(Kit Thespian enters the stage)
Kit Thespian: Review response!
Suzumi: Fangirlishly...? O.O Hey, whatever floats your boat... But I do like Hojo. He holds the #4 position on my FFVII favorites list.
HollowedShame: I'm so sick of all these Vincent/Lucrecia fics when it's obvious in the game that Lucrecia picked Hojo. Thanks for the review!
Lone Gunmen: Thanks. The title "Human Monster" means someone (in this case, Hojo) who in all appearances seems a monster, but really was simply a human being with horrid flaws. You know, excepting Jenova, I think all the villains in FFVII are "human monsters."
Foxy Blondie: Glad you feel sympathy for the ol' Hojo...
seasonofthepumpkin: Thank you! I do my best. Hey, I like your Hojo fics too! Good stuff. Want to guess what Hojo's first name is? (it's not Simon. Sorry)
Sulphurya: Skilled? Really? O.O Thanx!
Disclaimer: Kit Thespian does not own Final Fantasy VII, nor the characters therein. And she is not making any money off of this.
Chapter Three
An Excuse
"So," Lucrecia said, fingering her silverware, "what do you like to do in your spare time?"
Hojo did not know exactly how he should respond to this question. "Nothing very interesting, if that is what you wanted to know," he answered, before taking a sip of water.
"Well, I really just wanted to know what you do, whether you think it's 'interesting' or not," Lucrecia smirked.
"I eat, sleep, read, and look over notes."
"What do you read?"
"Science books, treatises...But every once in a while I'll pick up a science fiction novel to get a good laugh. The characters become the funniest whenever they attempt to be serious."
Lucrecia laughed, having to cover her mouth from showing the bite of food she was chewing on. Hojo asked,
"What do you care to do?"
"In my spare time at home? Sit around in my loungewear, eat chocolate, and read romance novels."
"Chocolate... I have plans in the future to research why exactly women have such an affinity to chocolate. I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, 'Step away from the chocolate and no one will get hurt.'"
"...I own that t-shirt."
"Really?"
"That, and one that says 'No coffee, no talkie.' Do you have any crazy t-shirts?"
"Most of my shirts have no text on them."
Lucrecia grinned, "I'm going to get you a crazy t-shirt, one of these days. And it's going to be perfect for you."
"If you can find one like that, I'll gladly accept it." Coming from you, that is.
Their evening went on undisturbed, and Lucrecia looked at the restaurant's dance floor, watching the couples dancing for a moment, and said, "Do you dance?"
"...No." Hojo had always thought such a thing to be quite frivolous, and never really saw the point in it.
"Why not?"
"Why?" Hojo replied.
"Dancing isn't just getting up there and doing motions; it's an excuse."
"An excuse for what?"
"Dance with me and I'll show you."
Hojo stared at his date (forgive me, dinner engagement associate) with a raised eyebrow for a moment. Several moments, actually. Lucrecia patiently waited for a while. When it seemed like Hojo wasn't going to make any movements, she spoke up.
"...Is this a no?" she asked.
"I'm thinking about it..."
"I think you think too much. We don't have to dance if you don't want to."
"No, no...Why don't we?"
"Thought you'd never ask."
It is perhaps common for any man who doesn't dance very often to feel somewhat sheepish about going onto a public dance floor to dance in front of a restaurant full of people. Now, imagine a man who had never really danced before in his life with a woman who he already felt romantically inclined towards (thus, a little shy towards), and who, though not lacking a certain charm, was not so thrilled about dancing in general. However, one must suppose that Hojo was driven by curiosity as to what exactly dancing was an excuse for, for that was the first thing he mentioned when they got to the floor.
"Now, what exactly do you mean by excuse?" he asked.
"When they start the next song, I show you."
"That's one thing that intrigues me: you'll show me. Show me what?"
"You'll see, Hojo," Lucrecia giggled.
The music began to play, and a crooner started singing a love song.
"Okay, here's what the dancing is an excuse for..." Lucrecia moved to where she was considerably closer than the standard "personal space" of three feet. She took one of Hojo's hands and placed it around her waist. Then she put one of her hands around his shoulder. She clasped his free hand in hers. She set her gaze on his eyes and didn't look away.
"Oh," Hojo tried to sound logical to cover up the fact that he was extremely nervous, "I see now. An excuse for this."
"Yep," she murmured, "We're supposed to sway now."
"I know."
"...You're a good dancer..." said Lucrecia.
"Thank you."
Lucrecia shifted her head so that her forehead accidentally brushed against Hojo's lips. He didn't flinch at the touch. Instead he did something that from another person's perspective would have seemed totally against his nature. He pulled Lucrecia closer to him until her chest was pressed against his. And of all things more amazing, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she wrapped her arm further around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
In the bar in the corner of the restaurant, doing a little mischievous espionage, Dr. Rosem sipped on a virgin margarita and nearly choked when he saw the interaction between his two fellow scientists. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes.
"It's official now. She actually likes him!" Rosem thought, "How does he do it?"
The song ended. Oblivious to their hidden spy, Hojo and Lucrecia slowly let go of each other and stood in an embarrassed silence before Hojo took her hand and lead her back to their table.
Later, Hojo was giving the money for the check to the waiter when his PHS rang.
"Who could that be?" Lucrecia raised an eyebrow.
"Probably Dr. Gast," Hojo replied, and answered the phone, "Dr. Hojo...Yes...? ...I see. We'll be there in a minute...Oh, she's with me... Having dinner... Yes, together... Chapley's, why...? ...What's so funny...? ...I don't exactly like what your tone of voice is suggesting, Doctor... Look, we'll be there in a moment..." Hojo pushed the off button and put his PHS away.
"Was it Dr. Gast?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He said we had better come to the laboratory and at once."
68th floor at Shinra Inc. Headquarters...
Hojo and Lucrecia were careful to get their lab coats from the locker rooms before going to the floor where Dr. Gast was located. The lab was frighteningly darker than it usually was. Hojo didn't like the look of it at all, especially when he spied Gast's lone figure standing alone in front of a control panel.
"Doctor, what are you...?" Lucrecia's question was silenced by Gast holding up a hand.
"Come here..." he whispered.
Hojo walked towards his boss without any reserve while Lucrecia nervously inched along behind him.
"President Shinra wasn't exactly thrilled with our 'lack of progress' as he calls it, so he had me do this..." Gast gestured towards the immense glass cage in the middle of the room and pushed a button that activiated an elevator that connected to the hidden cages below. As the elevator rose, Gast explained, "This used to be a stray dog from the animal shelter and it has been completely infused with Mako energy at one hundred and eleven degrees..."
"One hundred and eleven?" Hojo's brow furrowed, "At that dosage, one can hardly expect the thing to live."
"What did it do to it?" Lucrecia asked, trembling a little.
Gast sighed, "See for yourself."
The elevator reached the glass cage, revealed a hellish beast with contorted, crystalline features. It's legs were like ruby gems, and the rest of its body was as blue diamond. It's teeth were enlarged and sharp as razors. The horrid screech it emitted sounded like a choked wail. It writhed on the floor as if in agony.
Lucrecia was horrified, but Hojo moved closer to the cage to get a better look.
"So..." he said, "this is what happens when too much Mako is infused," he turned to Gast, "should we destroy it or test it?"
"As long as we have it, we might as well test it."
"Oh, you two are horrible!" Lucrecia was in tears.
Gast scoffed, "You knew we would have to do something like this sooner or later, Lucrecia. You have to accept the consequences of your job."
Lucrecia bit her lip, and then gingerly walked forward and joined Hojo in front of the glass cage. As if to ask for protection, she slipped her hand in his. Gast's attention was solely drawn to the specimen.
"Now, we will use eighty degrees on another specimen," he said, "tommorrow."
Gast returned the beast to its hidden cage a few moments later.
A/N: The plot thickens. Hey, anyone want to guess Hojo's first name? Any suggestions on what kind of crazy t-shirt Lucrecia should give him?