There she was, the blue skinned lady, sleeping in a tank with one burning red eye open. Wanting to touch her so badly, he placed his gloved left palm on the glass. He was so tall, she almost looked small despite her head was floating above, and he looked up to her. Her hair was long and silver white, just like his own, "Mother…" He called out to her quietly, with a dark, deep voice, but she kept on floating, not giving any sign if she heard him or not. "Mother," His voice was filled with longing and he embraced the tank to get closer to her, never removing his eyes from her one red one, "Come with me, Mother, and together we'll sail through the cosmos." Just as he was about to break the glass, there was a sound behind him and he got distracted.
And so the cat-like, emerald eyes flew open. Feeling extremely disorientated, the remnant didn't say anything. The word 'Mother' was still tainting his tongue.
A corner of the Professor's mouth moved and drew his face into a half-smile of amusement. The tiny, excitable creature had fallen asleep on him. It felt a bit awkward as he could see the bowl that really ought to be moved to the kitchen, the pile of logs that were just out of reach now. Behind him, there were notes that he'd been meaning to flick through in the hopes that he wouldn't have to trek North, but at least he wouldn't be alone if he chose to go now. Considering the restless nature of the boy, it looked like the choice might be made for him.
Originally from Wutai, a place where there were cats in abundance, Hojo was of two minds in having Kadaj sleeping on top of him. On the one hand it made sense but on the other... firewood... He couldn't reach it without moving and he guessed that this boy was a light sleeper as well as being highly strung. Keeping the minimal amount of contact, the scientist traced a fingertip through the silver strands and wondered if Sephiroth's had been the same. He went further and wondered if Jenova's had been the same. Due to her infectious nature, nobody had had occasion to touch her with bare skin. Probably just as well.
He thought on that which he'd willingly injected into himself and wondered if it possessed enough sentience and intelligence to know that he meant to aid the organism to which it belonged. In all likelihood, it did. He wondered what Sephiroth might have thought. Kadaj… Sephiroth... Jenova... They were all connected somehow. Somehow. The intrusive shadow that lingered near seemed to grow more substantial as Hojo gazed into the dwindling flames and Kadaj dreamed. He could hear a small mumble from Kadaj... a word.
His body was not wracked with pain this time, but it felt like he had pins and needles that were growing steadily worse. In addition, his eyes were beginning to sting, where they had only itched before. As Kadaj continued to mumble, the sensations grew worse. He had to cease stroking the boy's hair and clench his hands – the sensation was growing painful and he was trying to see what was happening. To see if he was bleeding from the fingernails as something either tried to bleed out or warp his fingers to talons in the attempt. As the sensation became nearly unbearable, he realised what it was that Kadaj had been saying. The boy was calling her. He was calling her.
He didn't notice that Kadaj had woken. He was addressing the presence that felt like it was there, listening, watching, waiting… trying to materialise. Seeking her with a desperate fury that was unrivaled, almost, and she was trying to answer at last, by any means, "Y-you…"
The disorientated boy turned on his back to gaze up at the adult face. The fire was turning into embers, it was colder and darker in the room; otherwise everything seemed like before, except … something was very wrong. Two things were wrong. First, he still felt like he was Sephiroth, still felt like Jenova was his mother, without any doubt. As if it hadn't been a dream, but a memory. Wondering if he had any connection with Sephiroth at all, he heard the one word being said aloud.
That was the second thing which was wrong; the Professor looked strange, as if he was talking to someone else than Kadaj although there was no-one else in the room. Parting his lips in wonder, he stayed that way for a moment, observing the situation, afraid to disturb whatever was going on. Almost certain the human saw another presence, he couldn't imagine who it could've been. Jenova? Or Sephiroth?
The curiosity was too strong and innocently he tried to play along, "Yes, Hojo, it's me…" It still sounded just like Kadaj, the voice of a child, so he didn't think the Professor would be tricked that easily. The expression on the human face haunted him too much so he slowly rose to sit and studied the adult. The human fists were clenched and Kadaj worried he was in pain. The Professor's eyes were as bright green as a field on a summer day, almost glowing with the colour of poison. Sephiroth's spirit in Kadaj's blood was strongest when Kadaj was angry, any mood change could trigger that unbearable itch and burn under his skin. Right now the restless feeling was quiet though, as if Sephiroth had been just watching the scene unravel, or perhaps had left Kadaj and instead was visible only for the human eyes.
"What are you seeing?" The little remnant asked, too curious. He liked the man enough to not want him to be in pain and spontaneously grabbed one tightly clenched fist, stroking it soothingly as if his touch might help. He wanted to know. What was going on? What did the human see? It wasn't the first time when the brown eyes had taken that colour. There had to be a reason for it and whatever it was, the remnant was determined on finding out. He also needed to ask if it was possible that he had a connection to the alien, or Sephiroth, because he felt so connected to both of them.
Lost in the sensation that felt once again like needles were piercing him, Hojo stared ahead even though he wanted to just shut his eyes and have it stop. He saw without seeing, sensing more than anything that Sephiroth was close, so very close. The alien matter had stirred and was reaching out in all directions for the one that called it. The elder could not see him but a voice sounded right next to him, answering in the affirmative. Completely tense, trying to endure the agony, only his eyes moved to fix the source of the words with his widened gaze.
In the back of his mind, he knew it was Kadaj, but the words the boy spoke were true. Kadaj was a part of a whole. An independent being… but somehow still only a small fragment of a much larger being. The eyes, the hair, the anger – it all made sense. Even as he stared unblinkingly at the little boy, he could see something else. Flickering like a haze, becoming visible one moment and then flickering to nothing as he watched. "S-Sephiroth..."
He felt the little fragment, the remnant of the once-great fighter take a hold of his hand and where the child's fingers touched, the skin felt like it burned as the stabbing sensations concentrated there, before ebbing away slowly. Very slowly. The oppressive presence, the presence of Sephiroth, remained but did not move or feel any darker. The excruciating pains started to finally die off.
As though frozen, but for the fact that he was shaking as his body relaxed, the Professor's gaze remained locked on Kadaj as though hypnotized. He was looking at a remnant of Sephiroth. Not a perfect reincarnation but a small piece of him nonetheless. No wonder the cells had reacted if the former General's will lived on in this child. Slowly, his fingers loosened and his hand was limp in the tiny creature's grasp. "Kadaj… Where did you come from?"
When Sephiroth's name slipped from the human lips, the silver haired youth didn't look surprised. That's what he felt like, as if it had been his own name – so familiar now. He wanted to confirm it but it wasn't his name. So it was true. Kadaj had something to do with Sephiroth. Was he Sephiroth reborn? Was Sephiroth living inside his body? He didn't know but his guesses weren't far from the truth. A tiny spark of childish joy threatened to curve his lips into a smile but he managed to keep his expression calm. Sephiroth was so strong, so powerful, so amazing, and Kadaj was somehow connected with him. It was brilliant. He would probably grow up to be tall and famous, stronger than anyone, and he would find Jenova, who would be his mother, just like she had been Sephiroth's mother.
Eventually, he couldn't hold his restless energy bottled up and released a small laugh, quickly catching it back so it died as if it had never lived in the first place. Giving a soothing smile to the human, he stroked the cool hand with his thumb, trying to relieve the tension because he could tell whatever the Professor had just realised or experienced had been a shock.
At first, the little boy thought the question meant how he was right there and he was about to reply 'I was here the whole time', but caught himself in time. His lips pursed slightly as he thought, then told with a mysterious tone, letting his eyes widen dramatically like he was telling a secret, or a horror story, "I was born from black water… In a cave…"
Deciding it was too chilly in the room; he released the man's hand and got up, taking a log and carefully placing it in the fireplace, hoping it would catch fire.
"It was a big cave," He added, and turned to look at the male on the couch, tilting his silvery head slightly, "And there was a tunnel, so I got out…" He wanted to ask if it could have been the Crater the Professor had mentioned in the story, but didn't dare, in case the man would become even paler, or if his eyes would become absinth green again. Now their colour was turning back to a warm chocolate colour while the log in the fireplace was caught by the possessive flames.
Heading towards the stove, the remnant asked, "Would you like some tea? You look rather pale…" The boy was growing very fond of the adult and was worried for his health. Never having made tea before, his simple determination would be enough to make him succeed at anything he tried hard enough. There were curtains pulled shut over most of the windows but that didn't stop the curious remnant from peeking outside. It was pitch black. It must have been really late, possibly midnight already. Wondering if they could go search for Jenova in the middle of the night, he took a pot and filled it with water, humming as he tried to figure out how the stove worked or if it worked at all and if he'd have to use the same methods the Professor had used when warming up his food earlier.
Black water? In a cave? The elder man could barely process the words in the wake of learning who Kadaj was. He just kept staring at the widened green eyes until the tiny creature let go of his hand and hopped up to feed the fire. It brought him back to the present a bit as the new log sent up sparks with a small thump when it landed among the embers. He blinked several times but kept his gaze on Kadaj, regarding him in a clearer light. All the same, he wasn't in any state to get up or start moving until he'd calmed down some.
That sarcastic part of the scientist once again announced to the rest of his mind that he was getting too old for this nonsense. When Kadaj offered to make him tea, his brow dipped a little as he seemed to consider it and the fact that he looked pale. What was more, he considered the fact that the boy seemed to be worrying for him. That was most unusual and Hojo was somewhat touched by the rather kind offer from a child who had been so rude earlier. "Uh... Thanks."
While Kadaj wandered off to make the tea, or attempt to make it, Hojo worked to steady himself by flexing his fingers and testing his limbs. The pins and needles had finally ceased but he still shook a bit in their wake. Looking around, he checked to see if his vision had worsened by looking over the tops of his glasses and then through the lenses. No change, so far as he could see.
A sound of running water alerted the Professor to the fact that the little remnant had begun the operation of making tea. Did he even know how? Reluctant to merely sit, Hojo thought best while he was mobile. As such, he stood up and braced himself against the arm of the couch until he was sure he wouldn't fall over and made his way back to the kitchen to check on Kadaj. Funny. This all seemed very surreal to the elder male as he watched a small, silver-haired boy, a remnant of his son, fiddling with a stove that no longer functioned. "…Do you need any help?"
The pot filled with water was held steady by the pair of strong remnant hands as he turned and nodded firmly, "Yes… please." It wasn't nice to ask help from someone who had looked so shaken and Kadaj wanted to be strong and be able to do things by himself, not needing someone's help. But… the stove didn't work and he was clueless on how to get the water to boil. If he hadn't received help, his next idea would have been the fireplace. Pleased to see that the man was at least able to stand on his feet; and despite there was the tiny indication of Hojo still shaking a little bit, but not as hard as an autumn leaf in a storm, he figured his new friend would be alright.
His mind was already spinning with ideas of how they'd go look for Mot- ...Sephiroth's Mother. With that endless impatience, he looked up at the man with a pleading face, eyes wide like a puppy's, "When can we go look for her?" For this little remnant, the dream filled nap had been enough to give him energy to go for a while, but he didn't know if humans got tired easily, especially when they were THAT old. It was night time after all, and if the Professor wasn't feeling too well, then Kadaj could tell him bed time stories until the man fell asleep.
"Can we go tonight?" Like a bottle that had been waiting to be opened, there were questions swirling on the silver tongue. Trying to be nice and patient, he merely stared up at the man and circled him with restless feet, not being able to decide which side he should be standing on. Eyeing the cupboards, the remnant started opening them, along with the drawers and boxes. Inside a pretty tin box there were tea bags, so he grabbed one and sniffed it, "Mmm lemon…" He didn't know if he would like tea, but he liked lemon, so he thought he might give it a go and took another tea bag on the table.
Standing absolutely still for a moment, he grabbed the hem of the Professor's jacket and stared up at him, asking, "Am I Sephiroth?" The Professor was a smart man and would probably know, "But why is my name Kadaj then?" It didn't make much sense, now did it? "I can't be two people at once…" His eyebrows had risen behind the silver front curtain of hair as he suddenly added, "Or can I?" It was very confusing indeed. It was even more confusing the more he thought about it.
Hojo took the full pot from the remnant and placed it on top of the small camping stove to heat it. Luckily, it was wide enough for the pot to sit upon it without overbalancing too easily. A good purchase if ever he'd made one. It suited his needs down to the ground and it could be brought along if indeed there was no alternative but to make for the crater. In light of what he'd heard from Kadaj, it would seem that there was indeed no choice but to go. The very thought made the elder male sigh as he was not a fan of cold weather. What was more, he'd been to the crater once before and it was very cold. It didn't matter that the high walls of the crater provided shelter from the bitter winds that blew almost constantly.
Hojo had almost gotten lost in his thoughts again when he heard Kadaj's plaintive voice again from below. Looking down, he was met by the sight of two wide eyes and a slight pout that the scientist could guess was meant to sway him. He rubbed at one of his eyes, which had thankfully stopped stinging and were now merely itching again – more from tiredness than anything else. It had certainly been an eventful day and he was no longer used to such things at his time of life. As he watched, the small person became mobile again and was soon clambering about and opening everything in the room that possessed a hinge.
"Aren't you tired? You were barely asleep an hour. Less than that, in fact." The scientist wasn't irritated. He was merely unable to comprehend where Kadaj got his energy from. Possibly a leftover trait from his – Hojo had to stop and think for a moment. What exactly was Kadaj with regards to Sephiroth? One was a remnant of the other, yes. But Kadaj had a personality all to his own. In the case of cell division, the order was parent, child. Kadaj was hardly Sephiroth's son. That would make the scientist a grand-parent. Imagine that. No, Sephiroth was more like an older brother maybe.
Jolted once again from his train of thought, Hojo felt a very insistent tug on the end of his labcoat and he looked down to see what the matter could be now. Honestly, he could barely keep up with this child. He'd be worn out before they even set foot out the door, let alone reached the North Crater. Though, the child's questions were very good questions indeed. The Professor leaned up against the edge of the inactive stove while the water atop the smaller stove heated, crossing one arm and raising the other to rest his chin upon his hand as he thought.
It took him a little moment but the scientist was suddenly struck with an idea – a hypothesis. He looked at Kadaj as he pontificated, speaking slowly as he tested his words carefully to see if they made sense out loud. "It's difficult for me to answer your questions accurately at this juncture... but I have a theory. I think that you are very much like Sephiroth… but I am correct in saying that you are rather a bit different as well. My theory is that Sephiroth is an awful lot like his mother. In two places at once, but still part of the same whole. Still connected, wanting to be together…" Smiling a bit as his theory teased itself out, Hojo made a conclusion. "I guess that makes Jenova your mother too. Sephiroth is... like your older twin, nearly. Or an older brother. Does that make sense to you?"
A brother? The silvery head tilted, his eyes staring blankly ahead as he pondered on this and what it could mean. Jenova was his Mother. That made sense, no wonder he liked her so much. His love for her was unconditional, everlasting, and nothing could change that. Big brother was a nice idea as well. A wide smile took over his face, pleased that he was so special. His family members were amazing and unique, he couldn't have been happier. Suddenly the smile vanished, as he realised he didn't exactly know where his family was right now.
The question he'd been given, indicated that the Professor indeed might want a nap before they'd set off for the search. Rising to his toes to catch two mugs from the cupboard, he put the tea bags in them and then, out of whim, wrapped his arms around the human waist for a quick hug. As he let go, he was smiling again, pleased that the Professor had given him a family and also a goal in life. He would not stop seeking until he would have his Mother and brother, or would at least know where they had gone to, if they had already left this planet.
"I'm not tired… but you are," He told while looking up at the human, still staying close after his childish hug. Turning around to study the various doors of the room, he asked, "Do you have a bedroom?" He didn't think the Professor slept on the couch. Kadaj would have no trouble sleeping on the couch because the fire was so relaxing and he was capable of sleeping anywhere if he was tired enough. Always curious, he was looking forward to being led through all those doors so he could see what was behind them.
Just like the Professor, Kadaj also disliked cold. His leather was super comfortable, almost like skin, so flexible it adapted to all his movements. The material could keep him warm in cold and relieve the heat if it was too warm. Still, he didn't like cold. "I can tell you a bedtime story," He smiled, not having any idea what kind of stories the Professor might like and not sure he'd be able to come up with something that was interesting for him.
Unused to surprise hugs, let alone normal hugs, Professor Hojo felt a twinge of heat rise to his face as the small creature's arms closed about his waist for a moment. He wasn't sure what the hug was for – he'd only been testing a theory. Though, he wasn't blind to the fact that it had certainly made the little remnant happy for a time. Odd child. One that seemed under the impression that he should sleep despite the fact that the child himself was full to bursting with energy. Odd, considerate child. Very considerate underneath it all.
Questioned about the bedroom, Hojo's mind turned to the sadly neglected room beyond a different door. Since he had been working almost ceaselessly and since the room possessed nothing of interest and was a walk away from the rooms that did, Hojo had been in it only once or twice. Most nights, he slept in whatever chair he'd been sitting in – usually towards early morning. Not so much sleep as passing out until he was woken either by the need to relieve himself or whenever a sudden thought crossed his mind in sleep.
The offer to be told stories amused him some. But he'd rather take tea first. Deciding that the pot had boiled for long enough when it had only really begun to reach boiling point, Hojo spoke simply. "I can show you it after tea... and I wouldn't mind hearing something from you." When he saw that the teabags were already in the mugs, he sniffed at one of them and figured it was fine. Tea was tea and he would gladly kill for some. As soon as he'd put the water in, he bent to give one of the mugs to Kadaj. "It's hot – don't burn yourself. You don't take sugar, do you?" He thought he might have some still.
Shaking his head firmly, the remnant told, "No, I want cream or milk. Sugar is only good with whip cream." Most children might like sugary, very sweet things, but sugar wasn't on Kadaj's favourites list. He preferred sweet, creamy things instead and only liked sugar when it went with cream or hot chocolate, or was disguised in some other way. Candy wasn't his thing and, surprisingly, he didn't like ice cream much either, but it could have been because it was so much like snow and he didn't like cold things. Sorbet he would like but only if it was really sour, made of lime or lemon fruit. Strange child, indeed, but he was no average child in any way. Picky, with strong opinions about most things.
The mug was a tiny bit hot too but Kadaj didn't mind. Most things he could tolerate out of sheer will, and yet he refused to place the mug on his lips just yet, not wanting to burn his sensitive tongue. Not waiting for milk or cream, the curious youth headed for a door, "Is it here?" It was like Hide and Seek, and the bedroom was hiding. He placed his fingers on the handle, but turned to look at the Professor over his shoulder, not wanting to go in before given permission. Kadaj wasn't very good at following any sort of rules, most times he would do exactly as he wanted to, but the man was being nice to him and Kadaj wanted to be accepted and liked so strongly that he would not piss the adult off if he knew how to avoid it.
Trying to imagine a bedroom, his imagination provided him with a picture of a huge room with a large bed with four posters and fine fabrics, loads of pillows of different colours. More like aristocratic than ordinary, the Professor could have just as well been a Prince based on the remnant's imagination.
Hojo pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at what he was told. For one that could not possibly have been around for very long and seemed to have little idea of how to behave around people, Kadaj seemed to have very specific preferences. The scientist wondered if that was anything to do with Sephiroth. To be fair, it wasn't like he'd ever asked. Where Kadaj had encountered whip cream and sugar before, having the leisure to test them against and with one another, Hojo was sure he didn't know.
"Very well, I'll get you some milk." It was tinned, like everything, but kept separate from the rest. Due to the chilly nature of the region, milk kept rather well without having to be refrigerated. In an emergency, there was plenty of snow. Though, the Professor had not intended to stick around for very long so there wasn't an awful lot of anything that needed to be kept cold. He located it and turned back around from the cupboard. "Alright, how much of this- " Kadaj had moved again and was standing with his little paw on a door handle.
Turning his eyes toward the heavens for a second, the elder felt his patience slipping a little, but he couldn't allow himself to get angry or risk making the boy cry again. He placed his mug and the tin of milk down on the table and cleared a space for Kadaj by closing his notes up and stacking them. "Kadaj… That's a broom cupboard. Come over here and take your tea, please."
Sitting down without waiting for Kadaj to comply, the elder pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling very weary from all the increased activity. He was glad of the fact that he was no longer shaking. He felt better in that sense, but it only allowed the fatigue to creep up on him. That made him smile somewhat bitterly to himself and mutter. "Yare yare... tsukareta..." It was not often that he reverted to his native tongue, but it was all that came to mind and it gave him the leisure to complain about how tired he was without making Kadaj feel bad.
Pursing his lips at the prospect of having been about to enter a broom closet, the remnant calmly returned and sat down next to the Professor, blowing into his tea mug to get rid of the steam that kept indicating the contents were still too hot for him to consume. He didn't fail to notice how tired his companion seemed. Hearing the mutter in a foreign tongue, the remnant eyes widened slightly as he stared over the mug. In fact, he stared for quite a while before asking, "What language is that?" He had never realised Hojo might know a language he couldn't understand. Then again, he knew very little, and only now realised they didn't know each other very well at all. "Yare yare…" He tried to mutter, not sure it sounded even remotely the same when it came from his mouth.
The boy reached for the tin of milk, taking his sweet time to figure out how it was opened, and poured some of it in his tea, probably a little bit too much because the tea was now all white. He liked the colour and when he finally tasted it, it was delicious. Milky lemon taste – he liked it and hummed approvingly, narrowing his eyes as usual when he was very pleased, the green colour of his eyes becoming tiny slits. "I like it." He announced, running his eyes on the human facial features, again wondering if the dark, long hair was soft or coarse; studying the wrinkles on the forehead and underneath the eyes – wrinkles, which were so typical for humans – and idly wondered if his own skin would age like that.
For someone who wasn't an ordinary human, things like wrinkles were fascinating. Little things; like body hair, or what the skin felt like in comparison to his own. All the little things a human could possibly be made off. The only place on his body where Kadaj had any kind of hair was his head. From shoulders down he completely lacked any. He didn't have a single freckle or a mole, not even a belly button. Once he'd grow up, he'd learn a lot of other things he lacked, or had, that humans did or didn't have. Sipping some more of his tea, he was quite content to just sit and be because he knew they'd still get some rest before going outside. There was no use being impatient, but he hummed a little, possibly out of impatience, possibly because the tea tasted really soft on his tongue.
Practiced in the art of sipping hot tea, Hojo took a little from his mug after he'd adjusted his glasses back into place. As he did, he spotted the green eyes that peeked from beneath silver strands looking up at him. Clearly there was a question coming. When it did, the elder was a little surprised by it. He'd been speaking more or less on autopilot. "It's the language of Wutai. I'm from that region… originally. Don't mind me if I start to think out loud sometimes." He shrugged and took another sip of his tea. It had been a very long time since he'd last been to Wutai or anywhere near it, preferring to remain hidden in his laboratory. He listened as Kadaj tried to imitate him and found it mildly amusing to hear the syllables pronounced as though treading on ice that might crack.
The Professor raised an eyebrow at the sight of the remnant poking and pulling at the milk tin. He was sure that Kadaj would figure it out by himself but it still took a while. Such a while, in fact, that Hojo was just about ready to do it for him when the penny finally dropped and the top was pulled free. The older male nearly winced at the sheer amount of milk that was poured in. Might as well have heated milk up instead. Still, the boy seemed to like it and that was the main object of the exercise. "That's good then." Hojo smiled quite warmly for a moment before he remembered himself and his features straightened out again. Why was he smiling?
The aged scientist, a sociopath by all accounts, puzzled as to why he'd felt a smile form on his face. Generally speaking, he only smiled when he was feeling cocky, wanting to poke fun at or insult someone, or was on a roll with experiments. That was nearly all the time and at those times it was a sneer more than anything else. Rather, it had been until things had slowed down somewhat after Sephiroth's defeat. He'd become very bitter afterwards, bitter and resentful, though he still sneered at most things. With things slower than ever, almost at a standstill, his temper had not improved. Still, the arrival of this remnant was proving to be a step in the right direction at last. Maybe that was it, or maybe he just genuinely liked the company. He looked up from his reverie to study the boy only to find that he was the one being studied. Feeling just a mite on-the-spot for being stared at, that slight warmth crept to his face again, "What's on your mind, Kadaj?"
There were small marks where the glasses had been pressing the bridge of the nose before those glasses covered the marks again. The observant remnant eyes didn't miss anything, "I don't mind…" He muttered from behind his mug before taking another sip of the milky lemon contents. Having no idea what the Professor had said in Wutai, he tried his best not to get too curious, strongly believing he would learn a word or two if he heard it often enough. Hearing a strange language was pleasant. It was like a mystery, or a puzzle to be solved. Perhaps the man had muttered something about the tea, who knew. Where was Wutai anyway? Kadaj had never been there.
As a smile appeared on the human lips, Kadaj's lips curved too, as a reflex. He was happy if the Professor was happy, despite he wasn't certain why they both were smiling. The small smile stayed on his lips even after the scientist's was pushed away. Pleased by the tea, pleased by the moment, he kept humming while staring until the question brought him to a halt. Ever so gently his eyes moved from the glasses to meet the brown gaze, and his only reply was as honest as it could get, "Your wrinkles." Pointing his left index finger at the glasses because there were tiny lines underneath the brown eyes, he couldn't quite reach far enough to actually touch despite they weren't sitting far from each other.
Reaching out furiously, he gave up and stood up, leaning over to place a finger on the man's forehead, "There…" He pulled his finger away, in the fear of angering the adult. The same way a child would want to touch a dog but was afraid it might bite. "You have wrinkles," he explained and gave another smile, in an attempt to show he meant no harm. His eyes kept flicking over to the wrinkles on the forehead while he took another sip of the tea, trying to hide behind his mug because he could tell the man was getting uncomfortable from all the staring.
One day, Kadaj would become the leader of a very dangerous trio of brothers. Those who were born as leaders could easily come up with plans, no matter what the situation. And so Kadaj came up with the plot to get closer to the wrinkles. Humming innocently, he stood up again, shifted his feet until he was standing right next to the Professor then took the mug of tea from the human hands. "I'll help you," he told, and climbed to the human lap, sitting there like a Princess, both feet on one side, and wrapping one arm around the human neck to stay still. Smiling innocently, he looked at the human. From such close range, he could see everything there was to see in his face. "I'll be your personal assistant…" he explained, not even knowing where he'd learned such a word. Bringing the mug closer to the human lips, he encouraged, "Have some…" As if the human hadn't been perfectly capable of drinking the tea without Kadaj's help. His gaze kept travelling to the forehead, and very soon he dropped the question bomb, "Where do wrinkles come from?"
As soon as the answer came, the older man blinked once, as much as to say he was expecting that such a thing would be inevitable. That was another thing that he found perplexing about children. The fact that they stared was one thing, the fact that they were able to pick out small details that were generally overlooked by most adults was another. If someone like Rufus Shinra had marched in suddenly with a slight smudge on his otherwise pristine white clothing, not one adult would have dared say anything about it. Hojo would most likely have taken note of it and had a private laugh in his head or as soon as he was out of earshot... but this child, or indeed any child, would have drawn attention to it almost as soon as it was noticed. Fearlessness or just plain lack of grace, either way, the details were always brought to one's attention. And it was hardly ever funny until afterwards.
It was one thing to simply draw attention to it but quite another to point at it as well. If the Professor wasn't feeling on-the-spot before, he certainly was then as Kadaj's little finger pointed towards his face. The way the child strained as though to touch him and finally stood up to do just that only made the situation feel a bit more awkward. Hojo's eyes followed and blinked as a cool fingertip poked his forehead for a second and Kadaj beat a retreat. Yes. He had wrinkles. That was hardly the bulletin of the month. There was no need to very literally point them out. Keeping civil, he answered, "Indeed I do. I have had them for a while now." A snarky thought crossed his mind that he might develop some grey hairs at long last if Kadaj kept up such behaviour.
While unable to read children very well, as their minds flitted from one subject to the next without rhyme or reason, Hojo was fairly certain that he knew what was coming next. In a way, it was almost exactly like the very beginnings of a scientific process. Look at what it is you wish to study, identify it, let everyone else know what it is you're looking at, and then… He found that Kadaj was standing next to him offering assistance. That wasn't what he expected. No more did he expect that the child should take the mug from his hands. Curious as to where this new process was heading, he relinquished his mug and then tensed up immediately as the small creature climbed up to sit upon him, so very close to him.
The term 'personal assistant' sounded very off to the elder in that moment as a small remnant of Sephiroth gazed at him while perched atop him, offering him the tea he'd just been holding. Was he being mollycoddled on account of his age? He wasn't sure. Considering that Kadaj didn't know how old he was and considering that the child was completely unpredictable, he hadn't a notion. What he did know was that the child was oddly considerate in a way that children seemed to be for some unknown reason. He was tired, he needed the tea and he wasn't going to reject the offer, though he did place one of his own hands on the mug to guide it as he took another sip. Then the question popped and he narrowly avoided choking upon said tea. Not totally unpredictable after all, it would seem.
Once he'd ensured that none of the hot, lemon-infused liquid had gone the wrong way, he looked at Kadaj and tried to judge how much it was that the boy wanted to know. After a slight sigh, he gave up and started from the very basics. "Wrinkles appear when you get older. They're just creases in the skin from where you smile or frown a lot. Over time, the tissues that make up the human body gradually break down, so that's why."
A confused frown, wrinkles, appeared on the remnant's pale forehead, "Tissues break down?" He echoed with rising worry. It sounded terrible. Why would tissues break down? It must have been painful. No matter how incapable he was of feeling empathy, the idea of this man being in pain hurt him. He didn't like it one bit, "But… can't it be prevented? If you had something that would prevent the tissues from breaking down…" Pouting slightly because he imagined the elderly man had been enduring horrible pains, he forgot the mug and instead started stroking the warm human forehead with gentle fingertips, "Do they hurt?" as if he was caressing healing wounds instead of simple lines on the skin.
For a control freak like himself, the idea of aging was terrible; it was something that couldn't be controlled, something that constantly kept happening with time. And he wasn't very certain he understood time much because sometimes it went fast, sometimes it went slow. Like right now it felt like time was going both fast and slow, because he felt like they'd known each other forever, so comfortable he was sitting there, letting his feet hang in the air. At the same time, he knew it wasn't even dawn yet and they'd known each other less than a day.
The wrinkles looked much worse than how they felt beneath his fingers. The human skin felt fairly smooth and soft, pleasantly warm. As his fingers left the forehead, he remained staring, offering a little smile because he hadn't been pushed away yet. As he was sitting there, one arm wrapped around the human neck, he decided to secure his position and wrapped his fingers around the long hair in the man's back. Narrowing eyes slightly with happiness, he realised it was softer than he had imagined. It looked so coarse but it was very soft. Perhaps not as silky as his own hair, but soft nonetheless and he clutched the strands gently, making sure he wasn't pulling or causing any pain, simply touching out of curiosity.
"I don't like wrinkles," he finally said, now wide eyed again. He was sitting so close he could feel the Professor's chest rising and falling along with his breathing. He didn't think the wrinkles looked ugly, quite the contrary, he liked the human face. Without letting go of the ponytail, he took a hold of the mug with his right hand, not minding if the man wanted to hold it too as he again brought it closer to the human lips.
Hojo blinked again, in surprise this time. The remnant sounded very concerned for his well-being. Indeed, maybe his choice of words hadn't been the best but it was true. There wasn't really any better way of saying it. He shrugged slightly, "For those who are concerned about their appearances as they age, there are ways of making the wrinkles appear less severe but it doesn't actually do much. For the most part, it's all lies to sell products. And it's very expensive. In any case, even the treatments that work don't actually halt the process."
As he felt the lines of his brow being caressed by small fingertips, the elder felt mildly flattered. Well and good that Kadaj might try to smooth the skin out but it wouldn't work no matter how many times he tried. "It doesn't hurt so don't worry about it." When Kadaj ceased, Hojo lowered his gaze and was met with those bright eyes again and a small smile to match. Unbidden, the corners of his own mouth twitched. The adage of smiles being infectious sprang to mind and he nearly smiled a bit more at it.
It felt very peculiar to have a child sitting so close where it might have been shoved off at any other time. The Professor had been wary to do anything due to the presence of a very deadly weapon hanging from the boy's back. Now that he knew more of the child, he felt a little more at ease with him. Kadaj was a volatile being by nature, he thought. This was likely due to his association with Sephiroth and due to the fact that he was searching. Intelligent enough, but very naïve. Still only a child despite his being was a fragment of an adult. Driven by the simple instincts of a child. The scientist felt that he must be tired indeed if he was feeling sentimental.
As he felt his hair being grasped gently, Hojo flicked a quick glance over his shoulder. He didn't ask Kadaj to let go though. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on kept him from asking the child to move or get off him. He still wondered at what the next words out of the child's mouth would be and what would follow. It was his nature both to get engrossed in the very tiny details and to look ahead for the next thing he could pull apart or throw together to see if it made sense. As such, though he was relaxed a bit more, his senses were still on alert. However, the feeling of warmth of another living organism against him, he started feeling that fatigue creeping up in earnest. Kadaj's conclusion about the subject of wrinkles made him grin, "That's something we can both agree on." When the tea was 'offered' again, he accepted.
It was good to know that wrinkles weren't something painful and the worry vanished from the remnant's mind. That was when the first signs of his possessiveness came alive. The fact that he wanted to protect this human from harm wasn't out of good will but because he liked the adult and wanted to be able to protect him, shield him, decide things relating to him in one form or another. Kadaj wasn't scared of anything and as long as he admired the adult as much as right now, he would've gladly fought for him, jumped in front of any sword or bullet to keep him safe.
The hair was so soft and nice, the remnant's fingers kept kneading it, tangling in it and playing with it by twirling strands around his fingers. Idly, he wondered if the hair was ever set loose from the ponytail, perhaps when the man slept. And if he didn't, then perhaps Kadaj could release it while the man was sleeping. Watching the human lips as they curved into a smile, Kadaj responded to it with yet another smile before locking their gazes. He could tell the Professor didn't mind him having taken a seat there and it seemed as if the moment was somehow special, because the remnant had done exactly as he had pleased and not once had been told to get up or let go of the hair. The boy felt as if he was special and it made him so glad, he was nearly radiating with self-confidence about his own capability. As long as he felt special, he would worship the one who made him feel this way; like he was the apple of the man's eye.
Even when the boy was very pleased and happy, he got restless quickly, remembering they would go look for Jenova soon. His Mother. The uncomfortable itch he often had had gone away for now completely, as if the Professor's presence soothed it, or possibly it remained away when he was being happy. Wiggling his bare toes with impatience, he looked at the Professor in the eyes through the glasses and asked, "Have you had enough tea? Can we go to bed now?" The sooner Hojo would fall asleep, the sooner he would also wake up, and the sooner they could go look for Jenova.
Placing the mug on the table as if the boy had already made the decision for both of them, he got up and started tugging a human arm determinedly. He still had no idea where the bedroom was and glanced around as if the bedroom would appear if he looked carefully enough. The boy had a good imagination and despite he hadn't yet decided what kind of stories he could possibly tell to make the adult amused and sleepy, he would think of something.
The Professor would have been perfectly content to prop his head on one arm and shut his eyes for the night. He would have been content to remain seated there with Kadaj still playing about with his hair. Indeed, that sense of feeling heavy and weightless at the same time that often precedes sleep was beginning to take hold. Still, he wasn't far gone enough to miss the deliberate look that Kadaj directed at him along with what nearly sounded like a demand to sleep. Before he could make any contribution, the child had put the near-empty mug on the table, placing it down with a very final-sounding tap.
He nearly felt like resisting the determined child that pulled insistently on his arm. What a turn of events that he should be the one following orders, even if they were framed as questions rather than direct commands. If he resisted however, he figured that Kadaj would just pull harder until he moved. As such, there was little point in arguing so he rose and pointed in the direction of travel – Out of the kitchen, down a small, narrow hall and towards the far end of the house. The room was not nearly as elaborate as Kadaj had imagined. Had Hojo known, he might have laughed in shock at the child's heightened imagination. As it was, the room was certainly smaller but a respectable size nonetheless. Not a four-poster, but a decent-sized double. Since the scientist slept irregularly, the room had been of very little use to him. There were no notes to be found in there, therefore there was no point in considering it.
The elder had gotten to the point where he would sleep like the dead if he assumed a horizontal position for more than a few seconds but it didn't stop him asking Kadaj a question since he had noticed that the child, by contrast, was very mobile and impatient-sounding. It puzzled him and he had visions of the child running amok, completely restless. If nothing else, he had learned that Kadaj would not sit still for very long. Rubbing at one of his eyes, Hojo asked "What'll you be up to? You don't look tired at all."
As soon as the man had gotten up and pointed the direction of the bedroom, the remnant paw located a warm human hand, entwining their fingers before pulling him along. As long as there was no order to stop, Kadaj walked through the rooms fearlessly, dragging Hojo with him all the way, until finally they had reached the door which revealed a bedroom.
Indeed, it wasn't like Kadaj had imagined, but he wasn't disappointed at all, merely curious. As they stood on the threshold and the light from the corridor painted their shadows on the floor (a child holding a man's hand), the green gaze took in the furniture, the bed and the closed curtains. It was dark in the room and it would get even more so once they would close the door to the corridor. It was impossible to tell if there was a bright moonlight behind the closed curtains or not.
Emitting a small 'mhmm' the youth released the human hand and stepped inside the room, rounding the bed and taking off his Souba, carefully placing it on an armchair nearby in case they'd fall under an attack during the night. As he climbed on the bed, boldly claiming one side of the bed as his, he lay down and hugged a pillow. It was really soft. He would most likely sleep wearing the leather because it was comfy now that he didn't have the Souba, boots or gloves. It might be nicer to sleep in the nude but it might be too cold for that.
Smiling while hugging the pillow, the reply came, "I'll tell you stories, and after that… I will protect you." A very small childish laugh was released, "I'll protect you the whole night while you sleep." The pillow was so soft, he might fall asleep too. He pulled a blanket over himself. It was very soft too and so warm that he might have to get rid of the black leather anyway. Beckoning with his little fingers, he ordered, "Come…"
The little remnant's grip was firm and broached no argument. Until Kadaj released him, the Professor was obligated to move forwards. Once he was released, the darkness of the room afforded his tired eyes a momentary relief. Enough to see how the child hopped eagerly up onto one side of the bed to get better acquainted with one of the pillows. More and more, the child's behaviour reminded Hojo of cats.
He was aware that Kadaj hadn't answered his question and was very charmed by what the child said he would do. It was very… the Professor searched for a word to describe it, "That's very nice of you." He had no doubt that anyone who would dare attempt to cross this child wouldn't last very long. They might even find their top halves severed from their bottom halves before they could so much as draw breath to beg for their lives. This thought had a perverse, cheering effect on the Professor as he removed his lab coat and loosened his tie to deposit nearby.
Hojo hesitated as to whether he ought to remove any more clothing. A part of him thought it wouldn't be decent with a child next to him. Another part just told him to lie down already. Distantly aware of the fact that a pair of green eyes were watching his every move, the elder removed his shoes last as he sat on his edge of the bed. Hojo did his best to do all of this at a respectable pace or risk being chewed out by the child that watched him. Drowsy, he lay down beneath the blanket and faced the ceiling. Were he alone, he would face towards the door automatically as though his mind lay beyond the door and on the notes in the other rooms. Since he was not alone, it would be rude to turn his back on his 'guest'. A guest that he was rather glad of as it turned out.
Kadaj had no clue about what was appropriate and what wasn't. He was far too undeveloped to understand about naked skin. Even when he'd failed to turn himself to mist and had revealed his naked body, he hadn't been the slightest ashamed of someone seeing him without clothing. He'd only been embarrassed for not succeeding in his attempt to show off his talents. The same way any child would rather spend their time running around without wearing pants and would throw a tantrum if someone tried to get them dressed, because clothes were restricting their freedom.
Thus, when he was watching the adult loosening his tie and stripping the lab coat, he was merely curious in his childish way and very observant – not a movement went missed. Once the man was securely on the bed, facing the ceiling, the little remnant monster smirked. Like a kitten which preferred body heat, he climbed on top of the adult, first straddling him and smirking with mischief, "Don't you have any clothes you wear at night?" The idea of having to sleep in trousers with a belt was shocking for someone who preferred freedom. He wasn't tired at all now that he was playing this game of keeping the man up for a moment longer, not giving him enough peace to fall asleep.
Figuring if they slept close to each other they'd survive the temperature of the room, he started playing with the belt, trying to loosen it, but it was quite difficult to get open. Once he managed, his smirk grew wider and he started unzipping the trousers right after unbuttoning the only button there was, proceeding to the buttons of the white shirt right after. The buttons of the shirt were easy and he unbuttoned them one by one, travelling up the body and closer to the human's neck. "Isn't it easier to sleep without clothes?" He asked while helping the tired man to get rid of the clothing as much as he was allowed to do so.
Though he probably should have expected that Kadaj would sit astride him or perform some similar activity, Hojo was still rather surprised by it. Surprised and yet much too tired to ask the child to get off him. He figured if he fell asleep, Kadaj would just climb up again. However, he did have some objections to his clothes being tampered with. Objections that came out very wearily. "Hey... What are you doing?"
More questions. The Professor couldn't handle any more questions this late. He wanted to sleep but the cheeky brat was on top of him and would keep him awake until he answered. In truth, he wore very little while he slept. In the recent past though, he'd generally slept in one form of his clothes or another – too tired to strip off until the next morning when he would change his shirt. By the time he'd sleepily mustered the will to take a firm grip on the waistline of his trousers, the deft little fingers had brought the assault almost to his collar.
Hojo nearly whined his answer. "It is easier... but that's not the point." Alright, alright. That was fair enough. The remnant did have a point there. He wouldn't have minded having his shirt off but he wasn't going to relinquish his grip on his trousers while he still had the presence of mind to do so. In the little light that was left in the room, he could dimly see that the remnant was smirking. The boy's curtain of silky hair fell about his face, hiding the eyes as the boy leaned over him.
The boy wasn't giving up easily despite the man did nothing to help him with his task. Wrapping an arm around the human neck to force the body up enough for Kadaj to be able to tug at the sleeve until the arm slid out from it, and repeating the procedure with the other sleeve, he was determinedly making progress until he was able to pull the whole shirt off with force – throwing it carelessly on the floor and releasing a small noise of victory. Kadaj could see quite well in the dark and took a moment to look at the naked torso.
Despite Hojo didn't have a very warm personality, his human body was still warm, almost hot as the remnant's palms rested on his lower stomach. Of course another childish truth had to come out from the pale lips, "Your chest isn't hairy…" It was impossible to say whether it was a good or a bad thing, most likely the sentence wasn't meant to carry an opinion of such a thing.
There was some hair under the man's bellybutton though, and carefully the remnant stroked it as if it had been an animal, his pet. It was only a few strokes before he stopped and looked up at the human face, "I don't have any hair here," He poked the hairs under the bellybutton, "I don't have a bellybutton either…" Despite he didn't have one, he did know what a bellybutton was but didn't know why humans had one. "Look…" he said and pulled the zipper of the black leather down to reveal his hairless chest and bellybuttonless stomach.
In all honesty, the Professor thought that Kadaj would give up after undoing the buttons, considering that he was lying in the shirt. That was an underestimation as he was more or less made to co-operate. When he was held up by his neck, he had to prop himself up to relieve the pressure. The leather the boy wore felt very supple, like a second skin. Not a wonder the boy had been cold as it didn't seem to be the type to insulate heat. Or maybe it did. He didn't know anymore – he was exhausted.
Once released, Hojo lay back again while keeping his attention on the child. He felt faintly embarrassed. At another time, he wouldn't have given much of a damn but this wasn't something he was used to at all. Little hands rested on his bare skin and it made him nervous as to what the child might try next. The next words out of Kadaj's mouth made him frown – more childish observations. "That it isn't." Wishing that he could have some peace, he felt small fingers caress him near his navel, followed by more observations, one of which caught his attention for a while.
"You don't...?" Dimly, Hojo remembered that Kadaj said he had been born from 'black water'. In other words, he was not a natural birth. That was a fairly obvious point though if one was a remnant of someone who was supposedly dead. The elder raised a hand to place on the pale chest that was revealed to him. In the dim light, he could hardly see but he could feel it. He felt smooth, soft skin beneath his palm. Probably flawlessly smooth. It felt nice to touch. Curious, the elder's fingers traced down and met only more smoothness. No bellybutton, as Kadaj had reported. Checking, Hojo slipped his fingers in under the leathers to one side. He felt a small hip by his fingers, smooth skin by his thumb. Indeed. No bellybutton. His mouth twitched in a small smile. "That's very interesting."
Pleased to receive attention, the remnant sat calmly still and tried to figure out what the Professor's expression said. He didn't look very surprised, then again perhaps his reactions were numbed by the fatigue and at least he seemed interested in the topic. As soon as the tiny smile was formed, Kadaj gave one back calmly. The human touch was warm and gentle and the cat-like eyes went shut for a moment. He felt accepted, complete and comfortable when touched like that. Opening his eyes to observe how the adult-size fingers were caressing his smooth skin, he felt a pleasant warm tingle following each touch. Who knew that someone who on the outside seemed so violent and angry was enjoying being touched just so, gently and approvingly. Letting out a small hum of being satisfied, he shrugged the garment off from his shoulders so it fell down to his waist. He was planning on abandoning the leather for tonight but was enjoying the touches too much to take the risk of moving.
Eventually risking it, he stood up and shrugged the leather down from his waist until he could step out of it and give it a kick so it landed on top of the Professor's shirt on the floor. The very naked, silver haired, magical creature crawled on top of the warm human body before pulling the covers so high that only part of his face and the silver hair was visible. That was because his face was located on top of the warm chest, and he didn't want the Professor to be cold so the blanket had to be pulled all the way up. It was very warm and nice there in that cocoon of human body heat and the blanket. He let out a tiny whimper because he wanted to be touched some more. Too bad he didn't have any more peculiarities to show. Well, he had one, but he didn't know about it just yet and perhaps it was better he didn't know and thus couldn't say it in a situation like this. After all, the Professor might have been a bit confused if the child had said he didn't have a gag reflex either. Knowing the child remnant, he probably would have wanted to show that too and would have forced the human fingers down his throat to prove the point.
Concentrating on the sweet human heartbeats, he wrapped his arms around the body as much as he could and closed his eyes with a sigh. It was very likely he would fall asleep there before any bedtime story was told.
The Professor had his doubts about allowing a child to share a bed with him while so scantily-clad. On the one hand, it didn't seem right to him but on the other it made sense. Sleeping in leathers, Kadaj was bound to overheat and he would need to remove them in order to remain comfortable. Something else bothered him as well. While Kadaj may look, act, sound and possess the qualities and mentality of a child, he was absolutely not just a child. Far from it. As such, having such a being that close, that physically close, continued to make the elder uneasy.
However, at that moment, Hojo's movements and thoughts were very sluggish. It took him several seconds longer than it should have for him to realise that Kadaj had stood up and stripped off entirely. By the time he'd gathered the wit to form a protest, the little creature had already lain down on top of him and covered itself up with the blanket. As awkward as it felt, it felt oddly soothing to feel another pulse against his own. If he'd had to presence of mind to do so, he might have made an observation about Kadaj resembling a cat aloud. As it was, he merely looked down at the sight of a small, silver-haired little head and felt the child's arms curl round him.
Absently, the elder raised a hand to touch at the silken strands again but didn't make it that far. Warm, strangely comfortable, completely spent, the Professor's eyes shut and he finally succumbed to sleep. The hand that was intended to stroke at the remnant's head came to rest along the boy's smooth bare back instead.
The sweet song of the human heart travelled throughout the little remnant body, wave after wave of warmth speeding from his muscles to his bones. In no time, his own heartbeats had taken the same rhythm, as if his pulse was just an echo of another's. Right that moment, he felt complete, forgetting who he was because he had become a part of something bigger, like they had been just one entity, one heart, one body. The soothing breathing of the sleeping adult, the way his chest was rising and falling ever so gently, was like an invitation. Unable to resist, especially when that protective arm around him was keeping him safe, the boy fell asleep too.
A restless mind, like his, was often busy – even while he was sleeping. The dreams came and went, ones of Jenova, others of Sephiroth, and the rest about the Professor. Bits and pieces of reality mixed with surreal things. As he suddenly woke up and cracked his eyes open lazily, the remains of the last dream were still blurring in his mind. They'd been on a field, it had been sunny and warm and Kadaj had been naked while blowing huge bubbles. The magical liquid, from which the bubbles were blown, had been made by the Professor, who had been sitting under a lemon tree. The man had been complaining about the heat and the sun but was smiling because Kadaj was laughing when the bubbles were larger than the boy. The remnant had just asked if he could go inside the bubble to fly when the dream had shattered and he'd woken up.
Too lazy to keep his eyes open, they kept going shut while he rested in the comfortable warmth and safety, still securely spread all over the human body. It felt so good that he didn't want the morning to come at all and didn't want to go outside to the cold weather now that he felt perfect right here. It was still dark, so he believed they'd only been sleeping for an hour or two and he remained still, not wanting to move an inch or to disturb the Professor's sleep.