Sephiroth's soul redemption

A/N; I realize that Tifa doesn’t start the seventh heaven bar until after Sephiroth is defeated, but I just wanted to stick her in anyway, as the timetables in this fic are being shifted anyway.
I hope you guys aren't getting intimidated by the long chapters, iI realize they are quite a sitting to get through, the main point of writing this fic is to create an outsiders view on this phenomenom called Sephiroth. i wanted to have him observed and provoced by people that puzzled and attrachted him at the same time, giving me the opportunity to dive into his head. i hope you will be patient with me as there is a very good point to all this quaffle, anyway, have fun reading how Zach ( My all time farourite playmate) gets off his mind and has fun!

Midgar mayhem

Once the door closed they all heaved an enormous sigh of relief.

.. Did you see him? He is in agony!..

.. That is why he is over reacting, I know that Erik is being a brat, but it isn’t like he did something really serious…

..We have to find a way to make Erik behave, I’ll think of something..

“Well at least we get to go out and look around Midgar. I was starting to feel a little claustrophobic anyway.” Enak said.

“You are familiar around there, aren’t you?” He asked Zach.

“I know a nice place there, in the slums. They should have a couple of spare rooms for us to spend the night in.” He said.

“Cool, then that’s where we should go. Erik is the slums kind of man.” Enak said.

“Did he really live in a tree, or was that just a metaphor?” Zach asked, as they headed back to their room to get some things to take with them.

“Oh you heard about that, did you?” Jeh-ri asked. “Sure, he does go and stay with the ‘Standing People’ tribe at times. We all do, as part of research training. The Standing People tribe know him well, and they live in a forest that is relatively close to a couple of small villages.”

“Standing People? That is a weird name.” Zach said.

“Standing People is what all the tribes call trees, Zach, they have the capacity to talk with them. They are the ones closest to nature.” Enak said. “Leisa has been adopted into that tribe. If you want to know more, talk to her.”

“And you are of..” Zach began to ask, guessing that Enak had an interesting heritage too.

“Boulder tribe. We live in giant boulders just under the mountains of fire.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Zach said.

“Not really, the volcanic activity is really deep in the ground. Old Mother vents off every now and then, but it is never anything to worry about.” Enak said.

They headed out after putting on some regular clothing, each one throwing some small things into a bag, then headed out to the main gate, where one of the guards checked their names of a list.
“Okay, we are officially on leave now.” Zach said, as he lead them into the town of Midgar, first walking around the upper shelf, where the more well off people lived, then going to the lower level, where the pourer people managed to scrape a living.

It was such a contrast to where they came from, and Leisa started to tell Zach how they lived. Every one equal, having good healthy earth to grow their own food on, having the means to create their own electricity, no taxes, no need for money, just trade and cooperation to the benefit of all. Zach had some trouble wrapping his head around their way of life, as it seemed a lot more complicated.

“You should come and visit us some day, if the General will let you off, that is.” Ian said.

A sudden thought occurred to Jeh-ri. “Zach, don’t tell him we're here to find him so he
can be thrown in jail. He’ll bolt.” He said.

“I just hope we can find him.” Zach said. This part of Midgar is pretty much like a labyrinth.

“Don’t worry, he’ll find us, when he has enough to show off about.” Leisa said.

It was in the early evening when they arrived at the bar Zach had mentioned. It was quite cozy, and the locals were good natured. Zach introduced them to the girl called Tifa who ran the place. She reminded Jeh-ri a lot of Shau-ri with her large brown eyes and straight long black hair.

Suddenly there came a familiar bellow from a dark corner of the bar. There he was. He had a very voluptuous blond woman on his lap, who was obviously very drunk for so early in the evening.
“Amusing ourselves, are we?” Jeh-ri, asked as he walked over. He shrugged.

“It's not my fault the natives here can’t hold their firewater.” He laughed. “Did you check the rack on the girl behind the bar? Man! They are a lot prettier here then on that higher level.”

“I guess that good breeding isn’t a guarantee for beauty, Erik.”

“That’s for sure.” He grinned, and planted a wet noisy kiss on the woman on his lap.

“You are drunk, and you managed to get hold of something illegal, didn’t you.” The other asked, seeing the odd sway in his aura.

He nodded. Of course. No matter where he went, it always found him. ”Wanna try some?”

“What is it?”

“Is is something like Sensey, but milder. It doesn’t make you want to walk back to front like our stuff does, but it chills you out very nicely.”

“Later, I will. We have rooms up here. Zach has arranged for us.” He said.

“You should come check out this place a couple of streets further in. They were playing some pretty dark stuff in there. They know how to pogo here, Jehr.” His eyes sparkling with mischief. Jeh-ri jumped at the possibilities. It had been so long that they had gone to any kind of place to jump around and burn off some of the darker energy they all seemed to possess at times.

“I’ll go tell Ian.” He walked back over to the bar, where Leisa and Tifa behind the bar seemed to be hitting it off quite well. He could tell by the frequent looks they were shooting at Erik he must have found this bar quite fast.

“Erik has found a spooky metal place. Wanna go get hurt a little, Zach?” The redhead asked and Ian nearly tore out of the door wanting to go check it out.
“Sure, sounds cool, I guess.” He obviously had no idea what he was in for. It didn’t matter.

Erik came up to Zach, and clapped a hand in his neck. “So you have come to play with the big boys now, have you?” he started to look around Zach. “Where’s you little friend? Got him tucked away somewhere?” he asked as he pulled at the collar of Zach’s shirt to look inside.

“We left him at the academy. He’s not of legal age to drink.” Zach said. “You have had plenty already, I think.” He smiled at Erik, who gently tapped his face with his hand.

“The night is still young, Zachy boy, and you are in for a hell of a surprise.” He quickly grabbed two small glasses that the barmaid had poured for him, and gave one to Zach. “Bottoms up”.
They all stood in a circle as they knocked back the heavy concoction.

“Wow, did you order? Rocket fuel or something?" Ian asked as they all had tears stream down their faces. Erik just smiled wickedly.

“Good stuff, eh? You want another shot?” he asked.
“Of course!” they all laughed, as another round was poured.


Die die die my darlin
Dont utter a single word
Die die die my darlin
Just shut your pretty eyes
Ill be seeing you again
Ill be seeing you in hell

They first decided to bring the buxom blond woman home after she had collapsed into a drunken stupor. Erik seemed already to know his way around quite well, and soon they reached what seemed to be her home.

They waited at her front door, as Erik had thrown the poor woman over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes, and disappeared inside. Then he took them to a side part of town, where the place stank of beer and smoke and something that made everyone's eyes water for the first ten minutes. It was really dark, as they twisted and turned through dark creepy ally ways, and arrived at a large metal door with the characters ‘Noire Sensus” smeared carelessly in red paint across its surface.

It was really dark inside except for deep orange and yellow lights sank in holes in the black painted walls. As Erik walked in, he was already greeted by several very rough looking men, all dressed in black and denim, long greasy hair in shiny strands around their faces, smoking and drinking.

The music there was raw and gutteral, and everything Erik had said it would be. The mix between adrenaline and mild violence just enough, to make them tingle all over. Leisa had not come, this kind of thing not being her cup of tea, and had elected to stay behind and help Tifa out at the bar. The alcohol was now making them nice and numb, and Erik pulled them off to the side of the space they could stand around a tall table.

He lit up a long oddly shaped cigarette. He flipped the joint inward so the burning end was now in his mouth. Then he started blowing out the smoke out the rear end. He took Enak’s face, who sucked the smoke in through his mouth and nose.

Then he motioned for Jeh-ri to come across the table. Then he did the same to him and Ian. He was nearly bursting with mirth as Jeh-ri saw him grab Zach by the head too. For a moment he got scared for him, not knowing if he had done this kind of thing, but he sucked the smoke down just the same. They all applauded as he exhaled, his eyes large and blinking furiously.

Jeh-ri was fascinated by the collection of candles piled into the centre of the stone surface of the table, forming a weird waxy volcano.

..Nail in my hand, from my creator
You gave me a life, now show me how to live..

He started to play with the ones that had burned down to little stubs, pouring the wax into the pools at the top of the burning ones, watching with fascination as the fluid first ran fast down the side, than congealed at the ever widening base.

As the drug started to work in on his mind, he found himself fall into a peculiar train of thought.

..I have always been of the fire, it has always been in my life, it burns as I do. From the sigla of my birth is was there, in the star that marked the day, my life is of love for fire, always and for ever..

He realised too what irritated the General about him. He felt that as he was of fire, the other was of ice, cold and hard. Was the General afraid that he would make him melt? What would happen to the entity inside if he did, would that energy he had seen break free to the ruin of all? Was the ice the only form of his existence? He hoped not. The idea he got in his office earlier that day, was that the main character was fighting for integrity. His present state of physical discomfort only making matters worse. He hoped he would accept the offer he had made on the progress rapport, so it would make their forced cooperation easier.

He could feel him suddenly, but every time he tried to twist his head to the spot where he thought to have seen him, he wouldn't be.

“He is here, he can make himself dim.” Jeh-ri said to Enak, leaning on his shoulder for balance, and then jumped on his back, so he could get a better view of the floor below, where several people where milling and jumping around now the music had picked up speed. He drank the whole chaotic atmosphere in like it would be the last breath he could ever take. He felt great. He felt fed.

Who’s here, Jehr?” Zach asked, as he could see the redhead looking around, scanning through eyes that wouldn’t see what he felt.
“Silver-Hairs” He hissed at him, as his mind now was firmly gripped by the alcohol and the Sensey. Everything seemed to slow down and he could see Zach staring at him, his eyes heavy.

Then he was looking around the room too, but shook his head. “You’re wrong, he wouldn’t come here, at least I don’t think so.”

“Have you ever asked him?” Ian asked.

“Yep, he never stays long, though.” Zach answered.

“To a place like this too?” Erik asked.
Zach shook his head. “In his currant state, he can’t handle a lot of noise like this.”

“His headaches have returned, then. That explains why he was so… ” and he held out his hand, making it tremble, to demonstrate what he meant, as the proper word refused to surface. Yihaa sensey!
“How do you know?” Zach asked.
Jeh-ri just leant across the table, and pulled one bottom eyelid down with one finger, indicating that he had seen it.

“He needs a Shiatsu treatment. I did it to him when we did the outdoor combat exercise. It did him a lot of good. I told him he could ask when ever he needed it, but he obviously prefers to be in pain.” Jeh-ri said. “I guess he is just not used to asking for help.”

Suddenly a song was played that they all knew. They all started to dance around the table in small jumpy steps, beating the main rhythm on the table with their fists. It was a good thing the waitress came swooping by and removed the glasses, as they would have sent them flying.
It must have been something very amusing and unusual for the regulars there, as they changed direction all at the same time, and yelled the words along at the top of their lungs. As the song finished they actually got applause from the people that had been watching.

Zach was zoning out, just riding along with roar of the music here, and the low aggression crawling along the floor and walls suited him just fine too. He just couldn’t understand how Aeris had not been able to accept this part of his life, the path he had chosen too different from hers.

Had he really tried enough to close the distance, or had they both just not been willing to? He looked at Jehri who’s head still twitched from side to side, eyes squinting as if he were trying to make out something in the distance. He also noted that the red haired man and Erik knew the lyrics of almost every song that came along, mouthing the words effortlessly. Jehri with his face depicting the intent and emotion of it all so clearly, as if he had written it himself, his head rocking from side to side on the beat.

Suddenly he was whisked off between Ian and Erik, Jeh-ri and Enak right behind him.
They jumped into the milling crowd on the lower floor, jumping and turning, every now and then the crowd would get wilder, bouncing and ramming them selves against each other, until a turn in the music would dictate a change, then they just walked slowly, twisting around, waiting for the cue in the music that would start the next wave of violence.

It was strange to be knocked around like that. but it was fun watching how some got thrown out of the roar of jumping bodies, only to shake themselves like a dog, and run back in for more.
From time to time they would sit down again, drink some more, and then dive back in.

How long this went on for, he couldn’t tell. Only that they had left at some point to go back to the bar. The sound in the other place had left a strange kind of high- pitched tone buzz through his ears. He knew he had suffered a mild form of ear damage due to the level of noise in the other place, but it didn’t worry him as the Mako in his blood would remedy the damage within a very short time. Here the music was a lot softer, and all the regulars had already gone home as time just had seemed to fly by.

He felt kind of tired as the alcohol made him sleepy. They decided to share the rooms as the beds were quite large enough for two people. Enak had disappeared sometime during the walk over to the bar with Erik.

Leisa, Ian and Tifa where still quietly talking at one of the tables, just opposite him and Jeh-ri. Zach had fallen into a subtle array of flirting, seeking prolonged eye contact, touching the copper haired man’s feet with his without apology, and letting his hand fall onto his, as it rested on his thigh, out of view from the people across the table.
In the end letting all need for subtlety go as all his small gestures where met, as he slid one hand in the redheads slightly damp neck, and pulled him into a careful kiss.

The neon lights on the ceiling hurt his eyes, and he quickly turned on the little night-lights that sat on the bedside tables. Zach quickly stripped down to his boxers, and slid under the patchwork covers. Jeh-ri still sat on the edge of the bed, wandering what to do next, the drugs making his head so foggy, he had trouble remembering what was going on. Then Zach rolled over to the other side of he bed, and slid his hand under his sweater and pulled the t-shirt out of his pants, letting the palm of his hand slide around the sensitive skin around his nipples.
“Not changing your mind, are you?” he asked, getting on his knees behind him.

He shook his head, letting him pull the sweater off. After turning the light off, he let himself fall across Zach’s lap so he could undo the belt, he was forced to wear, as the pants he wore were always to big to stay up. He felt the last of his clothes being slipped off as he allowed him to be pulled into bed.

He could feel his breathing getting heavier and heavier as the numbing feeling in his chest increased. He felt Zach’s legs brush against his as laid one leg between his. One hand slid across his abdomen, as Zach rested his mouth against his temple. He slid his other arm under Jeh-ri’s neck, rolling him against his chest. His lips brushed his forehead, then slowly moved down the thin bridge of his nose to his mouth. His kiss was firm, but he had trouble feeling what was going as his lips felt cold and numb. Then his tongue slid in, stabbing softly, and could feel his excitement building, as he gently pushed himself against other’s hip, his hand sliding down and finding that Jeh-ri felt the same.

He slid into a half sleep as his mind refused to adhere to what he was doing, the effects of the alcohol and the Sensey still pushing his sensed to the background, only feeling Zach’s hands and lips in short pulses. Jeh-ri’s sim decided to intervene, and started to break down the effects of alcohol, so he could at least focus his attention on Zach.

He sat up and fell on his side, facing the foot end of the bed. Sliding his hands under the others boxers, exploring his intimate areas, laughing as he felt him twitch and turn against him, giving him full access, running his hands along his buttocks, kneading the muscles, moving his thumbs along the insides of his legs.

Feeling a joygasm build as his erection pressed against his chest. He just couldn’t get himself to be with him the same way he had been with Enak, the female wanting to have her way with him. Wanting to feed. He felt Zach rubbing saliva down his beating member as he flicked the tip of his toungue across his tip. The warmt of his mouth was so intense, it seemed to flood his entire groin. "Zach.." He said and Zach lifted his face away to look at him. let go of what little restraint he had, and came in his hands.

“You should have warned me, I would have stopped.” He said, a little disappointed.

“Don’t worry, it is just the beginning.” He said, gathering up the semen from his hands, rubbing it on him, and between his legs. Now that part had been sated, the other could take over, as he pulled him close. “I work a little differently, Zach, don’t be afraid.” He whispered, his lips brushing the edges his ear, and brought his hand between his legs, letting his fingers find the opening there.

He looked at him through drug and booze addled eyes, and he slid into his mind, countering the confusion, saying that it was fine, safe, to trust. Jeh-ri felt him surrender, grateful the revulsion had been evaded. He let himself fall on to the other and felt Jeh-ri guiding his erection home, he slid in, easy and effortless. The sim already grabbing hold, he was being pushed to climax way to fast, so he told it to slow down.
It came down around him, extending itself out of the safe hiding place in Jeh-ri's womb, absorbing and enveloping his pulsing member inside him.

Zach wrapped his arms around him with a tightness that made his ribs and shoulder ache. His moans becoming strained as the sim allowed him his first climax. His grip loosened and he buried his face in the neck of the body under him, breathing heavily. Feeling the tension ease, but build back up again as the sim had developed a taste for him now.

After his first orgasm he moved up a level in his mind, now being able to see Zach in his other form, the one of pure energy, he was so beautiful it made him want to weep, and he longed to fuse with him as they did with their sim-partners.

Can it be done? Can I take him up?

.. never tried.. I could.. can’t go far, he can’t sustain you on that level. The sim whispered to his ghost..

doesn’t matter, just a little bit.

He was building again to the next wave, and he looked in his eyes, seeing the confusion again, but he also enjoyed it, pushing himself up, trying to get in even deeper, and as he came, Jeh-ri send the presence of the sim inside him, seeing how it embraced him, merging, but not only with him alone, the same presence he had seen in the General, only different, benign and totally Zach. He had the power to break free, the sim only telling him how.

As the wave of their peak subsided, Jeh-ri heaved, lifting him out, taking him to the side of the bed. His body moving in slow easy thrusts, Jeh-ri meeting his half way, totally on autopilot. He looked down upon himself, and at the other, seeing them without definition, sex, age, all gone, just pure and free. Jeh-ri took him up through the ceiling of the room and out above the city. There they could see the energies of all the inhabitants of Midgar in all their various stages, their essences blooming like fire works, in love, asleep, sad, jealous, happy, and mating, as they could see two spires fly passed them like rockets, then disengaging, and slamming into each other again, blending, and slowly drifting down again. Leisa and Ian sharing their love, and they could both feel their happiness.

Over to the north Jeh-ri could see the Shinra reactor roaring away in silent victory, as it took directly from the lifestream of the planet, gorging itself like a greedy selfish rapist, the planet underneath bent to its will, crying in silent anguish. It struck home, like an icicle in his ghost, and he didn’t want to see anymore, allowing them to gently drift back down.

They rode the next wave back in, as he saw Zach arch his back, his face contorting, on the brink of total exhaustion. He told the sim to let go of him physically, sensing he had nothing left to give. He felt his breath against his shoulder, trembling like a reed.

.. he will need to feed a bit.. too much poisons in his blood.. he will feel ill soon..
the sim whispered to his ghost… I’ll show him how..
He watched as the whispers of the sim placed the idea in his mind, a need that had to be fulfilled. Zach responded, hesitantly at first, then gently biting at the vein, finding the skin very easy to break, and taking just a couple of small sips, then closing the cut with his mouth.

.. release him, let him rest.. And felt the link between Zach and himself fade as the black haired man slipped out and fell into a deep sleep. They where the wrong way around on the bed, but he didn’t really care as he pulled the pillow around from the other side, and tucked them in. It felt good, now he had been fed, and spooned up against his back.
He pressed his face against his neck, nuzzling the longer strands. Erik and all the trouble he would cause them very far away.

He got a sudden pulse, as he felt Erik’s mind reach out. Now all the effects of drink and Sensey had gone from his mind, he felt clear as a bell.
He got up, careful not to disturb Zach who was now breathing deeply.

Erik sat downstairs in the bar, at one of the little tables on the side. The place now abandoned, as Enak, Leisa, and Ian had gone to bed in the second room.
He looked tired, worried.

“You look perky.” He said, his voice raw and rasping.

“You look and sound like shit.” He said. He was now paying the price for his debauchery, and not having been with a woman of his kind, couldn’t remove the poisons from his system.

“I love you too, smart ass. Got any Nutria?” he asked, and him having already guessed why he sought him out, pulled two vials from his pocket. He grabbed them both and drank them down after biting the stoppers off.

Jeh-ri noticed the chaotic waver in his energy abate as he slowly became himself again, his eyes first bloodshot and bleary, now regaining their focus.

He looked at the other, but Jeh-ri didn’t notice, as the sim was assimilating Zach’s essence, and it was making him giddy. Erik suddenly reached across the table, grabbing Jeh-ri's wrist and shoving his mouth and nose into the palm of his hand. He inhaled deeply, and the other could feel the memories of the previous hour bleed out of his head.

“You let Zachy-boy have his way with you.” He said, smiling as his mind viewed everything like it was a film. Then his eyes locked with the redhead’s, forcing him out of his state of bliss.
“You let the sim take him over, that’s rape, Jehr!” he said, his eyes flashed at him.

“He isn’t used to being with one of us, it would have been over in a matter of seconds. I wanted him to enjoy it.” Jeh-ri said, feeling pushed to defensive position.

“As if you didn’t get any enjoyment out of it, but that’s not what I mean, Jehr, I mean here.” He said, tapping his finger against his third eye.

“I didn’t want him to reject me.” He countered. “He has been with women before, I just didn’t want him to freak out on me.”

“Why shouldn’t he? It is pretty freaky what you have done to yourself.”
Erik accused further.

“I didn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to, he made the first move. I could have let him fuck me in the ass, no problem, but that would have put me in the same sorry state you are in now.” That got him, and made him back off.. It made the older man wander why he was hammering at him.

“You had your sim absorb nutrients from that woman’s womb, haven’t you? And that isn’t rape?” He rebuked, getting back to the former point if discussion.

“It isn’t exactly a turn on for a woman when I explain certain workings of our physiology, Jehr.” He said, as it now was his turn to get defensive, and he knew he had guessed right. Was he finally developing a conscience? Were all those empty conquests over the years finally catching up with him?

“He is all over you and through you.” He said quietly, just a bit of disgust in his voice to try and provoke him, but he didn’t take the bait.
“Regular men are more generous, and he had a lot to give.” He said, pointing out the fact that Sim implanted men produced a lot less semen as conception was totally controllable for them.
“The hit and miss process for regular humans is quite a messy business, isn’t it?” He said.

“You don’t seem to mind.” Erik sneered. “Beware of your feelings for him. You have a predator to entice, and you cant do your job objectively if you are all googoo eyed over his best mate. It tends to drive wedges between people. You will end up feeling wretched and they won’t thank you for it, either.” He said, and he was right. “I need to get some sleep, I’m rooted!” he said, yawning and stretching.

“There is a second bed in my room. You better take it.” Jeh-ri suggested, as it made him feel more at ease so he could keep an eye on him. He frowned at the suggestion first, then accepted after he assured that all their need for privacy had been gotten out of the way.

He crawled into bed again, sliding in against Zach’s back, and drifted off for several hours.
Zach woke him somewhere late in the morning, looking very bright eyed in the dim room. He had already dressed and was sitting on top of Jeh-ri, pinching his nose and tickling him.

“How do you feel?” He asked. Bouncing up and down on his knees. “I don’t know what you did with me last night, but after the amount of booze I had, my head usually feels like there is a hedgehog rolling around in it. But today, it is like nothing happened! And what the hell happened later? Was that an out of body experience or something?” he said as he lay down beside him, whispering intently.

“Something like that. It is what Altheans do when they really like somebody.” He said softly, running his hand across his face.
“Didn’t you like it?” He asked already knowing the answer.

“That’s the understatement of the year, Jeh-ri.” He groaned, falling on his side, burying his head against his chest. “If this is what you do with people you ‘like’, what do you do with people you love?”

“We kill them.” Erik sniggered, as he rolled over on his bed, facing them. “Especially when they keep yapping when others are trying to get some sleep.”

“Hey it is not my fault you went over your limits again, and now have a hangover.” Jeh-ri said.

Erik growled something unintelligable in reply, and buried his head under the blankets.

“Feel like some breakfast?” Zach asked. Jeh-ri nodded. A bit of food would ease the sour feeling his conversation with Erik had left in his stomach.

Tifa had set a breakfast table in the bar, where Ian and Leisa sat, their foreheads resting against each other.
“Looks like we weren’t to only ones who got lucky last night, Jehr.” Zach said as he sat down opposite the others.

Leisa and Ian disengaged and held out their hands to Jeh-ri. He hesitated at first, but gave in, and placed the palms of his hands onto theirs. Their minds flowed over and through his, them sharing with him, and vice versa. The whole process had taken less than thirty seconds, and Leisa glowed, understanding and happy he had been willing to share with her again. He kissed them both on the cheek, and then sat down beside Zach who was eating his food and had apparently missed the entire exchange.

Erik stumbled down the stairs, and tried to give the black haired girl behind the bar a kiss on her cheek. Her eyes narrowed slightly, then she slapped him so hard he flew against the wall.
They all applauded, Ian whistled shrilly between his fingers. Enak’s eyes grew very large.

“Wow. She actually cracked the wall!” He said, and Tifa glowed at the compliment.

“She packs a wallop!” He said, rubbing his jaw as he came over to their table.

“You told her that, didn’t you?” Jeh-ri asked Leisa, who smiled broadly.

“He had made a couple very rude comments about her. He deserved it.” She said.

“He always deserves it, Leisa. You don’t have to explain anything.”
Tifa came and joined them at the table.

“Why does your friend need to be slapped?” She asked.

“At the Project Ark Academy he always tried to kiss all the girls. After a while he got the idea that if the kiss was accepted, it meant you wanted to have sex with him.” Leisa told her.

“Of course a whole lot of girls didn’t want to go to bed with him, but as they had let him kiss them, he thought they would, so when they figured that out, they just discouraged him by slapping him.” Ian added.

“Now he just seems to see it as a fun way to get some ones attention.” Leisa said.

“He tries to kiss me all the time.” Enak said.

“Aaah! That’s why you slapped him the first night, after you did that trick with the kids.” Zach said, recognising the situation.

“I just hope he isn’t going to try to kiss the General.” Jeh-ri said.

“At his present state of serious pissed-off ness, he might just run him through.” Enak said.

“That would turn him on even more.” Jeh-ri said.

“What? Being killed turns him on?” Zach said, his eyes big with horror.

“We are a lot harder to kill then we look, Zach. The Mako treatments you get make you incredibly tough, but we have our advantages above human capacity too.” Leisa said.

“Oh by Shiva in hell, I was supposed to keep him up to date on things, I totally forgot!” Zach moaned.

“That will make an interesting progress report:

'On being send out to retrieve a.w.o.l. combat instructor, set up base camp at the Seventh Heaven bar. Then managed to infiltrate the local population, adapting and participating in ritualised drinking, drug use and something commonly referred to as a ‘Damn good time’.
After which letting myself being pulled into sexual relations with fellow officer.' Ian said.

“That is very elaborate, Ian. My report would have read; “got out, got drunk, got stoned, had fun, got laid.” Erik said, who zonked down on a chair beside him and draped an arm around his neck.

“Than it is a good thing not all of us have the vocabulary of a five year old, Erik” Jeh-ri said.
“Which one would he prefer, Zach?” He asked.

“Neither. He has lost all sense of humour lately, what little of what he had to loose anyway. I’m worried about him sometimes.” He said, sighing slightly, a pained expression on his face.

I suppose we’d better head back to the facilities soon. We have a long walk ahead of us.” Zach said. “You’re coming too, Erik.” Jeh-ri said, in a tone that wouldn’t tolerate disagreement.

Continues in ‘Erik and his beast’

A/n; preview. Erik gets thown in jail for his disgression, which doesn't improve the situation between him and the general, as things come to a head on collision between them. blood will flow!

Cloud gets to try out his powers of attraction....