Welcome to Midgar
Notes: Because I always wonder what the thought process was to those cots you could use during the rescue mission. I can handwave a tent better than them. Also, thinking about it amuses me.
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"Are you insane?" Tifa asks when she realizes Cloud is being completely serious. "We're in the middle of Shinra Headquarters and you want to take a nap in the employee gym!?"
"There's beds here," Cloud states again as if that fact alone should mean something. He gestures over the line of comfortable looking beds. One of which is actually occupied by a man in a slightly wrinkled business suit who had roused himself long enough to give them one uninterested look before going back to sleep. Clearly unbothered by the trio of armed people who obviously aren't adhering to the Shinra dress policy. "Why wouldn't we use them?"
"Because we're being hunted down by security? They know we're here already! Wh-" Tifa stops at a loud groan and turns incredulously to where Barret has decided to lay down. The bed seems comically small when holding his large frame, but Tifa's gotten used to how most things appear tiny next to the man. "Barret!"
"What? The man's right," Barret opens one eye to squint up at her even as he crosses his arms over his chest and settles in. The gesture is also familiar to her as she's seen it everyday for too long. Barret settles into the cot that doesn't fit him the way he settles into an argument that he won't give up. Firmly, stubbornly, and more than vaguely threateningly. "We're all tired, Tifa. A little rest ain't gonna hurt us none. Specially not after all those stairs you made us climb to get up here. Now take a load off, you've been dragging your feet the last half hour."
"Aren't we here to save Aerith?" Tifa feels compelled to ask even as her feet -aching, yes, and dragging more than she likes- turn her towards a cot. It's stiff, but clean and gives enough under her weight that she knows she'll have no complaints about resting.
"Yes," Cloud says firmly and then promptly lays down. Folding his arms and legs up in a way that looks designed to eek out the most comfort from the cot. It's very close to the same position the employee firmly ignoring them is using. "They won't hurt her though. She's too valuable for some reason."
And they'd do more harm than not rushing now when they do have the opportunity to rest. It's crazy but Tifa sighs and curls up on the cot. She knows she's running close to empty, has been since-
Tifa cuts the thought off because she needs more than a brief rest on a cot to deal with the massacre of Sector 7. They've broken through the security of Shinra headquarters, but the worst of the resistance is still to come. Like most things to do with Shinra, getting in is easy. It's getting out that is going to be the major battle.
"Fine," Tifa folds her arms under her head and closes her eyes. Feeling the ache in her feet and muscles throb now that she's not pushing it. "But this is still crazy."
She drifts then -lightly, still ready to wake at a moment's notice- and isn't sure if she dreams an inelegant snort from the employee and his muttered "Welcome to Midgar" or not.
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