Yes, it's another strange FFVII ficcy. This one is REALLY strange, so bear with me. Yes, it involves pleasure slaves. Yes, it has all-male harems. Yes, Rufus and Tseng co-own this one. Yes, Vincent is in it. And yes, they are all gay or bi. Got a problem with it? Don't read it. It's highly unlikely that I'll be writing anything heavy in here, but things will definately get hot at some points.

Things aren't all as they seem in here, and NO, Evyn is not meant to be matched off with ANYONE! He's simply there to make an even number and to be a kicker for some things. It'll be getting alot more in-depth later, and you'll get to see into what REALLY goes on behind closed doors. wink

It was times like these that he really wanted to shoot the messenger. Most people sent gifts of flowers, fabric, jewelry, fruit, new pets…and then something like this arrived: A young man, short, blonde, and muscular, kneeling on the floor before him, still wearing the rough iron collar and cuffs from the auction house. Unfortunately, there was no 'return to sender' option. The harem had a new addition…

Later that night, as he lay in the arms of his favorite, he decided to ask for a bit of advice.

"What do you think his collar and cuffs should be like?" he asked.

"Whose?"

"The new one." His partner chuckled.

"You're asking me?"

"Yes."

"Silver…maybe with something wolfish worked into them."

"Wolfish?" he repeated. Of course Sephiroth had chosen silver; the metal was less expensive than his own platinum. Sephiroth wanted the new boy to know his place.

"It seemed fitting. Something about him made me think of wolves."

"Silver with wolves it is then."

Two days later, a SOLDIER escorted Cloud to the harem's quarters. He'd been measured for a new collar and cuffs, and his old iron set had been removed, replaced by a steel set lined with velvet. They felt much better than the old ones, and he was grateful.

The SOLDIER nudged him in the door, and then shut it behind him, leaving Cloud to stare around the room. It was said that the ShinRa harem was one of a kind, and that its members were unparalleled. He'd been paid for by a bidder looking for exceptional features, but he felt very plain compared to these men.

A lean redhead wearing nothing but tight black workout pants lay on the floor, while a similarly built young man with a short ponytail…was his hair blue?…gave him a massage.

A tall, solidly built young man with a spiky mess of black hair approached. Much to Cloud's surprise, he had glowing bluish purple eyes. Odd, when SOLDIERS were the only people exposed to enough Mako to cause an effect like that.

"Hey. You're the new kid, right?"

"Uh…yeah. I'm Cloud."

"Zack. Welcome to the harem." Cloud was a little taken aback by this enthusiastic greeting. All the harem members he'd met before were underfed, abused, and shied away from human contact. This guy though…he was built on lines Cloud could only hope to attain some day, tall and powerfully muscular while still retaining an inexplicable grace. "C'mon, I'll introduce you to the others."

Cloud followed Zack over to the pair on the floor. He poked the redhead in the ribs with his toe. The youth squeaked and recoiled from the touch, making his masseuse lose his balance and fall off.

"The redhead is Reno, and this-" Zack was cut off by Reno, who grabbed his ankle and yanked. Zack fell, and the pair began a furious wrestling match. Reno's companion smiled slightly and stood.

"I'm Evyn, one of Tseng's." he said. Cloud liked him on sight. He was just an inch or two taller than Cloud, with a short ponytail of curly, midnight blue hair. His eyes were strange, golden and almost feline.

"Is…is your hair naturally that color?"

"What- this? No, not at all. I'm a brunette. Zack put dye in my shampoo. Since he can't introduce you, I'll take care of it. C'mon."

"How many of you are there?"

"Depends. There's us as a collective, then there's those of us who are technically Tseng's, and those who belong to Rufus."

"Collectively."

"Um…six, counting you. There aren't as many of us as most people think." Evyn led him down a short hallway and into a neat little library. There was another man here, who looked to be older than the others by several years. He was taller too, which was quite obvious despite the way he was curled in an armchair. He looked up from his book when Evyn stopped in front of him, revealing glowing crimson eyes with an almost feral look to them. His hair was long and black, kept more-or-less out of his face by a red bandanna.

"Yes?" he said. His voice was deep and elegant. Cloud looked down at his feet, feeling like an inferior species.

"Vincent, this is Cloud. Cloud, meet Vincent Valentine." Vincent sighed, and uncurled. Standing, he was taller even than Zack, making him at least 6 foot 2, assuming Cloud's guess was accurate.

"Welcome. Evyn, I'll take him from here."

"Okay. Laters!" he left.

"I'm not going to bite." Vincent said softly. Cloud looked up, embarrassed. Could this man read his mind? "No, I don't read minds. Many people overreact when they see me. They often…jump to conclusions."

"Sorry." Much to Cloud's surprise, Vincent chuckled.

"It's nothing to be sorry for. Come with me; I'll show you where you'll sleep." Cloud followed, and noticed something.

"You don't wear a collar." He said.

"I do."

"I can't see it."

"We don't have to wear them in here unless our living quarters are being displayed. My cuffs and collar are in my room. I'll show them to you, if you like. You'll be staying with me for awhile." Vincent stopped at a door with a double 'V' plaque on it. Beneath it was a second plaque, with a thunderhead etched into it. "Come in." Cloud did.

The room inside was surprisingly spacious. It contained two beds with a heavy trunk at the foot, a dresser, closet, small bookshelf, and a desk.

"The bed on the right is yours. So is the trunk. Feel free to explore the bookshelf. Everything in the closet or dresser is fair game, but I doubt much of mine will fit you. The drawers on the right side of the desk are for you; the left ones are mine, do not open them. Okay?" Cloud nodded. This was more than he'd ever even hoped for. Then he remembered something.

"Can I see your collar?" he asked. Vincent said nothing, but took a box out of his trunk.

"Here." He offered the box. Cloud took it, and opened it. The collar and cuffs inside were made of some kind of black stone that shimmered slightly in the light. It had flames etched into it, flames that curved around a single red orb at the center of each circlet. The material, whatever it was, glowed slightly.

"Does everyone have their collars and cuffs made like this?" he breathed, running his fingers over the smooth, cool surface. To his surprise, Vincent laughed.

"Yes and no," he said. "We all have personal preferences to be taken into account, and our owners like our ornaments to be unique to the wearer."

"Preferences?" Cloud repeated. He'd never heard of a slave-owner giving his slaves a choice in anything.

"Yes. I, for example, am rather sensitive to metal. It has a tendency to do unpleasant things to my skin. Therefore, my collar and cuffs are made of stone, to prevent any problems. The stones in the center boost my skills and keep my…inner demons in check. I'm sure the others will be happy to let you see theirs, if you ask."

"Thanks." Cloud said. Then something occurred to him. "Why am I sharing a room with you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I…I'd heard high-class masters didn't like to have slaves rooming together. They…don't want relationships to develop…" Cloud mumbled. Vincent's eyebrows went up.

"You must have been talking to some very odd slaves then. Most masters like their slaves to be content. If that means being bed-friends with another slave, it's usually not a problem as long as they are from the same harem and have the master's approval. Some of them like to watch their slaves during…well, you get the idea, but there aren't many of those, and ours certainly aren't."

"You didn't answer the question." Cloud pointed out.

"For one, I had free space. Until now, I've roomed alone. Secondly, I'm the oldest, and probably the most mature, but don't tell Zack I said so. You'll need a while to adjust, and I'd like to help. Finally, I don't want you getting into any kind of trouble until you've settled in."

"Trouble?"

"Reno, for example. He's a good friend, but can be decidedly predatory, and fresh prey is a rarity here. No doubt he'll make several attempts at getting you alone. Don't ignore him, but don't encourage him unless you like it, because he'll keep coming back. And then there's Sephiroth. He has a nasty territorial streak. Do not get on his bad side, whatever you do. Understand?"

"Yes." Cloud said, very softly. Vincent smiled slightly.

"There's no need to be frightened."

"I'm not scared."

"No? Then why are you shaking?" Cloud turned very red, and Vincent chuckled. The door opened, and Evyn stuck his head in.

"Not making a move on him, are ya?"

"No."

"Good. 's bath time, if you two want to come."

"We'll be right there." Vincent said. Evyn nodded and left. Vincent turned to Cloud, eyeing him. "Let me see if I can find something to fit you. I wish we'd had more warning…nobody even bothered to tell me you were coming until this morning, and clothes were the last thing on my mind." Vincent rummaged around in the second drawer of the dresser, muttering to himself.

"Bath time?" Cloud repeated, staring after Evyn.

"That's what he decided to call it. We generally bathe together. It's not often we're all free and here in our quarters at the same time except at night, and it's a time to talk and relax. Not to mention that, for those of us with long hair, it's easier to have help."

"B-bathe together?"

"Mmhm. Here, these ought to work. We can go as soon as- what's the matter?" Vincent asked. Cloud didn't answer, just stared fixedly at the clothes in his hands. "Ah. You haven't been naked in front of another man before, have you?" Cloud shook his head. "No? Then what?"

"More than one." Cloud squeaked.

"It's no different. And we don't stare-no, I take that back, Reno does- but it's nothing to worry about. Come on." Vincent pushed the door open and held it for Cloud. The blonde hesitated, and then slipped out into the hall. Vincent shut the door and led Cloud down the hall and to the right. He slid another door open. Cloud stood slightly behind Vincent, trying to avoid going in, until the taller man sighed, took hold of his arm, and pulled him in.

"Is this really necessary?" Cloud asked. Vincent sat him on a short bench and picked up a small wicker basket.

"Yes, unless you want to spend the next couple of weeks getting to know everyone. Most days aren't like this one; we're spread out all over the place. Here, you can use my shampoo until yours gets here."

"Mine?" Cloud repeated.

"Yes, yours. The caretaker at the auction-house sent me the name of the type you prefer. Why are you looking at me that way?"

"I don't understand why anyone cares." Cloud mumbled. He tried to avoid looking at anything in particular. Namely Vincent, who was unbuttoning his shirt.

"Why shouldn't they?"

"I'm a slave. We don't have rights, and we don't matter." Vincent gave him a very puzzled look, then realized what was going on.

"You're from the northern mountains, aren't you? One of the smaller towns?" Cloud nodded. "That explains quite a bit. Here, and in most of the big cities, we slaves have an entirely different social standing. In fact, we rank higher than most household servants and slaves. We do matter, because we are closest to our masters, and therefore are their first line of defense, should an attack occur. Speaking of which, have you had any experience with fighting?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of…how?"

"I got into a couple of brawls at the auction-house…and won, sort of."

"Good enough. Reno was a thief before his gang-mates sold him to a slaver, and that was all the experience he'd had. You'll start training some time next week. Ever fought with weapons?" By this point, poor Cloud's head was spinning. All this new information, which turned his entire world upside down, was overwhelming.

"No."

"Then we'll try you out on a few things and see what suits you." Vincent slid his pants off and wrapped a towel around his waist. "You're going to have to take those clothes off, you know." Cloud shook his head. "Don't make me do it for you." Cloud shook his head again, and clutched the borrowed clothes to his chest. Vincent sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cloud, unless you happen to be female and are doing a very good job of hiding it, there's nothing to worry about. We're not going to jump on you. Look, I won't watch. Okay?" Slowly, Cloud nodded.

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise. Just hurry. And give me those. They stay in here." Vincent took the clothes form Cloud and turned away, busy with tucking them into another basket, the second from the right and third up in a four-by-four set arranged like drawers.

Cloud undressed quickly, then hurriedly wrapped the towel Vincent tossed at him over his shoulder around his waist.

"You can turn around now." Cloud mumbled. As soon as Vincent did, Cloud's towel fell off. While Cloud fumbled to pick it up again, Vincent tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter with both hands.

"Come here. You need to tie it to keep it from falling off. Only women can keep a towel on by just tucking it. It's got something to do with their hips. Look, you do this…" After making sure Cloud could do it on his own, Vincent scooped up his basket again and gently pushed Cloud through another door.

This one led to a room full of steam. Along one wall was a row of showers, two of which were being used. Directly in front of them, at the other end of the room, was an oversized bath obviously built to accommodate a number of people at one time. There was someone in it, but Cloud couldn't tell who it was.

"Go on." Vincent urged, handing Cloud the shampoo.

"Go?"

"Shower. Pick one and go." Rather cautiously, Cloud tiptoed over to the shower closest to the corner, placed the bottle on the shelf, and turned the water on. It came out cold. Cloud yelped and jumped out of the way, then leaned around the spray and twisted the knob towards the red side of the dial. The water heated up almost instantly, and he stepped into it with a grateful sigh. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a decent hot shower.

"Are you going to keep the towel on all evening?" Cloud jumped. Reno had appeared in the shower beside him, soapy and wet and very naked.

"N-no."

"Gonna shower with it on?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't like to be stared at." Cloud mumbled, trying to avoid meeting Reno's eyes. "At all."

"And how do you intend to soap up?"

"I'll manage."

"Don't tell me you're shy."

"He is." Vincent growled. Reno jumped, and turned to face Vincent, who had moved into the shower next to the one Cloud and Reno were sharing. Cloud gave him a very grateful look. Reno heaved an exaggerated sigh, and slouched over to his abandoned shower.

"Thanks." Cloud whispered.

"Any time. But you really ought to ditch the towel at some point."

A little later, Cloud had been convinced to remove his towel, and was quietly helping Vincent rinse his hair. There was quite a lot of it.

"I'll finish on my own, Cloud. Why don't you go join the others in the bath?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes." Vincent said firmly, giving Cloud a little push towards the bath. The blonde went, albeit slowly. There were stairs to one side, and Cloud took them, preferring this to Reno's more spectacular method, which involved a running leap and an unearthly screech. It had been followed by yelling from his bath-mates.

"Evening Cloud." Evyn said, waving.

"Hi." Cloud mumbled. Reno slipped over to stand beside him, wearing a small smile that meant things Cloud didn't want to think about.

"I see you finally removed the towel." Reno purred. Cloud went pink. "You've got a nice body." Pink turned into red. "I'll bet you can do some incredible things with it." Cloud managed an embarrassed squeak and ducked under the water.

"Leave him alone Reno." Evyn said, laughing. Zack fished around under the water until he got a hold of Cloud's ankle. He pulled, heaving a struggling blonde into his lap.

"Hey kiddo." Cloud yelped and scrambled away to Vincent, who had just entered the bath. The older man chuckled and let Cloud hide behind him.

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing." Reno drawled, casually sidestepping over to Vincent. "Just bein'…friendly." He tried to slip behind Vincent, but failed, because Vincent grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Let him be, Reno. It's his first day."

"Fine." Reno sighed, splashing over to sit beside Zack. "You're no fun."

"Oh, I can be fun."

"Since when?" Vincent's expression went from vaguely protective to downright evil in a matter of moments.

"When? I don't think you need to know that…since you don't share a bed with me…" Reno blushed. "Those who need to know have found that I can be quite…adventurous, shall we say?"

"Okay, okay!"

"What's all the yelling about?" A deep voice asked. Everyone turned to see who was speaking.

"Vincent's making Reno look stupid." Evyn explained. "Again."

Slowly, Cloud peeked around Vincent's arm. As soon as the speaker came into view, Cloud stared. The new arrival topped even Vincent's impressive height, and had straight silver hair that fell to his hips. He was built like Vincent, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. Every inch of his body was solid muscle, but in a sleek, graceful way that was undeniably feline. Vincent noticed where Cloud's gaze was directed, and turned to watch him. He was waiting for Cloud to notice something…there. Cloud's eyes went wide. He'd seen the eyes, bluish green and slit-pupiled.

"Who's that behind you, Vincent? It looks like Highwind."

"It's not the Captain, Sephiroth. His name is Cloud. He's the one given to Rufus." Vincent explained. Sephiroth nodded and eased himself into the water with a soft sigh.

"The wolfy one, right? Come out here where I can see you, Cloud." The blonde hesitated. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to get a better look." Blushing, Cloud stepped out from behind Vincent and moved towards Sephiroth, being careful to give Reno a wide berth. Sephiroth looked him over with a critical eye when he stopped moving, and Cloud resisted the urge to cover himself and duck under the water. Slowly, the corners of Sephiroth's mouth turned up into a very small smile. "You're cute, Cloud."

Splash.

"Sephiroth, do you think you could have waited a bit before doing that to him? He's shy as hell." Vincent grumbled, dragging Cloud back into a more-or-less upright position.

"I didn't think he'd faint."