The Glitterati

"Stop squirming!" the tailor ordered.

Cloud frowned. "Do I really have to wear this monkey suit? I look stupid."

The tailor, Jovahn, pulled the pins out of his mouth and glared at Cloud. "You look like a man of a station suitable to be escorting Aria. Almost."

With one last snip, Jovahn stood up and admired his work. Aria's assistant, Nikki, stepped forward. "Wonderful. Now take out your earring. You look like a hoodlum."

Cloud snarled. Nikki waved away his protests. "Oh stop being so dramatic, it's just for the evening. You can go back to being a hoodlum again tomorrow."

Gritting his teeth, Cloud took out his earring.

"And now for your hair," she said, reaching for Cloud's blond spikes. Cloud ducked out of the way.

"Leave the hair." Aria strolled in the room, eyeing Cloud appreciatively. "I think it's sexy."

Nikki threw up her hands and walked off as Aria ran her fingers through his long blond spikes. Cloud shifted uncomfortably. She was wearing a slinky cream gown and six-inch heels, and she smelled amazing. Her hair was piled neatly on her head, with the exception of the silky red trellises hanging down around her face. Once again, she was standing too close for Cloud's comfort, and he was trying desperately to convince himself that it wasn't affecting him.

Just then his phone started ringing. He snatched at the excuse to step away from her.

"Hello?"

"Cloud? Where are you?" Denzel's voice sounded ever higher and more innocent over the phone.

"I'm working, Denzel. I thought Tifa told you. It's really not a good time." He avoided the daggers shooting from Aria's eyes.

"Oh. Well... Tifa's not here."

"Ok… well I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"Yeah but Marlene's gone, too, and they didn't even tell me anything. They were gone when I woke up this morning."

Cloud sighed. "They probably went for a walk or something, Denzel. I just talked to Tifa last night. I'm sure everything's fine, and there's really nothing I can do from the other side of the continent."

"What if they don't come back?" Denzel whined.

"Look, if they're not back in an hour, call Barret. Until then, just relax. I'm sure they're fine." Aria stepped in front of him, arms crossed. "I really have to go now. Bye."

The second he hung up, Aria snatched the phone from his hand and chucked it behind the couch.

"Hey!" Cloud started toward the couch, but Aria stopped him with a hand on his chest.

She stepped in front of him, but her hand remained where it was. "No phones. It's a rule I have for all my guards. You're supposed to be protecting me, and I can't have you distracted with personal calls."

Cloud really tried to be reasonable, but he hated not having his phone. He had cut himself off from the people he cared about for far too long, and he had made a promise never to do it again. "What if I need to reach one of the other guards? What if there's an emergency?"

Aria waved off his protests. "Giles will give you an earpiece. You'll be in communication the entire time."

It's only for a day. It's not like I'm running off again.

Aria interrupted his thoughts. "Now come back up to the suite with me. The limo will be arriving to pick us up within 30 minutes." She began walking away, clearly assuming that he would follow without question.

Cloud scowled and trailed behind her as she stepped out into the hall. He was grouchy and in the mood to complain. "My swords are going to look really stupid with this suit," he said, sulking.

Aria laughed. "Uh, no. You're not carrying your swords tonight."

He stopped walking. "How the hell am I supposed to protect you if I don't have my swords?"

Aria turned around and sauntered back to him. She ran her hands slowly up his muscular arms, over his shoulders, up his neck, and into the back of his hair. Cloud shivered involuntarily, and she gave him a sultry smile. "Are you telling me that you're not strong enough to protect me with your bare..." she paused and tugged at the strands, breathing on his lips, "...hands?"

Cloud tried to get his traitorous mind to clear. "Uh, no, I can... I mean, yeah..."

"Good," Aria said crisply, "then there's no problem." Abruptly, she spun on her heel and began walking again.

Cloud let out the breath he'd been holding. This girl was going to drive him mad before the night was over. He shook his head and followed her back to the suite.

The long black limo slowed down as it reached the crowd. Cloud bounced his knee nervously. Aria put her hand on it, stopping him. "Cloud, just relax. You don't have to do anything tonight but smile and look pretty. You will be no one of consequence, just a random guy escorting me to the party, ok?"

Cloud nodded and braced himself as the driver opened the door to let them out. Immediately he was overwhelmed with camera flashes. A voice crackled in his ear. "Cloud, you have to keep your eyes open. And for Gaia's sake, quit looking so uptight and try to smile."

Great. So not only security on the line, but her entire team nagging him through the night. Aria waved and greeted all her fans, touched a few outstretched hands as they passed, laughed at some comment, and blew a kiss. Cloud strolled along beside her like a docile pet monkey. Finally, they made it to the front door of the enormous mansion and were escorted inside by identically suited doormen.

Cloud felt like he'd entered another planet. A crisply dressed waiter walked over with a tray of champagne glasses, but he stared straight ahead, never even looking at the couple. Aria gave Cloud a pointed look.

Oh! Am I supposed to buy her one?

He started to reach in his pocket, wondering how much it would cost in a place like this and whether he even had enough in his wallet.

An annoyed voice crackled in his ear. "You don't need money, Strife. Just take one for Aria and one for you."

He was startled to realize how closely they must be watching, if they'd noticed him reaching in his pocket. Perhaps her security was more professional than he gave them credit for.

A quiet groan came through the earpiece. "Gaia, this is going to be a long night. Why couldn't she just hire an actor or something?"

…or perhaps not.

He may not have been much of an actor, but he was an expert in hiding his emotions. His stoic mask didn't even flicker as he took two glasses and handed one to Aria. The waiter promptly turned and walked away.

Aria took a sip of hers as Cloud stood there, staring at his glass. She leaned over to his ear. "It's a beverage, Cloud. You put it in your mouth and swallow it. Really not that difficult."

Cloud scowled at her, speaking just as quietly. "Aria, I'm working. I'm not going to drink tonight." Truthfully, it took a lot of alcohol to have any noticeable effect on him, but it was about the principle.

Aria smiled serenely and murmured back. "And as your employer, I say it's part of your job tonight. It'll help you loosen up."

He frowned and set the drink down on a table. "No. It's unprofessional. If something happens tonight and I'm not a hundred percent—"

She let out a frustrated sigh and shushed him with a finger to his lips. "Fine, then at least pretend, ok?"

Cloud closed his mouth and picked up the champagne. He could manage to carry around a glass all night.

For the next few hours, he was able to trail her around the party while she chatted with the socialites. He kept his eyes moving, watching for anything suspicious. There was press swarming around with cameras and celebrities greeting Aria warmly, but he ignored them and kept his mind on the job. True to her word, he wasn't expected to talk much, which was a good thing, because he was sure he would have made a fool of himself if he tried. But as the night wore on, Aria became more boisterous and touchy, and he had to focus more and more of his attention on keeping her steady and evading her roving hands.

The second time he caught her after she tripped, Cloud spoke into her ear. "Aria, you're having trouble walking. I think you've had enough to drink."

She glared at him. "Don't be stupid. I'm fine. It's these stupid heels that are the problem." She lifted one foot and peeled off the strap, and Cloud grabbed her as she lost her balance. "Oops," she giggled. Leaning heavily on his arm, she tried again, successfully pulling off the heel. Unsteadily pulling off the other strap and wiggling her foot out, she tossed the shoes to the side. "There. All better."

The other guests were also growing bolder as the champagne flowed. In the beginning, there were polite questions about her companion, and her polite response that he was just a friend. Into about the fourth hour of the party, an older woman covered with expensive jewelry draped her arm around Cloud's shoulder, startling him back to his immediate surroundings. "Aria," she drawled. "Who is this beautiful man you brought with you? Is he on the market?"

Aria looked annoyed as she pushed her arm off his shoulder. "No, Gentiana, he's not. This is Cl..ay. He's my boyfriend." Cloud noticed a subtle quieting of the people around them. Everyone seemed to be listening in.

Gentiana's eyes grew wide. "Really? Amazing that you managed to keep it out of the tabloids! How long has it been?"

Aria smiled and stroked his cheek. "Oh, not long." She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. Cloud smiled tightly and leaned back, thinking that was the end of it, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeper. Her tongue snaked into his mouth, making him temporarily freeze as instinct battled with professionalism.

Nikki's resigned voice crackled in his ear. "Well, she announced it, so now you've got to sell it, Cloud."

Snapping out of his stupor, Cloud slipped his arms around her and leaned into it, kissing her back. Aria responded with a gentle moan and pressed her body against his. There was an audible gasp from the people surrounding them.

"Whoa! Cloud, it's sold! It's sold! Damn, back off, man!" Cloud winced at the voice cursing in his ear and gently pulled Aria away. She smiled lazily and leaned against his chest, ignoring all the people around them. Nikki's voice filled his ear again. "I think it's time to get her out of there, Cloud."

He stroked her cheek and leaned his head down, using the motion to get the speaker in his sleeve in front of his mouth.

"Leave now?" he murmured. "You know what it will look like if we leave right after that?"

"It can't look any worse," Nikki growled. "It looked like you were ready to get it on in the middle of the ballroom!"

He sighed and dropped his arm. It would be a relief to him anyway. "Want to get out of here?" he asked Aria.

She gazed up at him, her lips curving into a smirk. "Oh, yes." When she didn't move, he nudged her upright. She seemed to come back to herself and looked around at the bystanders. "Well, we're going to call it a night," she announced. "Thank you for a lovely evening." She made her rounds, slightly unsteady, saying the appropriate things to the appropriate people. Finally, he steered her out of the grand entryway, through the front door, down the red carpet, and into the waiting limo.

As soon as they were safely inside, he slumped into the seat. "God, that was exhausting."

Aria giggled as the limo started moving. "Aww, it wasn't that bad. You certainly made an impression though."

He frowned at her. "It really wasn't funny."

She laughed harder, slumping against his side. "It was hilarious, Cloud! You should've seen your face! Don't pretend you didn't like it."

Well, there were certain parts that were more enjoyable than others...

He scowled, irritated at the intrusive thoughts. "Why did you tell them I was your boyfriend, anyway? I thought I was just a friend."

Aria didn't seem concerned. "Oh, that. I just didn't want Gentiana to be hanging all over you all night. Only I get to do that tonight." She gave him a wicked smile that belied her casual tone.

To distract himself from that train of thought, and to put some space between them, he leaned forward to open the cooler and pulled out a couple of bottles of water, handing them to Aria. "Here, drink these. You're going to feel like ass tomorrow."

She continued giggling as she cracked open the first bottle and drank obediently. Cloud leaned his head against the seat and closed his eyes. He was never, ever taking a job like this again.

At first, the only thing Tifa was aware of was the pounding in her head. Anything else seemed like too much effort. But before long, nausea started competing for her attention. She tried to put her arms around her stomach, but they refused to cooperate. Instead, she leaned forward and splattered the floor with vomit.

"Well hey, look who's awake." The voice drilled into her head and she cringed away from it. She felt someone grab her chin and hold her head up. She groaned, unable to open her eyes against the bright light. "Mm, I bet you feel like hell right now. I bet you would kill for a potion."

Tifa tried to speak, but nothing came out. She licked her lips, trying to get some saliva to moisten her mouth. She tried again, and a hoarse whisper came out. "Yes, please. Potion."

Several voices in the room laughed. The hand holding up her head dropped it, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.

The next time she was aware, Tifa's head was a little clearer. Whatever they'd used to dose her after the chloroform seemed to be wearing off, but she had no idea how long she had been out. What had they done with Marlene while she sat there uselessly? She tried to get a feel for her surroundings before opening her eyes. Her arms and shoulders hurt like hell. Random sounds floated by, but she couldn't make sense of anything around her. She cracked open her eyes. Seeing no one in front of her, she gently tilted her head up. Her arms were above her head. There were metal cuffs around her wrists, chaining her to the wall.

She eased her head down to look below her. Her ankles were cuffed also, but at the moment they weren't pulling at her, so they were okay. With an effort, she got her feet underneath her and pushed herself up. The pressure on her arms eased up, but it was followed by a jolt of pain so intense that she couldn't stifle the cry. She tried to let herself back down, but it just got worse. Pain coursed up and down her arms and she bit down on her lip, trying to stay quiet. Tifa had taken some good knocks in her life, but this pain was intense and immediate.

She had drawn the attention of the occupants of the room. Incomprehensible sounds swirled around her as she fought for control of her body. Getting her feet under her again, she was able to struggle to a standing position, which allowed her to lower her arms somewhat. The blood that had been denied to them was rushing painfully back in. She focused on breathing in and out, willing the pain to stop. She felt a slap to her face that barely registered, and it was then that she realized that three men were standing in front of her, talking to her. With a supreme effort, she made some of the sounds into coherent words that she could understand.

"..Barret? Where is … damn it, answer me!" He struck her again, her head flopping uselessly to the side. She felt like a ragdoll, and staying on her feet was about all the control she could handle.

"That's enough for now," said a calm, cultured voice.

The first voice protested, but was quickly shut down by the calm voice again. "I said for now. She's barely coherent. We'll come back later, when she can more fully enjoy it."

Tifa kept her eyes closed, praying they would leave her alone. She heard them move away and turned all her concentration back to continuing to breathe.

The hours seemed endless, but at some point, she had managed to prop herself up in a position that wasn't unbearable and had lapsed into unconsciousness again. Fingers squeezing painfully on her face brought her back with a moan. She opened her eyes to the now-familiar stringy mustache – Jace, they had called him. The rest of his face looked drastically different, however. There were several brightly colored bulges on his jaw, and he was sporting a spectacular black eye and tape on his nose, swollen to a comical size. She smiled drunkenly, recognizing her handiwork.

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, steadying her wobbling head, which just gave her a better view. A laugh that she couldn't control bubbled up. "What's so funny?"

She giggled madly and finally managed to spit out, "You look like you got beat up by a girl."

The other two men in the room roared with laughter. He turned around and swore at them. "Oh shut up!" He looked back at the woman who should have been entirely at his mercy, but was actually laughing at him. He smirked at her. "You think that's funny? Wanna hear something even funnier?" He cranked back his arm and punched her in the mouth.

Tifa had no way to protect herself. She couldn't move, couldn't block or shield herself. With her head against the wall, the shock of it bounced all the way through her body. Suddenly sobered, the last of the cobwebs cleared from her head. She tasted the rush of blood in her mouth and spit it out, angry at herself for her lapse of control.

Jace looked immensely proud of himself. He also looked like he was winding up to do it again.

"What do you want?" Tifa demanded, trying to stave off another hit.

"Oh, just to make your face as pretty as mine." Jace grinned maniacally. Tifa was afraid she had pushed him too far already.

"No." The bald man with the calm voice stepped forward, putting a hand on Jace's arm. "That's not what we want." Jace glared at him, but backed down. "We want to know about your friend Barret."

Tifa kept her face carefully blank. "I don't have any friends by that name."

The bald man raised an eyebrow. "In your position, it would be very unwise to lie to me. But I'm feeling generous. Let me give you one more chance."

Tifa stuck out her chin defiantly. "I don't know anyone named Barret!"

He sighed and signaled to Jace, who happily delivered a blow to her solar plexus. She gasped, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying out.

The bald man steepled his fingers under his chin and walked back and forth calmly in front of her. "Ms. Lockhart, let me give you a short history lesson. The Lupidius family has a very profitable business model operation in Wutai. This particular business has a rather limited clientele base. Historically that has not been a problem because our clients are extremely – shall we say – dedicated to our product. But recently, sales have dropped quite sharply. Sources tell me that the market has been invaded by a man with a gun grafted onto his arm. Now, how many people do you think have that peculiar feature?"

He turned to her expectantly. Staring back blandly, Tifa said, "Is that even possible?"

The bald man made a slight motion to Jace with his finger. Tifa felt pain pulsing through her cheek as her head whipped to the side. Baldy squatted down in front of her as she gasped. Fresh blood dripped from her mouth, splattering his shiny black shoes.

"Ms. Lockhart. I really don't enjoy watching you go through this."

Jace snorted, and Tifa silently agreed.

Baldy gently tilted her chin up with a finger until her eyes met his. "There's no reason for you to suffer because your "friend" was foolish and careless. Just tell us how to find him and this will all be over."

Tifa stared at him passively. His attempt at playing 'Good Cop' wasn't very convincing, since he was the one to give the go-ahead for every hit. Her body ached to strike out at him, but she'd already tested the thick chains. They weren't going anywhere. Her mouth was filling with blood again. She spit it in his face.

Baldy's eye twitched, but he calmly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face.

Jace stepped forward, obviously itching to hit her again. "Michael, you're not gonna get through to her like that. There's no point trying to reason with her. Pain is the only thing she'll understand."

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps you're right, Jace. Why don't you try jogging her memory? I'll be back later." He strode towards the door, calm and controlled as ever. "Oh, and Jace? Use the knuckles."

Jace looked like a kid at Christmas.