Chapter 6: Nesting Dragon! To poke at your own risk!
Sephiroth had to admit that he liked the cartoon movie. The latter… had shown him that one could end up being accepted, despite their differences. Even if he had to admit to envying the movie's main character. To be able to fly on a dragon's back… had to be quite extraordinary. Here, dragons usually attacked on sight… or if they made the mistake of approaching their nest. A movement in front of him caught his attention, and he looked down, meeting the amber eyes of the Guard Dog that Caroline had called Trico. The animal had rested its head on her legs sometime during the movie, the silverette would have been unable to say when, and the young woman absently petted it, huddled against him. His own arm wrapped around her, and Zack held her hand as well, Sephiroth's hand brushing against his. The contact… helped him believe that all of this wasn't a dream… even if he doubted he could take his eyes off them for months… and especially Caroline. By the way… where did Trico come from?
After a few moments of reflection, he decided there was nothing wrong with asking the question… and Zack was probably just as curious.
"Caroline?" He asked softly, visibly pulling her from her thoughts.
"Yes?" Said the young woman, looking up in his direction.
"I was just wondering… where did Trico come from?" He asked curiously. "How exactly did he get here? I know you said that Lieutenant Nokia collected him, and that he would have been used in dogfights, but do you have any details?"
Zack lit up immediately, visibly curious.
"That's right, how come you have a Guard Dog?" He asked with interest. "I didn't know a civilian could have one."
Caroline chuckled softly in response.
"It's a long and funny story boys. And, as you can imagine, Chuck has a place as a main character."
Seph snickered softly at this.
"When isn't he a main character in a story with him in it?" He asked with amusement, making them laugh.
"Not wrong, Seph. It happened about 4 years ago, when Chuck was sent on a mission…"
And the two men let themselves be carried away by Caroline's voice, happy to see her smile again. And thanking Chuck for protecting her when they couldn't.
oOo
Chuck was insulting the Shinra's scientists, the morons having decided to build the Plate by leaving slums at ground level, the road network in general to NOT maintain said slums, and just about all the existing forces in this world right now. He didn't know if it was Minerva who had created the Hell Houses or a moronic Shinra scientist who had drunk too much the day before, but if he ever got his hands on the person, they would hear him about it!
The old SOLDIER had already had to make three detours between two nests extermination of these filths, the buildings being in such bad condition in this sector that several had collapsed, blocking his path. All that delayed him far too much for his liking, and even if Hojo seemed to have learned the lesson for the moment… he doubted that the nutcase hesitated a long time before trying again. And it wouldn't surprise him if the asshole started learning to pick locks just to try to get a hold of Caroline. He had been far too quiet in recent months. The young woman was just beginning to recover from his break in, and he didn't want to jeopardize her recovery. Especially since she was struggling to recover because of the fact that he was forced to leave her alone while away. Grumbling between his teeth against the idiot who had stuck him with this mission (even knowing that it was he or one of the young newbies kids), he went around yet another building, before coming to a sudden stop, frowning.
What people tended to ignore was that the reason why the SOLDIERS continued to wear helmets once 3rd Class, like the infantry… was because of the enhancements of the senses, especially the sight and hearing. During this period of adaptation, some found it difficult to function or even just to concentrate, as their senses were so over the top. Some took up to a year to get used to their new senses, and couldn't climb ranks during this time. Chuck loved the punishment used to calm the new 3rd Classes fooling around… which consisted of ringing a fog horn in the room until they were all down. Which usually didn't take more than a few seconds. Fortunately, the time they rose in rank was long enough for them to get used to their new senses… but a fog horn was more than enough to put them down… or even an ultrasonic whistle for the 1st Classes. And especially Sephiroth. His senses had been the sharpest of all, forcing him to have his office soundproofed to be able to concentrate.
And it was precisely because of his senses that he stopped there, taking out his PHS to make a call. A normal human wouldn't have heard anything… but he could hear excited cries, which were found in crowds admiring fights… and canine barking/growling. As well as monsters' roars. His eyes narrowing, he headed for the door, kicking it down without hesitation, crushing someone who must have been the doorman underneath. Ignoring the vague moaning under the door as he absent-mindedly stomped on it, Chuck sucker punched the first individual he encountered, knocking out anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in his way. Sparing only those who had the intelligence to flee when they saw him… and drawing his sword against the few idiots who thought they could beat him. A 3rd Class had the strength of a dozen men… so in a one on one, against a 1st Class, it wasn't even worth trying.
The old SOLDIER soon found himself at the "arena", and pursed his lips in disgust. He could see a young, unusually light-colored Guard Dog fighting for his life, facing an adult Kalm Fang, which was probably much more experienced than him. The animal was doing well, Chuck noted, watching him fight carefully. He didn't stay in place for more than a few seconds, leaping forward and backing away immediately afterwards, whether his attack was successful or not. However, it wouldn't last very long, the warrior could see it, being too young for that, probably not more than six months old. However… his intelligence was obvious, and he wondered if he could save him. He wouldn't say no to a little help to protect Caroline… he just had to train him for that. But given his apparent intelligence, he thought to himself when he saw him avoiding a bite which could have cut his throat, it wouldn't be difficult. His PHS suddenly vibrated, pulling him from his thoughts, and he took it out of his pocket, looking at it. A shark-like smile stretched his lips at Rude's laconic message, which just said "In place". Grabbing his sword, he immediately jumped into the arena, killing the Kalm Fang just as it was about to finish the Guard Dog on the ground, the latter too exhausted to react other than by pinning his ears to his skull at the human's anger.
A shocked silence fell over the arena before the crowd began to shout angrily at his intervention. Chuck roared without hesitation in response, his hoarse voice easily covering theirs and silencing them, accustomed to shouting at SOLDIERS much stronger than civilians for decades. Flogging them verbally as only an army instructor knew how to do, and enjoying seeing them flinch under his words. He then suggested that they run, his authoritarian tone making them obey without thinking. They had a choice either to flee or to face him, and none was stupid enough for that. The old SOLDIER turned away, ignoring the fleeing crowd, and crouched down next to the Guard Dog, who looked at him suspiciously, ears pin back. A growl to the side caught his attention, and he turned, coming to stare at a man with a shaved head, covered in tattoos, annoyed. The latter was accompanied by two adult Guard Dogs, unlike the puppy who was lying down near him, and seemed stupid enough to come and challenge him. Chuck literally growled at them, glad to have spent a few years helping his family take care of their Guard Dog chenel, and especially to have learned to imitate the rumble of an alpha well enough for Guard Dogs to immediately submit to him.
The trainer paused when he saw his animals submit, his gaze alternating with confusion between the old SOLDIER in front and the animals next to him. He had never seen this before, and instinctively took a step back, seeing an aura spread around the guy in front of him. Not exactly a Limit, but something that seemed to him quite similar, despite his limited knowledge of the subject.
"You better get out of there, asshole, if you don't want me to give you a second one!" Barked Chuck angrily, adding a threatening growl towards the Guard Dogs, who immediately fled, whining in fear, quickly followed by their master.
The latter was stupid enough to come and confront a SOLDIER in a bad mood… but not enough to linger when Guard Dogs trained to kill from an early age preferred to flee. The puppy next to Chuck had flinched, hugging the floor a little more, but hadn't dared to imitate them, Chuck's hand resting on his neck, holding him tightly in place. The latter then lifted him up, pulling a squeak of surprise from the puppy, before opening his coat enough to place him inside, pulling up the zipper to hold him. After the first moments of surprise when the puppy struggled, the animal quickly calmed down when he heard the old SOLDIER emit a kind of rumbling purr, like Guard Dogs with their young. Calmed, the young Guard Dog settled more comfortably in the jacket as his carrier turned around, slightly calmed. The first thing to do when he gets home will be to find a vet to have him castrated urgently, Chuck noted mentally. Guard Dogs were much easier to control by being neutered, he knew it, and so were most of those who worked with the infantry. Some remained whole, of course, to ensure the obedience of others, and were generally assigned to senior officers.
While Chuck was mentally organizing what he was going to do when he got home, the peoples who had been betting in the building until then had been captured by the Turks called in by the old SOLDIER. Everyone knew that Sector 6, where Wall Market was located, was the only place in the city (on the Plates as below) where certain things, considered illegal, were tolerated. Outside that one, though? Anyone who got caught doing illegal things (like staging monster/dog fights) would end up in jail if they got caught. They wanted to avoid being forced to pay a percentage to Don Corneo, settling outside Sector 6 for that. They were now paying the price… but far different from what they would have paid the obese pervert, and probably much worse. The vast majority stopped dead when they found themselves face to face with Reno, the Turk easily recognizable thanks to his red hair… and the big disturbing smile he wore.
"Ah shit," murmured one of the people, recognizing him. "Wererat Tail is here… and if he's here…"
"Mr Bald in Glasses is not far away," mumbled another. "I don't really want to get fucked up, personally."
"WERERAT TAIL RENO!" Roared one of the organizers of the clandestine combat, recognizing him also. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME IN THE SLUMS, IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN!"
The infantrymen exchanged confused looks as Reno's blue eyes landed on the idiot in question, raising an eyebrow. Beside him, an old man frowned, quickly signing "Fuck you Renton!", flipping him at the same time, making the redhead raise his other eyebrow. Hey, that old sock is still kicking? He said to himself, watching the old man slip to the side, ignoring the infantrymen, avoiding them as if they weren't there. Reno had given him the nickname "Old Sock" because of the way he dressed, which gave the impression that he literally wore socks, the old schnock giving it back to him by giving him his nickname "Wererat Tail Reno". He had also taught him everything there was to know about survival in the slums, and the redhead hadn't forgotten it. For this reason, he didn't draw attention to him as he slipped away, preferring to focus on the asshole who had recognized him.
"Well, well… it looks like I have a few loose ends to settle," murmured the redhead, smiling like a shark, making the nearest infantrymen shiver. "You take care of the others, partner?" He threw over his shoulder, hopping in the direction of the man who had addressed him.
"As always, partner," replied Rude, laconic, emerging from the shadows.
Pulling out his baton, Reno walked over to the organizer, who was starting to sweat a lot when he saw that the others were moving away from him. They may not have recognized the redhead… but his clothes clearly indicated that he was a Turk. And his gait… showed that he was a regular in the slums. Just enough arrogance and confidence to show that he was far from an easy prey… quite the contrary.
Rude raised an eyebrow when he saw Chuck come out of the building a few minutes later, ignoring Reno who was playing with his prey, seeing a canine head sticking out of his coat. The bald Turk wisely decided to ignore the Dragon's new whim, and turned his attention to the prisoners, monitoring the yard. Those who were clearly among the organizers were carefully searched to try to get a hold of the accounts books, if they had the presence of mind to take them with them. Some infantrymen had been sent to search the building, in case the accounts were hidden there, and Rude saw this mission going on for quite a while. It wasn't that night that they would return home early, he thought with a mental sigh.
oOo
Caroline railed against her game, groaning when she realized that it was most certainly a lost race. She was starting to improve despite everything, more and more often staying in the top 5, even approaching the top 3. She wasn't yet ready to rank up, however, not before having mastered all the characters to which she had access. Her favorite remained, despite everything, the little Mog, with his kart in the shape of a Chocobo, and she often tended to take it just for his cuteness, while waiting to get totally used to the game, thanking the creators of it for allowing multiple people to take the same character. She could have passed without the "noobs" comments that the other players swung at her on voice chat though, but you couldn't have everything, she reasoned with annoyance. She never turned her microphone on, at least for the moment, just preferring to listen to people. Hearing them insulting each other sometimes made her laugh, some were really imaginative. For the moment, she was still waiting for Chuck's green light to turn on the microphone, blessing the fact that she had written fanfictions for a long time, allowing her not to have to take her eyes off television too much to respond to her group.
However, where did Chuck get this console from? She wondered absently while avoiding a bomb dropped by someone playing a Reno. Narrowly, by the way, profusely insulting the player taking a character visibly a little too advanced for a circuit for low lvl karts. Glad that she selected the "no Legendaries" option for the race! Even if the player couldn't hear her because she didn't have her mic on, it felt good, she said to herself while getting a bonus… managing to frogged "Reno" by sheer luck, making her cackle mischievously while passing him. Hearing him scream in despair as his character suddenly found himself in chibi mode on a hopping frog. It didn't even last for thirty seconds, but it was more than enough to end up dead last, allowing her to snatch a place. Performing a more or less controlled drift, she managed to gain a new place, placing herself in the top 3. All that remained was to manage to keep her place until the end… by avoiding taking a vault safe to the face, she said to herself, swearing in a low voice. Caroline sighed in relief, finally managing to finish the race, still in third position. The circuit wasn't exactly difficult, but it wasn't easy either, even if she was starting to master it, she told herself while selecting a new race.
While waiting for it to start, the young woman thought about the console. Chuck had honestly surprised her by taking it out of nowhere or almost, suggesting that she try to unlock certain characters in the games he had. The game cartridges made her think a lot about those of the NES, but the size of a floppy disk… just a little more thick. The technological divide remained quite strange from her point of view, despite everything. Because on the one hand, they had ultra-realistic virtual reality rooms (Zack had taken her there once secretly in a simulation to learn how to ride a Chocobo), to the point that, according to her boyfriend, the monsters (and Chocobos) behaved like real ones, and looked real, to the point that if he had taken her inside blindfolded, she might have been mistaken and thought she was outside. On the other hand, certain points in their technology, such as cars or computers, were almost a decade or more behind. And besides that, they had ultra-sophisticated giant robots, not to mention the SOLDIERS. Well, she sighed as the race started, on Earth they had mainly focused on entertainment after the wars… and above all, she told herself as she accelerated, they still had a minimum of morale, unlike Gaia. Here… the propaganda was such that the population was probably unaware that the program that created the SOLDIERS had its origins in human experimentation… and of the worst kind, she thought with sorrow, remembering what Sephiroth had suffered. Shinra had placed no limits on Hojo, other than not accepting women in SOLDIER.
Apparently… misogyny was still strong here, Caroline thought to herself with a mixture of grief and anger. Zack… had been a bit of a gem, she was aware of it. Always attentive to her, respecting her choices and her opinions, and quick to spoil her at the slightest opportunity, without ever using any emotional blackmail with her. Always leaving her the initiative in their relationship, and listening to her when she had a different opinion from his. He had never started a fight either, she reminded herself with a tight heart. If he disagreed with her, he would explain why, and listen to her advice in return. And if they couldn't find common ground on a subject, they would give it up, stop addressing it before one of them changed their mind or came across new information that made them think. And she loved him even more deeply for that. Despite what had happened… she didn't regret having fallen in love with him. All she hoped for… was that Chuck could save him and Cloud.
A blue shell hitting her character and almost sending her off track made her swear, focusing again on the game. Wondering if Chuck was the one who created the other profile on the console between two dodges/attacks. She would never have labeled him a gamer… but the universe was full of surprises. The proof, she was there, on GAIA, playing a video game that had a furious resemblance to Mario Kart, crying after a video game character. Caroline sighed as she thought about it. Her life had definitely become… interesting, in the cursed sense of the term. But… she wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Not even to go home, thought the young woman, doing a drift to get a bonus. She didn't regret her decision… and, even though she was sad to have somewhat abandoned and left her family behind her… the pain of the separation from Sephiroth and Zack had been much worse. She still didn't know what had caused it, exactly… and perhaps she will never find it, she thought, shrugging, throwing lightning at another player.
Continuing to play, she progressed slowly through the rankings, winning about as many races as she lost, until she heard Chuck knock on the door for her to come and open it. The code was the one used when he was alone, with no unwanted guests with him, and it was also the code Tseng used when he had to bring papers to the old SOLDIER. The other code meant that he was with a person who wasn't aware of her presence, and that she had to quickly open the interior lock before going to hide in her room. Fortunately, Chuck had explained the cover for this code to her, and that relieved her, because he didn't take his eyes off his guest when he was forced to use it. Luckily, the second code was rarely used, it terrified her every time.
Fortunately, she had almost finished her race, almost at the finish line… and giggled when she saw one of her "team" members push a competitor into the void to win her a spot at the last second. Writing a quick "I'll be right back" in the chat, she stood up, taking off her headphones and placing them on the couch next to the controller and keyboard. Chuck came back home quite late compared to what she had been told when he left that morning, even though he had sent her a message to assure her that everything was fine by the time she started to worry. Opening the inside locks, verifying that it was him just in case, she backed up a little to avoid being noticed, still slightly paranoid despite the time passed since Hojo had tried to kidnap her. The nightmares were starting to subside, but she was still getting at least one per week.
Caroline blinked in surprise as she saw Chuck open the door, a canine head sticking out of his coat, blinking druggedly, tongue hanging out. The vision was both cute and hilarious, but what struck her the most were the puppy's marks. The dark snout and black markings around the animal's eyes reminded her of Trico from The Last Guardian, and she couldn't help an almost amazed exclamation.
"A Trico!"
Making Chuck laugh, who closed the door behind him with a smile. He had rarely seen her like that, and it was heartwarming to see her so… relaxed, almost. Even if he had to admit that she was right, the marks on the Guard Dog's fur were very similar to those of the game's giant griffin creature. He pulled the zipper down, retrieving the puppy, and placed it in Caroline's more than surprised arms, who closed them over the animal with a groan of effort under his weight. Fortunately, he wasn't yet heavy enough to cause her real troubles… but he wasn't light either. He was also still too drugged to react with more than with a squeak of surprise, which was a good thing. He was clear minded enough, however, to notice that the human holding him, if surprised, wasn't really scared or angry. At most confused. The old SOLDIER spoke again, drawing the woman's attention, who looked at him in amazement.
"And he's yours, little one, if you can tame him."
Caroline couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"I was 33 when I came here, Mr. Chuck. Even if I don't look like it, I have to be approaching 36 or 37 years old now."
The old warrior paused as he removed his harness, having already hung his coat and sword on the wall, looking at her with slightly new eyes. It explained a thing or two anyway, including why she had waited so long before accepting Zack's advances. Until now, he thought that she was just approaching 30, as she didn't look her age. Her character had helped a lot in the story, although she could be mature when she wanted to. And the way she tried to help Sephiroth… sheer selflessness, because she never demanded anything from him. Treating him like a human being, not a hero or a monster, or worse, like an object, like Hojo did. Showing him… affection? Love? Chuck was still unsure… and it was a subject too personal for him to stick his nose in.
This year… especially after the end of January/beginning of February… the silverette had been much more relaxed than before. And the Puppy, especially for a week, completely slammed. Even though Chuck didn't have the youngsters' needs, having been enhanced after puberty, he knew their endurance. He also knew how dangerous it was to refuse their needs for a 1st Class. Few of those refused to deal with the need for too long, and ended up coming to term with it. The only good thing, he said to himself while guiding Caroline towards the living room, the puppy having finally put his head on her shoulder, still too weak to support it alone for an extended amount of time, was that there was no real homophobia in SOLDIER. The young mens who didn't accepted the idea of relations between men generally gave up becoming SOLDIER when they learned of their sexual needs during the first lessons before the start of the injections, graphics and testimonies of 1st Classes in support. It was their last chance to give up, however, and even if few took it, they were warned that any demonstration of homophobia would be severely punished.
The young woman gently placed the puppy on a blanket that her elder brought her in a corner of the living room, taking care to comfortably install the young Guard Dog. She could see his tentacle move gently despite his drugged state, much like the tail of a cat wiggling nervously. The poor puppy was clearly malnourished, his ribs protruding. Fortunately, Chuck explained to her that Guard Dogs originally descended from monsters, and were much more resilient than ordinary dogs, not to mention that they recovered faster. However, it also meant that they became dangerous more quickly. For now, the puppy was still under the effect of the anesthesia for its castration, rendering him almost harmless. Caroline wasn't stupid, however, and since the old SOLDIER had explained to her that the poor beast had been used in dog/monster battles, she didn't intend to overwhelm him by trying too soon to approach him. Getting up, she went into the kitchen, taking out a soup bowl and filling it with fresh water, before returning to place it in front of the young Guard Dog's muzzle, making his ears and nose twitch.
Then returning to the couch, she resumed her play session, signaling her return to the others, and warning them that the Dragon had brought a puppy with him, but that the poor thing had been mistreated. So she might not be as present as before. They assured her that it was okay, still worried about her. The young woman could not restrain a smile by answering in writing, assuring them that, for the moment, he was still under the effect of anesthesia, and that he was not likely to move for a good quarter of an hour. So they could still do some races.
They had just finished a circuit when Caroline saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, and she gently turned her head in this direction, coming to meet the amber gaze of the puppy, which looked at her with obvious mistrust, ears laying back. She remembered seeing charters showing the body language of dogs and, and if Guard Dogs weren't really… they were close enough for her to use as a basis. And there, his attitude indicated a clear anxiety/nervousness, showing that he didn't understand what was going on. He wasn't hostile, visibly remembering her actions, but not trusting either. Calmly looking away, she quickly tapped an "I have to go for a while, I'm gonna try to feed him" on the keyboard, waiting for confirmation from the others before standing up quietly. Stretching, yawning widely, she saw him relax slightly from the corner of her eye, raising his head a little.
She went back to the kitchen, not forgetting to close the sliding doors behind her when she left the living room, immediately heading for the fridge. Caroline opened the refrigerator, quickly searching in it. Tonight's menu was apparently Bolognese pasta, which suited her. The best way to calm the young dog, anyway, was most certainly through his stomach. She wasn't stupid enough to try to touch him, as she would be bitten in his current state. The young woman quickly found what she was looking for, and grabbed the steaks Chuck had set aside for her. Not that it was very complicated to differentiate them, his own were three times larger than those she ate. Seeing him raise an eyebrow in her direction as she grabbed a knife, she couldn't help but blush slightly.
"I think he must be hungry," she explained gently, starting to cut the meat into small pieces, placing them in a large bowl. "And he will certainly be better disposed towards me if I offer him food."
Chuck snorted in amusement in response.
"That's for sure, kid. And yes, I know you are older than you look," he added at her frown, "but I'm still old enough to be your father… even if I would have been pretty young," he chuckled, resuming the preparations.
Silence reigned for a few seconds, before Caroline timidly spoke.
"Have you ever been married?" She asked hesitantly, curious in spite of herself.
The old SOLDIER shrugged.
"Never found the right person to start with… and beside my preferences weren't really accepted in my town. Even if after the third time I suspended the morons who harassed my little brother by the toes, people realized that it was better to drop the subject," he said calmly, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
The young woman did not really need details to understand that her eldest was gay… which she didn't give a shit about to be honest. It was his sexuality, and as long as he wasn't attracted to children, he could do what he wanted with his own ass. Which she said honestly and more or less in these terms when he asked her, curious about her absence of reaction. He could prefer men, women, both or none, it was none of her business. Her response made him laugh with amusement, and he ruffled her hair, making her protest in frustration. The latter had been like… reset when she was returned to her old world, and hadn't changed back when she came back. So, she had made the decision to let them grow again. Partly because she had appreciated when Zack or Sephiroth brushed her hair gently, and even with tenderness, the silverette even taking care of cutting her split ends, surprisingly good at that, and partly because she didn't want to risk going to a hairdresser. As for Chuck, he had admitted that he wasn't good with scissors, let alone a clipper, entrusting the care of his hair to another SOLDIER. And she didn't want to undergo a military cut, even if Chuck decided the SOLDIER in question was trustworthy.
A sigh escaped her as she thought about it, putting the steaks she had not cut in the fridge, returning to the living room. She missed Sephiroth and Zack most of all. She had told Chuck that Sephiroth would more or less be… resurrected in five years, but she didn't know if he could help him. She knew that Sephiroth would never have slaughtered the people of Nibelheim or attempted to destroy the world in normal times. It wasn't his style at all. Honor was perhaps not the most important thing for him, as for Angeal, but he had had a sense of honor too, and attacking defenseless civilians was just inconceivable to his eyes, especially in their own country. Even in Wutai, he refused to touch innocent civilians. No matter if there were suspicions of ninjas or warriors in the villages, civilians were not to be touched for him. Jenova… had really dug her claws deep into her companion's mind, she said to herself with sorrow. To the point that she wasn't sure if he could be saved, even if she still hoped for it, and prayed for it.
She shook her head wearily, snapping out of her thoughts. For the moment… she couldn't do anything for him, and it was tearing her heart apart. She loved him as much as Zack, albeit in a different way, and knowing that she was helpless to help them broke her heart. After all her sacrifices to see them again… it was a bitter pill to swallow. So she tried to not think about it too much. Returning her attention to the Guard Dog, nothing more than a puppy, she looked at him calmly, taking care to not threaten him by looking him in the eyes. Sitting slowly in front of him, she started talking to him without looking away, keeping her voice soft and even, trying to make him understand that she didn't want to hurt him. Caroline had no idea of the exact intelligence of these animals, even though she suspected that they were probably much more so than normal dogs. However, for now, the tone of her voice was certainly the most important. She spoke for several minutes, telling everything and anything, watching him gradually calm down, tilting his head to the side, staring at her carefully.
After a few minutes talking to him like that, she took the risk of getting up slowly, studying his reaction just in case. Aside from lowering his ears back when he saw her get up, he had no negative reaction, so she turned to go back to the kitchen, going to get the bowl of meat pieces. Coming back into the living room, she sat down in the same place, seeing him raise his ears, sniffing in her direction, obviously smelling the smell of fresh meat. Taking a piece in hand, she held it out in his direction, clearly making him hesitate. His gaze shifted from the piece of meat to her, and so on, but he didn't move. After a few moments, she nodded, realizing that he didn't feel trusting enough to dare to approach. Without hesitation, she tossed the piece in his direction, making it land right in front of him, making him flinch in surprise. Resting her hand on the bowl, she waited patiently. He looked at her alternately with the meat for a few more moments, ears erect, before carefully lowering his head and swallowing it, not really taking his eyes off her. Caroline congratulated him gently, offering another piece of meat. Again, he refused to move, and she threw it in his direction.
Piece by piece, she fed the puppy with the meat in the bowl, until there was only one piece left. This time, she refused to throw it, holding the meat in his direction, the message clear. If you want the meat, come closer. And that was what he did, approaching slowly, hesitantly, his ears laying back, but not growling, thankfully, showing that he didn't feel threatened. Modifying her grip on the meat so that it rested flat on her palm, the woman let him take it without reacting, just smiling gently, making sure to not reveal her teeth, which was a sign of aggression among predators, gently congratulating him aloud at the same time. The puppy stayed close to her, looking at her, tilting his head to the side, visibly intrigued, but his posture was much more relaxed than at first. She let him sniff her hand gently, smiling slightly.
"Sorry, no more meat for you my big guy."
The puppy whimpered, sounding almost… disappointed?, making her smile a little more. Slowly, making sure that her gestures remained visible and not threatening, she brought her hand closer to the young Guard Dog. The latter hesitated, lowering his head, growling slightly, but didn't show any aggressiveness, letting her touch him without reacting other than barely finching. Gently, she petted him, letting him relax under her fingers, seeing that she wasn't hurting him... and even enjoying the petting, if she trusted the way his tentacle moved gently, just like the kind of stump tail that his species owned, much like the Dobermans or Rottweilers. She straightened up when Chuck slid the frosted glass doors, looking at them with some affectionate amusement.
"Chow time, kid. Is he behaving?"
Caroline nodded gently, standing up. She lowered her head with some surprise when she felt the puppy graze her leg right after, noticing him looking at Chuck and her in turn. Like he was trying to decide who he should obey. Gently, she scratched him behind the ears, making him flinch in surprise, but not afraid, obviously, seeing how he leaned against her, making her smile. He followed them into the kitchen, sitting by the table watching them one after the other, visibly confused. The puppy wasn't even trying to beg, no, just looking disoriented. Which was perfectly normal, his world having just been turned upside down.
After the meal, the woman returned to the living room, taking her headset and controller to continue playing, her elder settling on his computer for his part, in order to write his mission report probably. The young Guard Dog looked at both of them again, before laying down between them. His attention was more taken by Caroline, however, she cursed and insulted in a low voice the other players, hammering on the buttons of her controller, completely focused on the game. Intriguing him more than Chuck, who was content to write quietly on the computer, vaguely grumbling from time to time.
oOo
Zyddie babbled about her vacation at Costa Del Sol, delighted with the time she had spent there thanks to her hard-earned savings, especially knowing the avarice of Shinra, and more about the employees at the bottom of the ladder like them. Zina listened to her with benevolent amusement, responding to the appropriate moments with hums, a part of her mind focused on remembering what they had already done, and what they still had to do. The kid had potential, that's for sure. Smart, with a good memory and just the right amount of initiative. As well as preservation instinct, staying as far away from the science department as possible. So a lot of potential.
They had just arrived on the 42nd floor, the door opening, when Zina grabbed the cart to prevent it from leaving, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Chuck was pacing back and forth outside his door, looking furiously like these descriptions of nesting dragons, and which were all the more dangerous because of that. Without letting go of the cart, she pressed the button for the next floor, then pressed the button to close the doors so that it would go faster, to the confusion of her young intern.
"But Miss Zina, we didn't do this floor?" Zyddie asked without understanding.
"Never mind that," said the latter firmly, shaking her head. "There's an angry dragon nesting, so let's avoid this floor. I guess you know how dangerous dragons are, right?" Zina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes ma'am!" Squeaked the young lady, terrified.
"Mmmmh…" said Zina thoughtfully, lost in thought. "We really need to make a sign Warning, Dragon on this floor! for here. Even if this dragon is generally peaceful… a dragon remains a dragon, even peaceful. And here, he clearly shows signs of nesting… so it's best to stay away. Is that understood, Zyddie?"
"Yes ma'am…" replied the concerned, still as confused. "So… we are not doing this floor today?"
"No, and maybe not even for a few days, it will depend on this dragon's mood," said Zina firmly.
Zyddie still didn't understand half the conversation, but she was wise enough not to insist. A few days later, a SOLDIER, having heard the cleaning ladies talking about Dragon and Nest, amused himself by writing a sign, sticking it next to the common area on the 42nd floor. "WARNING, DRAGON'S NESTING IN PROGRESS! STAY AWAY!" Proclaimed the sign, making most of the residents on the floor snickers. Nobody knew what could have caused this behavior in Lieutenant Nokia… outside, precisely, of those living on the nearby floors, and this one. But none would have talked about it. SOLDIERS protect their own… and it was even more so for the older ones, like Chuck.
oOo
Sephiroth and Zack couldn't help but chuckle softly during their partner's story. Strangely, none of them had any trouble imagining the situation. And knowing that Chuck had done his best to protect her… probably refusing missions for that… warmed their hearts. And both knew how loyal a Guard Dog could be, once he had accepted a master. Most of those in the infantry… didn't accept their partner as master. A member of the pack, yes, but not necessarily an absolute superior. It was probably their trainer who had this role. Even if it was of little importance here.
"And I thought you were more of a cat person than a dog's," joked Zack with amusement, his purple eyes sparkling with mischief.
Caroline snickered in amusement.
"With you, I learned to appreciate the "crazy dog" side, Zack," she joked happily, ignoring her boyfriend's good-natured protests. "And beside, if I want a cat, I always have Seph," she added, looking up at him, smiling.
Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh in response, Zack bursting out laughing before starting to cough, making him roll his eyes.
"Gently, Zack," he reprimanded him gently, emptying the rest of the carafe into his glass.
He then helped him straighten up, supporting him against him so he could drink, the boy nodding his thanks as he put the mask back on, wrinkling his nose.
"Seph…"
"Yes?" Asked the concerned, sitting down.
"You stink," said Zack bluntly, making Sephiroth blink in surprise.
Caroline turned her head, looking at him with some confused surprise.
"Seph… when was the last time you took a shower?" She asked softly but firmly.
The ex-general froze at the question, blinking.
"I… don't remember?" He confessed with some embarrassment.
He had to admit that the question had arisen so out of nowhere that it had caught him off guard… which didn't excuse his inability to answer. Zack let out a sigh.
"If you don't remember… then it's been too long," he pointed out. "I know you took one when we got to… Nibelheim," he added with slight hesitation, "but I couldn't convince you to take one during that… week," he said softly, his tone guilty.
Sephiroth let out a sigh, before gently squeezing his free hand.
"It's not your fault, Zack," he replied softly. "I am… already very grateful for having done your best to feed me and bring me something to drink. I don't think… that you could have convinced me to take a shower."
"Even by walking naked in front of you?" Zack asked humorously, trying to downplay it.
The silverette couldn't hold a snickers at that, relieving Zack when he saw that it was partially working.
"Even like that. Though it would have been… amusing to see the people's reaction if you could have convinced me that way," he said, making them laugh in response.
"Yeah, but it was a little bit cold up there to wander around with my ass naked," Zack added, continuing to joke.
"Oh, I don't doubt that the majority of the women would probably have enjoyed the show," said Caroline, rolling her eyes. "But I just want to tell you, Zack, it's only me and Seph who have the right to admire your rear end without anything on it."
The other two laughed in amusement, the tension dissipating. Sephiroth… was just so relieved to find that relaxed atmosphere between them, where he could really be himself and give up his mask. He knew… that they wouldn't hold it against him if he ever made a mistake, and took the time to explain to him if he ever did, and what it was socially acceptable to say or do depending on the circumstances. Zack then spoke again, drawing their attention and pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Anyway, Seph, you should go jump in the shower, like right now. I think Caro will start smelling you as well soon. And… it's not like I'm going to jump out of bed right away," he admitted, looking at his body and the equipments still connected to him.
The silverette seriously suspected that the only reason the younger's muscle mass hadn't completely melted due to his forced immobilization was the Mako and/or Jenova cells which had been injected during treatment to become SOLDIER. He vaguely remembered reading that in the notes Hojo left inside this library/lab under the Manor… and it was one of the few relatively clear memories of that week. The rest… was incomplete, particularly fragmented, some pieces almost excruciatingly clean… and the rest completely blurry.
A movement against him caught his attention, drawing him out of his thoughts as Caroline stood up. Gently, she took him by the hand to get him up too, offering Zack a sweet smile.
"In any case, I need a shower too," she said softly, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead. "We're coming back as fast as possible, Zack."
The latter smiled at her, raising his hand to caress her cheek, already struggling less to make this simple gesture.
"Take your time," he assured softly, despite the concern that Sephiroth could see in his eyes. "I won't be moving anyway."
Caroline snorted, rolling her eyes, placing the mouse next to him on the mattress.
"I sincerely doubt that Seph want to take his eyes off you for more than five minutes if he can, Zack. Myself included. If you ever want to watch something else while waiting, treat yourself."
Shaking his head in response, the black haired man smiled with saddened amusement. Even if the sadness ebbed when he saw his girlfriend pull his ex-superior behind her towards the bathroom, making him snickered softly.
He hadn't really thought about it at the time, when they started sleeping with Sephiroth to help him with his frustration, but… it had subtly changed things. Not that it bothered him, honestly. It was just that at the time… he hadn't really thought about it. Things were just so. Okay, Caro had taken the initiative, but… he had accepted. There was a reason, after all, why SOLDIERS generally stayed in the same Class as theirs for sex. In the end, it came down to the amount of Mako in their bodies. The 3rd Classes stayed with each other, unless they were about to pass 2nd Classes. And, sometimes, they found themselves in the same situation as them, forming relationships that were literally polyamorous, because they couldn't necessarily stay only two when one climbed too much in the ranks, and ended with a higher level of Mako, unlike his companion. The whole problem was that regardless of sex, the third partner (sometimes more, even if it was rare) also had to get along with the other two. Some took several years to find the person who could be complementary in their relationship. And it required a lot of discussion from everyone, and sometimes concessions.
Of course, he hadn't realized that in a day… nor when they were all together. Zack had slowly realized this when he was on the run, alone with a catatonic Cloud. Of course, he had babbled for most of the days… but at night, when he couldn't sleep, missing his lovers' presence… yes, he had thought about that. Yes, he was smart, and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he wasn't showing it off. If his opponents underestimated him because he was hyperactive and carefree… well, who was he to disabuse them, if it was to his advantage? Of course, it wasn't something he told his parents about. As far as they knew… he was only in a relationship with Caro. Not with Seph too. Besides that they vaguely had the hope that they would give them grandchildren… and Zack had not had the heart to disillusion them. If he had remained a 3rd Class… maybe, and that would have been after several years of testing and treatment for Caroline. And he knew that his girlfriend didn't really want to have children. He had never had the opportunity, however, to raise the subject with her. The birth rate in SOLDIER, for those who got married, and especially stayed married, was almost nonexistent for the 3rd Classes, so for those above? There was no chance. None had managed to have children for those in 2nd and 1st Classes.
A sigh escaped him as he settled more comfortably against the pillows that Sephiroth had placed behind him. At least Caro was kind enough to leave the computer with him… even though he was still in shock at the power of that beast. The quality of the movie they just watched… was mind-boggling. And the idea that she could run even more beautiful games on it than what they had here without problem… left him frankly speechless. He really hoped she would show them more anyway. Clicking through the files, he looked at their names with curiosity, eventually deciding on a video that seemed relatively short. Double-clicking on it to launch it as she had done, he watched the man start talking, lighting up when he saw he was talking about video games… and laughing very quickly at his comments. The way he dismantled the games (rightly) was hilarious. Sure, some of them were clearly very old (and he made a note to ask his girlfriend for details on that), but that still left him laughing.
oOo
Sephiroth watched Caroline undress, putting her things in the laundry basket before entering the shower, imitating her on his side. Yet… sex was honestly the last thing on his mind at that moment. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was watching her, drinking her body in a way… but there was no real desire yet. He had only just found her after losing her, and wanted to enjoy their reunion as long as possible. And to know how close he had been to losing her forever terrified him. A goddess had literally dropped her in his hands… before snatching the only person to whom he had offered his heart, all without any warning. And knowing that she had sacrificed everything to return to them… part of him was selfishly happy, while the rest felt guilty. She hadn't spoken much about her family, even after admitting to them that she came from another world, but he knew that she got along very well with her father… and had never spoken to her mother again. For years. Yes, she had told him that a family could be both wonderful… just as it could harbor the worst horrors. And sometimes neither parent was worthy of respect.
Sephiroth… wanted to ask her more about his own family, if she could give him answers about the questions he had always asked himself… and, at the same time, he was afraid to ask her. To have her confirm what he vaguely remembered reading in the basement of the Manor. The idea that Hojo was his father… was horrible, to be honest. And Jenova… who had she been? Was it her voice that had driven him crazy? Why couldn't he hear it anymore? What had changed?
The silverette was suddenly pulled from his ruminations by Caroline's hand on his cheek, which was looking at him both tenderly and with concern. As if she had guessed the dark thoughts that stirred his mind.
"The past is in the past, Seph," she said softly. "You can't change it now, so try to not think about it too much, okay?"
He smiled weakly at her, gently pulling her close, closing his eyes and burying his nose in her hair. He had to admit… that he appreciated the fact that she was smaller than him. She herself had joked about it, saying she was the perfect hug size. Even if she wouldn't have said no to a few more inches, so she wouldn't have to use a chair when she wanted to reach the highest shelves. It made them laugh when she said that, even if they didn't mind getting the things on them for her. A shiver ran through his back in spite of himself, feeling her hand caressing his back, and he let out a sigh of well-being. Even if he didn't want sex right now… those moments of simple intimacy were nice too.
"How do you manage to guess what I think?" He murmured softly without letting go of her.
Sephiroth felt her shrug in response, running her hand through his hair.
"I'm beginning to know you well?" She replied with humor. "But more seriously… I can guess what you're thinking, after all you've been through. And as soon as Chuck can get his hands on Genesis… I will be able to tell you everything, all of you."
Slowly, the silverette loosened his grip, and looked at her for a long time, without letting go of her.
"He is still alive then?" He asked softly. "Really? Even after his last fight against Zack?"
Caroline nodded in response, tiptoeing up to kiss him, Sephiroth leaning down to allow her. That was the only annoying point about their size difference, the fact that it forced her to stretch to kiss them, him in particular. Less with Zack, who was a few inches shorter than him, but a little anyway. Despite everything… he wasn't against leaning down a little for her, quite the contrary. He shivered again when he felt their bodies brush against each other, but still without any arousing desire. He was just… not in the mood, he realized. And without Zack present… it wasn't the same.
"Yes," she replied softly. "I don't know exactly where he is… but I know that this pyromaniac dumbass is somewhere around the city. Do you think you can wait until he is there for me to explain everything to you?" She asked gently. "Or do you want me to give you a summary before?"
The silverette tilted his head to the side, thinking briefly, before shaking his head.
"I can wait a bit," he said reluctantly, releasing his grip, following her into the shower. "As Lieutenant Nokia said last night… you're not going to fly away anymore, right?" He asked, unable to completely hide his anxiety.
Caroline shook her head too, starting to turn on the water. The showers in the SOLDIERS' apartments could be compared to roman showers, without a shower tray, which was honestly more practical, especially since they were generally large enough to allow two well-muscled man (like the majority of SOLDIERS, precisely), to shower at the same time. As a result, they had plenty of room to wash together. It was getting narrower at three, but it was still possible. And she understood Sephiroth's anxiety. She felt the same… even if it was more about being kidnapped from them in her case.
"No," she said, starting to wet her hair. "After all that I've sacrificed… I don't think the Goddess will have fun separating me from you… especially after what happened. If I had been there… would you have called me after meeting Genesis?" She asked softly, looking at him. "Or after finding the papers left by Hojo?"
Sephiroth weighed the question, absently imitating her. Would he have called her? Would he have been able to? He knew very well that she hated Hojo, just like she feared him. The woman had made no secret of it. So could she have helped him? A sigh escaped him.
"I think so. You never made a big secret… of your opinion of Hojo. Or the fact that you had some basics in science, even if you probably wouldn't have understood all of the scientific jargon," he admitted. "And even if I hadn't called you… Zack would have."
Caroline nodded, her shoulders relaxing with relief when she heard him. It reassured her a little to know that, it meant that he had more trust in her than in Hojo… even if it wasn't very hard on that point. She refused to feel guilty, knowing that it wasn't her fault that she hadn't been there to support him. But knowing that he would have called her to ask her advice… comforted her. She was pulled from her thoughts by Sephiroth's amused voice, making her look up… before blushing in spite of herself.
"Electric Shine? Really?" He said looking at her, a smile on his lips, raising the bottle of shampoo in question.
She shrugged, a little embarrassed, as her companion began to apply shampoo to her hair.
"Chuck… was kind enough to buy me this shampoo, taking the scents you and Zack preferred," she admitted softly. "I missed you so much… that every little bit, like that, helped. Even if your mane is honestly worthy of any L'Oréal ads," she whispered, turning to make it easier for him.
"L'Oréal?" Asked the silverette, starting to wash her hair.
The woman quickly relaxed, savoring the familiar gestures that she had missed so much.
"A fairly famous brand of shampoo back home… even if the majority of people in those ads were women. It wasn't socially accepted that men let their hair grow as much," she added with some annoyance. "The longest socially acceptable was at the shoulder blades. And even. Some people don't hesitate to say that long hair made them gay."
Sephiroth snorted at hearing that.
"Homophobia seems to be well entrenched, whatever the situation. It's only in SOLDIER that it's hardly the case, and I think it's only because of the Mako."
Caroline snorted ironically as she closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly towards him. She liked to feel him wash her hair, his delicacy during those moments forming an almost striking contrast to the strength he could show. She had never regretted trusting him, quite the contrary. With her… he had always been soft and gentle, despite his hesitations.
"With your sexual needs, it would be difficult to stay homophobic for long," she noted. "And frankly, from what I've seen, most SOLDIERS have a body worthy of the Old Spices ads," she giggled, unable to stop herself.
"Old Spices?" Sephiroth asked in amusement, gently massaging her scalp and making her sigh with pleasure.
"From what I know… this is a company that does body care, deodorants, antiperspirants and everything that takes care of the beard, for men," she chuckled. "I have a few videos of these ads on my computer… and to say the least, some are really… special," snickered Caroline. "It shows that the Americans are as special as the Japanese for those."
"Americans? Japanese?" Sephiroth asked curiously, going down the length of her hair.
"These are two countries… well, more precisely, a continent and a main island with a few small islands around in the second case, a bit like Wutai," explained Caroline. "The culture of Japan is a bit like that of Wutai, by the way. After that… Asia, where Japan is located, has dozens of cultures and subcultures, and it's really complicated."
"And you're not an ethnologist," snorted the silverette with amusement, finishing his task.
"Far from it," she replied with a small laugh. "I know a little bit about Japanese culture, because it fascinated me a lot, and I loved what they produced, but not that well. However, why do you have to be so tall?" She asked, sulking slightly.
Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh when he saw her do so, especially since she too had grabbed the shampoo bottle, gazing at him with a pout. The change of subject was quite brutal, but he had gotten used to it with Caroline, she could switch from one subject to another without warning at times, following her train of thoughts or what they were doing. It almost required him to be able to read her mind for that, but after almost three years with her… he usually managed to follow. Sometimes he had to ask for clarification on what she was talking about, but 90% of the time the silverette managed to pick up the thread on his own. He leaned in to kiss her gently, smiling at her tenderly.
"Because it's the perfect size to hold you against me for a hug," he replied with amusement, making her giggle. "Just give me a moment to fix this…" he added, turning his head, looking for a stool.
Fortunately, even if Chuck hadn't used this bathroom for a very long time, until Caroline and Zack arrived, he had never touched the furniture. As a result, Sephiroth quickly found what he was looking for, and sat down, Caroline gently grabbing his hair to help him avoid getting it trapped under him. The silverette quickly began to purr with pleasure as she washed his hair, melting in pleasure as she gently massaged his scalp, completely relaxed. Even if he didn't clearly remember what had happened in the Lifestream... he knew that he had missed these gestures. A tension he hadn't noticed when he woke up was literally slipping from his shoulders, and he had to fight the urge to let go completely against her yet. Even though he finally felt peaceful since he found her again… his instincts were still on their guard for the moment.
He barely paid attention to the fact that she was gathering his hair to wash it, carefully covering it with foam, until he felt her fingers linger on his right shoulder, making him shiver in surprise and confusion. Sephiroth vaguely felt her come to a stop, muttering "What's this?" with confusion, her fingers… following the path of something on his shoulder? He wondered, disoriented. The sensation was both surprising… and extremely pleasant, causing a tingling even under the skin, under his shoulder blade more precisely, more deeply and more broadly than it should have been… the pleasure drawing a strange sound for him despite himself, a kind of soft trill, very low, from his chest.
"Seph? Does it tickle?" Caroline asked softly, sounding at the same time confused, curious and slightly worried.
It took a few seconds before he could answer, hesitant.
"I don't believe so?" He replied hesitantly. "It's just… sensitive? Pleasantly sensitive?" He added, confused.
He shivered when he felt her continue to trace something on his shoulder, all kinds of sensations jostling inside him, preventing him from isolating one in particular, apart from the fact that it was… pleasant. Sephiroth could more or less visualize the course of her fingers, these drawing a crescent moon shape, about the size of his hand, perhaps a little longer, and quite thin. Finally, she spoke again, her fingers coming to a stop, almost making him whine in dismay, her voice soft.
"Do you remember how you got this scar, Seph?"
Part of him just wanted to tell her that it was impossible for him to have scars. With his healing abilities… he had almost no scar, and certainly not one that was visible enough for her to see them. And then he hesitated as a memory rose to the surface. Sephiroth… was pretty sure it was a very recent event… five or six days at most… yet it was extremely foggy, barely understandable.
What he remembered best… was the excruciating pain that ran through his whole body. A pain… that he knew well, being that of the Mako, in which Hojo completely submerged him in when he was younger, and doing it only rarely in the last years before his… death. He remembered taking a few hesitant steps, his body struggling to respond, before the pain continued to mount in his right shoulder… the same place where her hand was. For several long minutes, he had been unable to move, despite the voice in his mind hissing to him to move, that he had things to do, but the pain had been too strong for him to walk. He even fell on his knees when it suddenly reached a peak, giving him the impression that something was trying to get out of his body. The feeling that something… was tearing through his back had been horrible, and he vaguely remembered howling in pain. Yet with all that Hojo had done to him as a child… almost nothing could make him do so. Even fractures barely distracted him. Sephiroth remembered feeling something move when the pain started to subside, the sensation close to what he felt when he moved an arm or a leg. He was aware of it, yes, but he didn't need to focus specifically on it to get it moving.
The silverette didn't know how long he had been on his knees, unable to get back on his feet, but it had seemed to last forever to him… and just a few minutes. The pain slowly receded from his body, even though his shoulder continued to hurt him for a long time, and he remembered having… retracted? the new body part that had appeared inside his body, briefly reviving the pain. Part of him was whispering to him that he shouldn't have done that, but the voice commanding him had been the loudest. Sephiroth… wasn't sure how much time had passed at all. Four days? Five? Six? More? He would have been unable to say. Or how he had fed himself during that time.
The end of the memory was barely clearer, a feeling… of disassembling and reassembling a few seconds later, following an insistent call, two voices echoing in him. One was the one he heard since Nibelheim… and the other was from a young boy. He vaguely remembered his face… but especially his hair. Still a bit childish around the edges, with spiky blond hair strongly reminding him of Zack, making him wonder if they weren't related. There was also… a mixture of hatred and guilt in his emotions, directed at him, which he wasn't sure he understood why.
Caroline's hand on his cheek, however, made him flinch, pulling him from his thoughts, and he opened his eyes, confused, not remembering to have closed them. The young woman's gaze was soft, with no sign of rejection or disgust. All he saw in her eyes… was acceptance and concern. She had bent down slightly to be at his height, staring at him without any fear.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly, caressing his cheek.
The silver hesitated for a long time, before shaking his head, his throat tight.
"No," he confessed in a low voice. "Not at the moment. All I can say… is that it has to do with what Hojo did to me."
"It isn't the circumstances of birth that matter," said his partner softly in response, "but what you do with the gift of life that determines who you really are."
Sephiroth looked at her, blinking, amazed. Her words… felt like a quote… but it was the first time he heard it. And the sentences… touched him deep inside.
"But…" he started, before shutting up as Caroline gently shook her head.
"You're not someone bad at your core," she said kindly. "You showed it to me with your actions. Here," she added, touching his heart, "you're someone good. Have you made mistakes? Of course. What happened in Nibelheim… looks a lot like the result of a breakdown. In your normal state… you would never have done that. I think I know you enough to tell, right?"
The silverette could only nod in response.
"This quote… where did you get it from?" He asked curiously.
"From a movie where the character… has a story quite similar to yours," she admitted, her blue-gray eyes never leaving his feline gaze. "If you want to see it one of these days… I took it with me," she confirmed, a slight loving smile on her face.
Sephiroth couldn't help but smile weakly in response.
"How can I deserve someone like you?" He asked softly, pressing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.
"After all that you have suffered in your life?" Caroline asked gently in response, caressing his cheek. "You have the right to happiness, Seph, like anyone else. Now let's finish washing," she ordered tenderly. "Zack is waiting for us… and we took enough time like that."
The silverette couldn't help but laugh softly, nodding easily. He had to admit that now that she had drawn his attention to it… he wanted to return to Zack as quickly as possible. Luckily, Caroline had already finished washing his hair before he got distracted, and washing his body didn't take that long. This didn't prevent them from rubbing each other's back in passing, enjoying the familiar and intimate gestures. The ex-general could almost feel the young woman's desire that he take care of her… and could perfectly understand it. She had been separated from them for five years, terrified that Hojo would kidnap her and torture her… especially knowing that Zack was in his hands and he was dead.
After they helped each other dry their hair, they came out of the bathroom… to Zack laughing very hard on his bed, tears running down his cheeks and clutching his pained sides. Sephiroth couldn't help but smile in amusement when he saw this, glad to see that the Puppy could still laugh… even if it was clear that he was out of breath.
"You're having fun?" He asked with amusement, smiling as the black haired man nodded, unable to speak. "What makes you laugh so much?" He added, approaching, curious.
Zack tried to get serious, but still couldn't, so he decided to point at the computer screen, restarting the video which made him laugh so much. The silverette couldn't help but snickers when he saw it. The reptile's AI was clearly poorly coded, and let's not even talk about the graphics… as much on the… character(?) as on the game. And the person's commenting in the video… was also hilarious. He understood better why the younger man was laughing so much. A female chuckle next to him drew his attention to Caroline, who smiled amusedly at Zack, handing sweatpants to Sephiroth, making him raise an eyebrow, as they clearly belonged to the Puppy. The silent question in his eyes made her smile with some embarrassed amusement.
"Chuck… went to our apartment to get some of Zack's stuff when he rescued him," she explained softly. "Even if it was quite risky. So he just took a few things from Zack… even if he wasn't going to put on underwear anytime soon," she chuckled. "But he still took a few pants in passing… and since yours is to be washed, you aren't going to walk around butt naked, right?"
Sephiroth couldn't help the shudder running down his back at that. He still remembered that time when he was a 3rd, when others of that Class decided to run naked in the barracks because of a challenge. Of course he had refused, having better things to do, but everyone had heard Chuck roar at them, and the dumbasses terrified squeaks. They had also been surprised just outside his quarters, and he had thought his heart had stopped beating when the roar had sounded so close. No one had dared to attempt this kind of stupid challenge again, and the memory alone was enough to make him grab the pants, putting them on without an ounce of hesitation. Caroline hadn't gave him underpants, but she knew he didn't like the underwear, preferring boxers. He put on the t-shirt, noticing with some amusement the way Zack looked at him with envy, visibly disappointed by his own state of weakness. Even if Sephiroth could sympathize. He remembered how frustrated he had been in the beginning of the year of his… first death, you might say, and he suspected that the poor boy, who hadn't been used to sexual frustration, must be almost at the end of his tether, psychologically, after four years in the hands of Hojo… and another year on the run.
The silverette… would wait for House to declare Zack fully recovered… but he had no doubt that the Puppy would have more than enough accumulated frustration to make the night… memorable. For him as for Caroline. Which chuckled towards Zack, drawing his attention to herself.
"Of course I have the movies, Zack," she assured. "The first trilogy is pretty good, although I wouldn't call it "the best movie of all time", personally, but for that time, it was pretty up to date regarding dinosaurs. The producers had really compiled the latest information available on them, wanting to be as "realistic" as possible," she added, mimicking quotes while searching in a bag. "The rest is better in every way, I think, because the first movie dates from… oh, almost 30 years ago?" She said thoughtfully, coming back to them with an external hard drive in hand.
Zack whistled softly, having regained his seriousness.
"That old?"
"Well… they were out about 27 years before I found myself on Gaia," Caroline explained, smiling. "I must have been… what, eight years old I think?" She whispered thoughtfully. "They came out in '93, and I was born in '86… wow, it doesn't make me any younger," she snorted.
"What year was it at your place?" Zack asked visibly curiously.
"2020," replied Caroline, offering him a smile while connecting the hard drive to her computer. "Are you passing the mouse, Zack? I need it there, you don't know how I organize my files."
The young man did so, laughing softly.
"You? Organize something?" He joked. "Really?"
Sephiroth snickered softly at the show, especially when the woman slapped him on the arm, giggling herself.
"Pots, meets kettle, Zack. And yes, I do organize my computer files. You have no idea how many movies I have," she said, rolling her eyes, clicking in the folder that had just appeared. "In this hard drive, there are only movies."
The silverette whistled softly.
"You mean you have others?" He asked with fascination, watching her navigate the folders with ease.
"One for backing up my data… including all books, comics and music, another for TV series, and yet another for all Japanese animation series, which is a topic for another day, and yes, Zack I will explain it to you," she said, giving him a look of exasperated affection, the black haired man smiling in response, "… and another two for what are called Let's Play of games that interest me or which I play."
"Let's Play?" Zack asked.
"It's kind of what he did in the video," Caroline explained, finally launching the movie, "but it's a series of videos showing the entire game in question, with the player running a commentary at the same time, from start to finish. I'll show you that when we have time," she said firmly as Sephiroth settled against her to watch the movie.
For the moment, the beginning was rather confusing, found Sephiroth… even if he couldn't help shaking his head in front of the scene which clearly showed the death of an employee. They hadn't even locked the cage in place to make sure it wouldn't move. Realizing what he was thinking, Sephiroth forced himself to stop. He was supposed to enjoy the movie, not think like a general. And it wasn't like it was possible to bring back to life creatures that had been extinct for millions of years, he thought absently, diving into the movie.
To be continued…
Did I make Seph and Zack watch a classic? Sure ^^
I like Jurassic Park a lot, because it was one of the movies from my childhood (although it has aged quite badly on just about every point XD). And yes, at the time, they were at the cutting edge of technology, just like paleontological information. On the other hand, most of the games adapted from the movie are shit XD. Sorry guys, even taking into account the consoles of the time there was room for improvement.