Rude entered the apartment first, Reno following closely after. Once they had arrived in the living room, Rufus sat down at the bar.
Reno nearly hit the ceiling upon seeing Tifa sitting on the couch. "I thought she was handcuffed in the conference room? How long has she been here without a security detail, boss?"
Rude chuckled behind his fist, trying to disguise it as a cough.
Tifa's eyebrows furrowed. "Do I know you?"
Reno's lips drew back in a thin line. "Well we did spend about an hour or two of quality time together yesterday when I carried your unconscious ass up 55 flights of stairs."
Tifa blinked. "Oh, so that's how I got up here. Kudos to you; your legs are probably sore today, huh? Sorry about that."
Not expecting that response, Reno turned his head and stayed silent, trying not to pout.
"Tifa, this is Reno and Rude, my Turk security detail. They are going to help us set up your new identity, your history, and your credentials." Rufus said as Rude handed him a file folder.
"We need to create a new city ID badge, a new passport, anything that requires her picture." Rude said quietly.
Everyone joined Rufus at the bar to discuss the details. After about forty-five minutes of debate and Rude taking notes, they seemed to be making progress.
Rufus began weaving the false past. "Alright, so your name will be Tiffany Duciel, but of course, we will still call you Tifa as your 'nick-name'. This will ensure that you always answer when someone is speaking to you. You grew up in Costa del Sol; your parents, Roger and Celeste, came from old money, still making royalties off land that was sold to the people who built the Golden Saucer long ago. They tended not to play the social game, and instead traveled all over the world. Unfortunately, they were assumed killed during the events of the Nibelheim disaster, though their bodies where never recovered."
Tifa chewed on her lip, but said nothing in response. She didn't mention that her father actually had lost his life that day. But it only strengthened her resolve, as it would make it easier to play the part if she were asked about it.
Noting her demeanor change, Rufus continued. "You were in school when they disappeared, and you were given charge of their affairs when you turned 18, and since then, you have followed in their footsteps, staying out of the ring of society for the most part, finished up school, and are just starting to travel. Don't be surprised if someone tells you that they believe that they remember your parents, many social climbers do this to gain your trust and seem more familiar."
Tifa quirked an eyebrow, but bid Rufus to finish.
"Reno and Rude will make the necessary additions to Nibelheim and North Corel's files, as well as the files here at HQ on those events. It's been done before, and Rude has perfected the art of changing history on paper." Rufus sat back and crossed his arms, trying to judge Tifa's thoughts.
She nodded and looked around at their small group. "I think all the technicalities are taken care of. My past is accounted for, but how about my present? How did we meet?"
Reno rolled his eyes. "Don't ya remember? You two met at the Midgar Charity Gala the night before last. No debutant will remember the bartender, but they will remember that Rufus Shinra did go missing fairly early from the party."
"Geez, people really care about every detail of your life like that?" Tifa queried.
Rufus chuckled. "My father has kept me hidden, so if I'm spotted at a function like that, there are usually a lot of people who notice. Plus it was rather rude of me to disappear like that without at least thanking the host for his hospitality…"
Tifa blushed sheepishly. "Ok, ok, I get it." She looked over at Rude. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Rude straightened up at being addressed by the young woman, but stayed silent.
Reno laughed while Rufus smirked behind his fist. The red haired Turk nodded. "Yeah, the big guy doesn't say a lot, but he's also a little extra shy around the ladies."
Rude glared at Reno from behind his sunglasses.
Rufus clapped his hands together. "Alright, Rude, Reno, you two are on records duty. Get to it; report back to me by 5pm with your progress. Tifa and I will be shopping for her new wardrobe."
The Turks nodded and stood up, about to head out the door when Reno turned around. "Oh, almost forgot, we need a picture to put on all your IDs." He took a small camera out of his pocket.
Tifa ran her hand through her hair and stood against one of the bare white walls.
Reno aimed the camera, mumbling "Say cheese!" He snapped a couple of pictures, front and side profiles. "Good to go."
Rufus closed the door behind them. "I'm going to get dressed, and then we'll be on our way."
Tifa nodded and headed back to the kitchen to clean up. It was a lot to take in, a brand new life to portray to the elite of Midgar. She washed both the plates and dried them, then turned her attention to the frying pan.
She really hadn't given much thought to the actual relationship part of the deal. Could they really pull off air of good chemistry between the two of them? Tifa couldn't deny that she found Rufus to be quite handsome. Something about his eyes just drew her in. But it was also going to be a little bit difficult to shake the feeling of slight distrust, considering he was the son of her faction's sworn enemy.
She was shaken from her thoughts when a voice whispered in her ear, "Are you read to go?" Resisting the urge to swing the frying pan in her right hand, she turned to see Rufus adjusting the wrist cuffs on his jacket.
He took the frying pan from her hand slowly and chuckled. "Don't be so jittery."
"Well, don't sneak up on me." She said, crossing her arms.
"Duly noted. I will not sneak up on an unsuspecting black belt, especially with a frying pan in her hand. We really should be on our way." He put the pan back in the cupboard. "By the way, you didn't have to clean up; the housekeeper should be by before lunch time."
Tifa started to follow him out the door. "Well, I am a guest; it is considered courteous to clean up after oneself, is it not?"
Rufus laughed. "Are you practicing your elitist dialogue? Well done. You'll do just fine speaking with all the puffed up airheads."
Tifa grinned. "I actually was just copying you, but if the shoe fits…"
Rufus stopped short and turned his head to look at her, a smirk played across his face. "Oh, now you think you're amusing, don't you? "
She continued grinning and clasped her hands behind her back. "My dear Rufus, I know I'm amusing."
He pressed the call button for the elevator and shook his head. "We'll see how amusing really you are when you're under pressure."
"Wow, your bruise is healing up fast. I can barely see it." Tifa noted, genuinely surprised at its disappearance.
"I've always been a quick healer; besides, it wasn't as bad as it looked."
The doors opened, and he beckoned for her to board first as he followed her in and pressed ground floor button. "We're going to visit a few shops on the upper plate; hopefully they'll have what we're looking for."
Tifa watched the city from the glass of the elevator. The sun barely shone through the haze, but from their current height, it was the brightest she'd seen it from anywhere inside city limits. The further they descended, the dimmer the light became. It was almost as if they were being swallowed by the atmosphere of the metropolis itself. "And what exactly are we looking for?"
"We're looking for tasteful clothes that will get you noticed. The more my father hears about you being seen with me, the more he'll want to meet you." Rufus said. He was leaning against the glass with his arms crossed over his chest, uninterested at all in the view the elevator provided.
Once on the ground floor, Rufus directed Tifa to a side entrance where a car was waiting for them. The driver opened the door for them and they both slid into the back seat.
Tifa looked out the window. "I've never shopped on the upper plate before."
"I wouldn't have assumed you have, considering there aren't any armor or equipment shops there." He replied indifferently.
She rolled her eyes and cut him a sidelong glare. "Just so you're aware, I may be part of a fighting rebel group, but I am still a woman. At one time I did have a lot of pretty things. My family may not have been rich, so to speak, but we lived comfortably." She rested her chin on her fist, looking out the window again.
Suddenly aware that he'd touched a nerve, Rufus held his tongue, expecting her to continue her story, but she remained silent after that. Apparently he'd touched a big nerve. Choosing to let that topic fade, he decided to start a fresh conversation. "Have you reported to your friends? I know you spoke with them last night, but that seemed a bit swift."
She sighed and he could see her eyebrows furrow in the reflection of the tinted window. "I tried calling Cloud this morning, but I only got his answering service. Either he's upset with me or he's still asleep."
Rufus looked at his watch. "Well, judging by the day he'd probably had, I'd put my money on the latter. It is only 9am, and if he was up last night worrying about you after trekking across the countryside the whole day, he's probably in a bit of a coma at the moment."
Tifa turned her head to him and smiled. "Wow, you've got his personality down. How could you possibly know that about him?"
"I did a little research on him yesterday while you were sleeping. I see you two have more history than you let on."
Her smile faded as she looked at him and she slowly faced forward.
He could hardly contain his puzzlement, he'd expected her fiery wit to smite at him again, but she said nothing. Apparently he'd found another nerve. "I take it you two aren't as close as you'd like though." Her additional silence only served to answer his question. "I see." He made a mental note about those two topics and filed them away for later conversation. She wasn't comfortable speaking about them now, clearly. He decided to keep his mouth shut lest he stumble over some other emotional baggage she seemed to harbor.
Tifa turned to him again but this time she had a rather angry look on her face. "Did you dig up any interesting dirt on me or my friends? I hardly think that's fair, you don't have any records that I can search up."
He chuckled lightly. "Is that what you're upset about? Come now, I had to know what I was getting into before I proposed this deal to you. I simply wanted to confirm your intentions. And besides, anything you'd like to know about me, all you need do is ask. I have nothing I need to hide from you."
The anger seemed to dissipate for the moment. "I'll make a list of questions then." She said quietly, still lost in thought.
They soon arrived at a large shop and Tifa was floored when they entered the doors. It was beautiful. Gorgeous dresses, ranging in styles from casual to VIP formal, adorned mannequins along the walls.
As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by a very tall man in a very expensive looking suit. "Sir, ma'am, what can I help you find today?"
Rufus smiled at the salesman. "My lady friend here is new to Midgar and is in dire need of a new wardrobe. I'm also hoping to get her fitted for a custom made formal dress. Is the tailor in?"
The salesman nodded. "But of course. We'll get her all measured and once we have her sized, we can start from there. Ma'am, would you please follow me? Sir, there is an espresso machine in the lounge if you'd care to wait there while we get her fixed up?"
Tifa followed the man to the back of the store where a striking middle aged woman with reading glasses perched precariously on the tip of her nose was laying fabric on a workbench.
"This is the tailor. She will take your measurements and bring you back out on the floor when she is finished." The salesman motioned for Tifa to walk over to a stepstool stationed in front of a full length mirror, then whispered something in the tailor's ear before removing himself from the room.
"Oh wow, you have awesome proportions! Most of the girls that come in here are skinny wretches who don't eat. It's hard to enhance a woman's curves when the woman doesn't have any. Oh, and such toned arms! The designer and I will have fun creating a dress for you!" The woman walked over to Tifa with a fabric tape measure.
"Uh, thanks I guess." Tifa said with a smile.
"No, thank you for coming in, he'll be grateful for a real model to design for!" The woman exclaimed as she started wrapping the tape measure around various parts of Tifa's anatomy and hastily scribbling down the measurements. "Do you mind if I take your picture, for the designer to look at?"
"Um, sure. Whatever helps." Tifa had never really been in this particular situation before, and had never had clothing made especially for her. She also wasn't used to strangers complimenting her shape.
The woman took photos from many different angles and smiled at Tifa. "Awesome, do you have a favorite color?"
Tifa shrugged. "I do like blue, like ocean and sky blue."
The tailor nodded. "Great, those colors will look perfect with your skin tone. I think we're all done, I'll give your measurements to our floor manager and he'll help you get started on a creating a new look, and the designer and I will get started on a custom dress made just for you!"
Before long, Tifa was trying on different outfits and modeling them as Rufus and the salesman discussed different types of events that she would need ensembles for. She felt amazing, the salesman was an expert at finding clothing that complimented her shape, and she loved almost everything he'd picked out. She was a little overwhelmed by all the attention, and even more so that none of the articles of clothing had any price tags on them. She almost feared going to the register with Rufus.
Rufus leaned against the counter as the salesman rung up their haul. "All right sir, your total is 20,500 gil. Will that be on credit?"
Tifa had to physically hold her jaw closed by covering her mouth with her hand. That was more money than she made at 7th Heaven in six months.
Rufus nodded and nonchalantly handed him a credit card. And just like that, the purchase was complete. He looked at Tifa. "Alright, we have your clothes, now all you need is shoes and jewelry."
Tifa felt giddy and faint. They weren't done? He was going to spend even more money?
"Don't look so surprised. There are people in this city who spend this kind of money every day, and for much less important things. Come on, on to the next store." He gave her a grin.
Cloud stared up at the ceiling from Tifa's bed. His head pounded a bit from a slight hangover caused by his intake the night before. It definitely didn't help his mood. Slowly, he sat up and glanced at the bedside clock. 10:30am. "Damn, that's later that I wanted to sleep. I hope Tifa hasn't tried to call…"
He flipped open his PHS to see that he did indeed have a missed call. His heart sank. He checked his answering service, praying that she was alright and that she wasn't in dire need of rescuing.
Tifa's cheery voice floated from the phone. "Hey Cloud, it's Tifa, just checking in, wanted to make sure you knew I was still alive since we last talked last night. Sorry I was so hasty in trying to explain everything to you, but this is a massive opportunity. Please don't worry about me, I can handle this. I'll let you know if I start to have any issues. Keep an eye on Barrett for me. I'll call back soon."
Cloud's brow furrowed. He hoped she was right, that she could handle this. But at least she was safe for now, she sounded upbeat, almost excited about something.
He stood up and stretched, scratching the back of his head. He wondered if he'd be able to get Barrett to lay low for the time being.
A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, l had been doing pretty good at the update a week thing, but last week I was out of town on business and my hotel didn't have free wifi. This chapter is a bit 'filler-y' but I wanted to capture some of the preparation and how far Rufus is going so far to get Tifa primed for their scheme. I have some interesting plans coming up, don't worry! I hope you guys like longer stories! I'm still working on pacing, and am still working on detail; hopefully those improvements are showing through in my writing. Don't be afraid to tell me if you don't like something, I like constructive criticism! Of course I enjoy hearing about the things you like as well. Until next time!