Warnings: Thanks to Wikipedia, Ontario Agriculture and my son, this chapter contains lots of information we really didn't need to know.
Chapter 18 : Pale Shelter
Sephiroth, with little Raincloud on his hip, watched as the pair disappeared around the corner of the cottage.
"He's sca-ry when he's angry," Weirdo muttered, swallowing.
"Hmmm," Sephiroth agreed.
"Is it a result of having most of the Jenova cells? Because Niisan got most of them and he just goes nuts sometimes." Weirdo turned his gaze on the General. "And it's not just jealousy that sets him off, either. I heard that the Jenova mutation makes it hard to control yourself which means it probably it attacks the hippocampus..."
Sephiroth looked down at the teenager, "Are you asking me or telling me?"
Weirdo blushed and ducked his head, "I just figured you'd know because you've obviously got a lot of Jenova's cells in you. I mean, your hair and eyes. Those are common traits in creatures that have high concentrations of..." Sephiroth raised his eyebrow. Weirdo coughed to a stop, realizing he might have been less than tactful. "Just wondering, you know?"
Sephiroth took in the teen's painful blush, the way he couldn't look at him anymore and decided to have pity on him. "Whatever lack of control having her cells caused in me, it was countered by intense training when I was young."
Weirdo frowned. "Can't be the hippocampus then; if it were damaged you'd forget all that stuff, at least a lot of it. You tend to revert to more basic reactions and emotions. Unless they did something to counter the physical damage." He peeked up hopefully.
"I have no idea," the General said repressively.
Weirdo went back to looking at the ground. "That too bad. If we could figure out where the damage is we could fix s—some of the damage, right?" Sephiroth got the feeling that wasn't what the teen had planned to say but before the General could ask, Weirdo rushed on to a new topic. "About the cottage, we don't have to put it back exactly like it was before, ri-ght? I mean, we can make improvements," he looked at the General, eyes large, and Sephiroth was tempted to ruffle the boy's dubious hair for absolutely no reason.
"I imagine we can do whatever you want. Although I'd rather you didn't put in a spinning mirror ball and loud music, like some other people have done." Sephiroth was rewarded by a distant 'Hey' of protest.
"I want a big bathtub so I can go swimming," Raincloud said. "I like swimming."
"Umm, sure, okay. I suppose it would need lots of water and some means to heat it...," Weirdo's voice trailed off. "I think I have a book on hot water systems." He dropped his backpack on the ground and started digging through it eventually bringing out a slim paperback. Sephiroth read the title 'Plumbing for Beginners' as Weirdo flipped to the index.
"You guys going to do any work over there?" called an impatient voice from the side of the cottage, startling Weirdo out of his reading.
"We're working on a plan," Sephiroth replied. He didn't even have to raise his voice very much for Zack to hear him.
"Pfffft," was the intelligent response, "Just get in there and get busy."
Sephiroth gave his companion a conspiratorial look, "Zack tends to just jump right into things. If he ever asks you to go into a cave with him to look for monsters, say 'no'. It's safer." The poor boy blushed, fidgeted, dropped his arms so that he could hold the book in front of himself, and then blushed a little bit more anyway. The spice of his arousal once more filled the air.
Sephiroth was quite glad he didn't remember much of this time in his life.
Weirdo swallowed a couple times but managed to bring himself under control. "Actually, planning could be really important. What I want to do is improve the heating sys-tem, make it more efficient, I mean stone buildings are just too cold…" He dug through the pack again and pulled out a large coil-bound hardback entitled, 'Simple Home Renovations' and flipped through the pages. "... and fireplaces really suck at heating houses, y'know? Now this, this is co-ol." The young teen was so excited about the subject matter that he forgot to blush when his voice cracked. "This is an under-the-floor radiant heating system. It looks really hi-tech and stuff but it's actually quite old." Weirdo moved closer so that both Sephiroth and Raincloud could see the page. The child immediately started tracing damp fingers over the winding pattern of heating element.
When the General bent his head to look at it his cheek brushed against the teen's long hair releasing a scent that was like his memory of Cloud's, yet unique, innocent and tantalizing…. He forced his attention to the page.
"We should go for the electric-based sys-tem," Weirdo squeaked, "Air's just not practical and water, well, it's susceptible to freezing and that would be bad." He looked up at Sephiroth. His eyes were a large, clear blue, filled with ingenuousness and enthusiasm. It was as enticing in its way as Niisan's sensuality and the Corporal's hint of challenge. And if he didn't get his mind on something else, Sephiroth knew he'd lean down and kiss the boy. He returned his focus to the article, skimming the paragraphs and examining the illustrations.
"Where would you get the electricity from?" Sephiroth asked. A perfectly logical question that had no place in this perfectly illogical world.
"Oh, umm," Weirdo looked away, blushing in embarrassment, "good question. I dunno? But if I can figure it out, we can hook up the hot-water heater to it."
"It's going to be a very large bathtub, if Raincloud's going to swim in it, so it will need to be a very large heater."
"Yeah, I sup-pose," Weirdo sounded glum. "I dunno what systems work best. Mom always heated the water up on the stove but," he perked up with renewed enthusiasm, "if I'm going to be putting in electricity for the floor and the hot wa-ter I might as well wire the whole house, right? And that opens up a whole other bunch of possibilities. We need to have an idea of everything we can fix so that we know what order to go in. So that's why we need a plan. I might have a book that'll give us so-me help."
"We should look in the cottage first, don't you think?" Sephiroth suggested mildly.
"Okay. We have to know the basics we're starting with before we know what needs to be done." He packed his books away and headed over to the entrance. "Better windows would be good. They have this new way of coa-ting them so that you only need a couple layers of glass instead of three. It's called 'low emissivity' because it blocks thermal emissions but allows in solar emissions. And they're using a better insulating gas between them so it works even better. It can cut the R count in, like, half! Cool, huh?"
Sephiroth wasn't exactly sure what Weirdo was talking about but he nodded his head all the same.
The boy was still talking as he pushed the warped door open. "Oh wow, it's a little dirty in here. I don't remember it being this bad, but I guess it has been a whi-le since I've been back. We could really use a vacuum but we'd need electricity for that as well, I suppose." Sephiroth followed him in, letting his talk roll over him, hearing but not really listening.
The elements had damaged much of the furniture and decorations in the whole of the house. There was dust and dirt on everything. Books, pictures and clothes were scattered all over, along with broken glass and crockery. The sofa had holes and it smelled like rodents had been nesting in the stuffing. To the left of the door was a raised section. This was where the wall and roof had collapsed. He could see where Zack and Niisan were working to repair it. There was a door on the far side of it that Sephiroth thought, hoped, led to a bathroom. He was used to latrines but he had never grown fond of them; although, since this was some kind of odd construct, maybe waste disposal wouldn't be an issue. He mentioned septic systems to Weirdo and sent the teen digging through his backpack once again.
Finally, while Weirdo was looking for the book, he managed to ask a question of his own, "Why are you called 'Weirdo'?" he asked because, aside from the hair, he'd seen nothing truly strange about the boy.
"Oh, well, ummm," the boy's hands fumbled the book he was pulling out of his bag. He looked down at it, "it's what everyone calls me because I, I like to know how stuff works, why it works.
"They don't?" Sephiroth asked in disbelief.
"Not in Nibelheim. If their daddy or granddaddy didn't know, then they didn't care. Most of them hadn't ev-er read a book!" He looked at the General fully now, outraged and unbelieving. "Not even a com-ic or a newpaper or, or anything. I like knowing stuff. It's interes-ting!"
"I agree," Sephiroth said, still baffled by the young teen's name.
"Can you imagine doing the same thing your great-great-great-granddaddy did, in the same way he did, and not asking, even once, if there's a better way to do it?"
"I can't imagine it," Sephiroth soothed, and he couldn't really. As ShinRa's General he was constantly being exposed to changed circumstances, updated information and new weaponry and equipment. He was designed to adapt quickly. He put his hand on the teen's shoulder; Raincloud followed suit, patting him gently. "The children in the village gave you the name," it wasn't really a question.
Weirdo nodded, "And some of the adults."
"Hmph," Sephiroth snorted disapprovingly, "There's nothing odd about curiosity. It may not be convenient or even logical, but it is normal. You may have more than most boys your age but that is still not a bad thing." Eager pups like Weirdo had kept ShinRa Security going.
The teen looked up hopefully. "Then there's my hair," he pointed out.
Sephiroth's mouth quirked up, "Ah yes, your delightfully ridiculous hair." Weirdo blushed and looked away in embarrassment. "Who am I to cast stones," the General said, "The password I was given to Zack's house involves hair care products. People seem to think it fits, so it's likely they believe my hair is somewhat ridiculous as well." Weirdo looked up in shock.
"I like it," Raincloud said and patted Sephiroth's cheek to make him feel better.
"Yeah, I mean, it's great!" He reached out a tentative hand but stopped short of actually touching it. "Umm," he hesitated, sneaking another look up at Sephiroth, "How come you don't have split ends?" Sephiroth's eyebrow raised in surprise. Raincloud giggled. "You said curiosity was okay," Weirdo explained reasonably.
"Hmmm," Sephiroth frowned then softened it by holding his hand to the teen's cheek—so soft. "Maybe we should begin cleaning the cottage. There may not be a vacuum but surely there are brooms we could use until then?"
"Well, I suppose" Weirdo drooped in body and in voice. Raincloud squirmed until the General let him slide down to the floor. An odd crunching sound ran through the house and they both looked to the damaged wall. It was in much better shape than, even in the short amount of time they'd been talking, Niisan and Zack had nearly finished it. They'd made the windows bigger, and they were clean, so it was significantly lighter inside the primitive cottage.
Sephiroth saw the improvement and was thankful; more light should make it easier to clean the home. Weirdo saw the new windows and thought about something completely different.
"I wonder if we should add some insulation?" the young teen asked himself, "Probably but what we should use? They have some pretty remarkable stuff out now. Hey!" he shouted and pulled Sephiroth's attention back to him, "Did you kno-ow that you can use hay for insulation? I heard that people actually build whole houses out of it. Weird , huh? How do they keep it from rotting? I suppose it would be okay in the desert but there's not a lot of hay there. And what if it combusts spontaneously?" He turned to the General, "Did you know that hay can catch fire on its own?" he asked.
"Mmm-hmm," Sephiroth nodded. Weirdo looked at him with large questioning eyes. "It can happen if the hay is too moist when stored and is then stacked in too big a mow… a pile," he clarified. "The moisture gives off heat as it sits, so the bigger the m—pile, the more heat is contained. If the internal temperature of the pile rises above 55° Celsius then there is a chemical reaction and flammable gases are created. They will ignite upon mixing with oxygen, which will happen as hay is porous. The flames follow the path back to the centre of the pile causing the rest of the chemicals to ignite and eventually, setting the hay on fire as well. They literally burn from the inside out." Weirdo's eyes were huge and filled with awe. Of course, Sephiroth didn't preen in front of the boy. After all, he hadn't been showing off, just expanding the boy's knowledge. Instead he merely stated calmly, "If it can be destructive it's likely I will know about it."
"Coool," the teen murmured. "Is it true that flour can exp-lode?"
Sephiroth answered all his questions—at least the ones he could because he really had no idea why small birds didn't freeze in the winter, while he continued his inspection of the interior. He hadn't had a chance to see the real-life cottage that Cloud had based this on—he tried not to think of that lack with anger, but what struck him most was how amazingly compact it was. It was only two rooms although, with no walls between them, were they really separate?
One entered into what appeared to be living room and bedroom combined, at least there was a large bed just to the right of the door and in front of it was a colourful rug and a sofa set in front of the fireplace. To the far right, along the back wall, was what one could call a kitchen. It had none of the features he associated with kitchens however. There were no counters, not even a butcher's block. A table made of thick wood planks likely served as preparation surface and eating area. The stove appeared to be heated with wood.
When the boy would have dug through his pack for yet another book—on acoustics this time, Sephiroth reminded him that they were supposed to be cleaning. The teenager sighed deeply but obediently went to one of the freestanding cupboards by the kitchen and brought out a broom and a duster. He held them out, "Which?" he offered.
"Perhaps I should dust as my reach is somewhat higher than yours." It was an undeniable fact but it made Weirdo blush and hang his head. Sephiroth tucked one finger under the boy's pointed little chin and raised it until he could see those large eyes, "You'll grow," he stated and was rewarded by a tremulous smile, a blush, and the rising scent of Weirdo's arousal.
With a chaste kiss on the brow, Sephiroth released him. Weirdo began sluggishly pushing dirt around with the broom paying more attention to the walls and ceiling than the floor. When Raincloud's dragon decided the broom was an invader, and the dirt piles its army, it began attacking them, spreading the dirt back over the floor. He couldn't help smiling at this glimpse of what his Cloud might have been like as a child. Then he realized he was as guilty of daydreaming as Weirdo.
He looked at the cloth duster in his hand
As a child and as ShinRa's future super-soldier, Sephiroth had received training in most of the fighting disciplines. He could field dress most animals and prepare them for cooking or preserving. He could build shelters for most weather conditions from just about anything at hand. He could perform battlefield surgery for situations ranging from appendix removal to giving birth. He could dismantle and repair most of the vehicles in the fleet.
He had never had to dust anything in his life.
'How hard could it be?' he asked himself before running it over the top of the cupboard. A fistful of dust, some of it falling to the floor but most of it floating up to pollute the air, was his reward. He frowned, but moved on to the next shelf. He removed the plates on display there and swept the dirt off the shelf. Again, some fell to the ground but most floated up to join the first cloud. It swirled in the air looking somewhat pretty in the sunlight before it settled back down on the shelf he'd just cleaned. Particles also floated over to him and clung to his hair and irritated his eyes.
He scowled. This wasn't efficient at all. Still, the shelf was somewhat better than it had been. He swept his cloth over it again. His reward this time was a bigger cloud of dust that invaded his nose and mouth as if it felt the need to defend itself. He coughed involuntarily and his eyes stung.
"Aahhh. I think the cloth should be damp, so that the dust sticks to it and doesn't go fly-ying around like that." Weirdo offered.
"Where do I find the water?" There wasn't a sink, or at least nothing the General could identify as a sink with a basin and taps.
"Oh hmm," Weirdo hummed, "we should have running water in here too, shouldn't we? Have you ever done any plumbing?" He looked at Sephiroth as if expecting him to pull out his Journeymen Pipefitter's Certification.
"No." He generally called someone and they plumbed, did the plumbing? ...and the dusting. It sounded like the height of luxury right about now.
The boy's face fell then brightened, "Maybe I have a book on it." No sooner said than Weirdo had dropped the broom and was digging through his backpack. "Here we go!" He pulled out another large book and sat where he was to read it, muttering to himself occasionally and making notes on a pad he pulled from somewhere.
Sephiroth blinked in surprise. Just that quickly, the boy had completely forgotten him and their task in favour of researching this latest project. He was about to make a comment when he noticed that things had changed in the cottage. It wasn't anything major—it didn't sparkle and shine, but the floor looked slightly cleaner, the curtains weren't quite as dusty and there were fewer cobwebs in the corners.
It appeared that just having a Strife inside the cottage, thinking about fixing it, was enough. He smiled in relief and put down his cloth. He decided to pick up the books and the pictures instead, examining them carefully for, if he could believe his SiC, these were somehow important to his lover. They apparently gave clues to how Cloud, his Cloud, saw himself and what moments were important in his life.
Here was the expected picture of Cloud's parents, young and in love. Here was Cloud and his mother, the resemblance was remarkable. Mrs. Strife had been a beautiful woman. Zack and Cloud laughing, arms draped around each other. Probably on a mission as they were muddy and sweaty. He picked up another one in an heirloom frame.
When he saw the picture he lost his breath. Even through the cracked and dusty glass he could see the picture clearly. It was of the two of them as they had been at Nibelheim's inn. Cloud was snuggled in to his chest and he was holding the small blonde tight. He wanted that. He wanted that chance back! To have this quiet joy of knowing he was matched and loved. He carefully cleaned off the picture and placed it tenderly on a shelf.
There were more of course: Cloud and his unit back in Midgar. Cloud and Sephiroth and Zack who was striking his best 'heroic' pose for the camera. Here was a painting of a landscape—a winter's morning in the Nibel mountains if Sephiroth had to guess. Then there was a photograph, in a plain frame, of three strangers, two in lab coats and one in a ShinRa guard's uniform. One held a chocolate bar; one a magazine. The other had nothing but a sweet smile. Sephiroth frowned, wondering what memory was invoked by these strangers.
And there were books to be picked up, classics and popular novels, comic books and encyclopaedias. He was amused to find a copy of 'Loveless' on the floor. The ex libris notation indicated that it had belonged to Cloud's mother rather than to Cloud, and Sephiroth found himself somewhat relieved. One person obsessed with the ancient play was more than sufficient for a lifetime.
Raincloud had settled in next to Weirdo and was quietly reading something the young teen had probably extracted from his remarkable backpack. The boy had pulled out five home repair books, Raincloud's picture book, a notebook and pens from its depths yet it was still as fat and heavy as if he'd removed nothing at all. If he asked him for a book on Mideel weaving techniques of the middle ages Sephiroth had no doubt the teen would find it in his bag.
He didn't. He picked up books and clothes and blankets, and released mountains of built-up dirt and dust. He coughed and ignored it, as the mess was to be expected. However, when he picked up a neglected silk wall-hanging of the Wutaian guardian god, Leviathan, the sight of the once vibrant colours now faded and water-stained made him feel melancholy.
"Don't forget a washer and dryer," he called out to Weirdo who looked up in bewilderment. "If you're going to put in electricity and running water, you might as well have a proper laundry room," the General suggested. He had washed things before, bedding mostly, when sickness had run through the camp.
"Huh?" the boy grunted, still lost in the book he was reading. Sephiroth held up the elaborate wall-hanging in illustration. Understanding lit Weirdo's features. "Oh, good ide-ea! I wonder what type would be best."
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously; there was no way he was using a Wutaian wringer-washer because he, quite properly, feared catching his hair in the rollers.
"There are top-loading or front-loading models. Top-loaders are more common but I hear front-loaders are better, more efficient or something. I read a comparison between them in a magazine somewhere." He squinted in thought. "I think I have a copy of it."
"Undoubtedly," he murmured as Weirdo once more dug through his portable library.
The teen called out in excitement, "Oh hey, look!" He held up a large paperback with the title 'Be Kind To The Planet – Use Non-Mako Based Power Sources'. "This is just what I need to figure out our power supply." Sephiroth's lips quirked up.
He decided to go out and see how the others were faring, since the two parts of Cloud looked perfectly happy, nestled close together on the floor reading. The cottage was cleaning itself anyway. Weirdo absently tickled Raincloud's foot with this pen before making a couple notes. He could warn Niisan that the interior was about to suffer a major overhaul. The General had a feeling that the silver-haired vixen would take the news better from him than from Weirdo, and surprising Niisan was probably not a good idea either.
Plus, it was certainly better than dusting.
He told Weirdo of his destination and received an absent reply that Sephiroth recognized as meaning 'I didn't hear anything you said but I know you said something.' The General was familiar with the tone from countless hours spent with Zack doing paperwork.
The dark-haired First hadn't said whether or not he was going to return to being Sephiroth's Second-in-Command, but the General was optimistic. He remembered that moment in Nibelheim, after emerging from the mansion. He had nodded at the Commander, a request for him to go comfort and divert Ms. Lockhart from painful memories, and Zack had understood and obeyed. No guessing, no questions—just complete understanding. They had always had extremely compatible leadership styles and personalities. It was almost Zack's natural place, beside him.
He was actually looking forward to having the cheerful SOLDIER sitting across from him again. They would discuss the reports and refine strategies, what Zack called 'bouncing ideas off each other'. Zack would rest his booted feet on the desk and be juggling a pen or a gil in his left hand while holding the reading material in his right… and maybe, his little wing-hands would be tap-tap-tapping on his shoulder or scratching at his head bemusedly.
It was such a pleasant daydream that he nearly stepped on Corporal Strife when he opened the door to walk out. He had to jump back to avoid collision.
"Corporal Strife, reporting SIR!" The parade-ground volume announcement was followed by a light giggle from behind him. Raincloud had obviously seen the General jump and had found it amusing.
Sephiroth couldn't help but growl, just a little, "I've been expecting you, Corporal." Just not right at this moment.
The soldier's eye's glinted in appreciation, "I'd hate to disappoint you, Sir."