purchase of new sleepwear was necessary for her new employment. Her previous sleeping habits would undoubtedly have been frowned upon by Professor Hojo, Dr. Moreau, and the general. If this had been her crappy little apartment, she'd be lying in a twin bed in her panties and a worn t-shirt. Tonight, she plans on being in satin Pjs sprawled out on Egyptian cotton sheets in a queen-sized bed with her arms and legs angled to all four corners. Paradise. Minutes later, she crawls into bed and turns off the light, pitching her into complete darkness. She centers herself and snuggles under the duvet, sprawling in all directions.
She lays there, tired but unable to sleep. The dark and silence are too oppressive to set her mind at ease. She fumbles for the lamp, bumps its base, and sends it crashing to the floor. She lies still and waits. Waits to hear him stomping down the hall, irritated and deadly, sword in hand, but there is nothing but silence. Taking special care, she reaches over to turn on the second lamp. The room illuminates and reveals a crumpled shade and broken lightbulb; not the end of the world. Shai rights the lamp, reattaches the shade, pops it back into shape, then daintily picks up the shards of glass and disposes of them in the bathroom. A mental lightbulb of her own shines a solution to Shai's problem and she decides to leave the bath light and bathroom vent fan on all night. Crawling back into bed, she gets comfortable again. Soon, with the help of her impromptu nightlight and the steady drone of the fan, it is not long before sleep finds her.
