Keep you're friends close, and you're
enemies closer….
A small bird was singing. Tifa opened her eyes and stared at the bird, which was perched on the tabletop.
'Hiya, little guy, you don't see many birds, since they put the plate up….'
Suddenly Tifa looked around. The door to the bar was open, sending a chill throughout the bar. The place was in the same state as it had been the night before.
'I, must have fallen asleep'
She tried to get up and felt a pain in her back, from being slumped against the cabinet all night. Tifa caught sight of herself in the mirror behind the bar and stopped. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was sticking up in places she didn't know it could and her face was puffy and tear stained.
' Great, I look like a mad woman'
She stalked over to the door and banged it shut, locking it behind her. After turning around and surveying the mess, She started toward the nearest table, trying to tackle the grime that had gathered on it.
… An hour later when the bar was back to Normal, She decided to make herself respectable looking and go visit Barrett and ask him about Cloud and Rufus, and what to do.
' C'mon Marlene, you got school, go up and change or you'll be late'
Tifa looked in the window of Barrett's home and smiled. He looked so much different when he was around Marlene, not so…macho. She knocked softly on the door
'Who's there?'
'Barrett, It's me Tifa, if I came at the wrong time I could leave'
'Nah, Marlene jus GOIN UPSTAIRS TO CHANGE NOW!!!'
Tifa heard Marlene giggle and run up the stairs. Barrett approached the door cautiously and unlocked it, letting Tifa inside the small, dirty house in the slums he called home.
'Tifa, you ok, you usually.. Well, actually you never call this early'
Tifa smiled and walked inside the house.
'Barrett, Rufus arrived at the bar last night.'
Barrett whistled.
'Cloud showed up, right?'
Tifa nodded.
'Him and Rufus shot words at each other, and then.. He left, came back and got pissed off, and it's all..a mess'
'Well, you can wait here if you want, but I gotta bring Marlene to school.'
'Can I bring her?'
Tifa watched Marlene come thundering down the stairs and run over to Barrett.
'Daddy, is Tifa gonna bring me to school?'
Barrett smiled at Tifa and mouthed 'are you ok?' When Tifa nodded he looked down at Marlene and smiled.
'Sure she is, you two better leave now, you know she gotta get a train there.'
Tifa nodded at Barrett.
'I'll mind her on the train'
'You damn better!'
Tifa had to laugh at Barrett's concern for Marlene. Barrett knew she would, he knew that the minute she had moved to Midgar, she had taken self defence… and several other martial arts classes.
Marlene grabbed Tifa's hand and held on tightly the moment they stepped on the train. Tifa smiled and began to ask Marlene about school, how she was getting on.. When suddenly the train lurched and she found herself being thrown onto someone's lap.
'Hey!'
Tifa gasped. She recognised that voice. She pulled the small baseball cap that had been covering the persons face and smiled when she noticed Rufus's eyes.
'Looks like I really am you're knight in Shining armour'
Tifa blushed and jumped off his lap, still clutching Marlene. Rufus smiled at Marlene and looked back at Tifa.
'She you're sister?'
Marlene giggled nervously, and Tifa found herself doing the same.
'No, she's my friends daughter, I'm helping him out.'
Rufus's eyes widened.
'That's really nice of you'
Tifa gave him her brightest smile, after all she thought, we'll just see if I'm a pawn in his and Clouds little war game.
'I have to get off now, maybe I'll see you tonight, I'll try not to drown myself'
Rufus laughed.
'I might pop in to say hi, just one thing, I'm sorry about Cloud and myself creating a bit of a scene, Next time I see him I'll call a truce or somthin, ok?'
Tifa nodded, knowing that Cloud's pride wouldn't let him call a truce.
'Goodbye, Rufus.'
Rufus grinned.
'Goodbye, Aah it's Tifa'
Tifa giggled and stepped off the train. She felt Marlene pull on her hand.
'Tifa, who was that man? Was he you're boyfriend? I thought Cloud was you're boyfriend'
Tifa sighed and watched the train disappear from view
'So did I'
********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********
'Come on in, two for one special'
'Hey, sweetie, you need a new dress? I got lots of 'em?'
Tifa stopped and stared at all the people in Wall Street. She knew it was busy for preparations for the New Year, but still, she never expected it to be this busy. She jumped out of the way of a carriage and caught sight of the shop she wanted to go to. She scurried over and smiled at Mr. Folens, the owner of the shop.
'Sup, Tifa, why you hear, it ain't Saturday?'
Mr. Folens, a stout balding man in his fifties sold the finest material that money could buy. Tifa often popped by for some little cloths every Saturday, knowing they would usually be ruined by Monday, as she used them in the pub.
'Ah, hi. Mr.Folens, I was wonderin, you got any silk or velvet?'
Mr.Folens smiled.
'That's like askin you're friend Cloud has he gotta sword.'
Tifa smiled and watched him limp behind the counter and pull out several rolls of velvet and silk, in different colours.
'I can make you a dress for 100 gil, or I can give you the material for your own purpose, 2gil per yard.'
Tifa quickly calculated it would cost more to get it customised, but she DID have a thousand gil to spare…
'I'd like a customised dress, in the deep red velvet.'
Mr Folens stood up and walked around with the roll, grumbling 'Might fine choice' to himself.
'This is what it looks like, if you still sure, you better give me you're measurements'
Tifa told him her measurements, smiling as she thought of Clouds face when she and Rufus were out together, her in this dream dress. Of course, Rufus still had to ask her out…
'You need it any specific time? I could have it ready in about three days'
Tifa nodded.
'Three days is fine for me, just in time for the new year, thank you Mr. Folens'
Mr. Folens smiled.
'We like family, Tifa, call me George'
Tifa smiled.
Thanks, George'
'No problem'
Tifa stepped away from the counter as Mr. Folens busied himself with another customer. She walked out and hurried away from Wall Street, as the bar opened in an hour, she only had an hour to…freshen up.
The bar was as busy as ever. Tifa pretended to be interested in what the man at the counter was telling her, but every few minutes her eyes would dart towards the door.
'..See what I'm sayin? Shit! you lisssenin to me?'
Tifa nodded absently.
'Hmm?? Yeah, sure'
'If Shin..Shinra gots demselves a.a.a pilot asss good assss Me.?'
Tifa giggled, the man was hopelessly drunk, she was gonna have to refuse his next order. Suddenly, the bar door burst open and a young boy about fourteen stepped in. Everyone looked over at the boy, who was out of breath and wide eyed.
'Som..Someone is fighting Rufus Shinra'
These words caused every single man to jump up out of their seat and head toward the door. Tifa's heart leaped to her throat. Cloud, he wouldn't…would he???
A small bird was singing. Tifa opened her eyes and stared at the bird, which was perched on the tabletop.
'Hiya, little guy, you don't see many birds, since they put the plate up….'
Suddenly Tifa looked around. The door to the bar was open, sending a chill throughout the bar. The place was in the same state as it had been the night before.
'I, must have fallen asleep'
She tried to get up and felt a pain in her back, from being slumped against the cabinet all night. Tifa caught sight of herself in the mirror behind the bar and stopped. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair was sticking up in places she didn't know it could and her face was puffy and tear stained.
' Great, I look like a mad woman'
She stalked over to the door and banged it shut, locking it behind her. After turning around and surveying the mess, She started toward the nearest table, trying to tackle the grime that had gathered on it.
… An hour later when the bar was back to Normal, She decided to make herself respectable looking and go visit Barrett and ask him about Cloud and Rufus, and what to do.
' C'mon Marlene, you got school, go up and change or you'll be late'
Tifa looked in the window of Barrett's home and smiled. He looked so much different when he was around Marlene, not so…macho. She knocked softly on the door
'Who's there?'
'Barrett, It's me Tifa, if I came at the wrong time I could leave'
'Nah, Marlene jus GOIN UPSTAIRS TO CHANGE NOW!!!'
Tifa heard Marlene giggle and run up the stairs. Barrett approached the door cautiously and unlocked it, letting Tifa inside the small, dirty house in the slums he called home.
'Tifa, you ok, you usually.. Well, actually you never call this early'
Tifa smiled and walked inside the house.
'Barrett, Rufus arrived at the bar last night.'
Barrett whistled.
'Cloud showed up, right?'
Tifa nodded.
'Him and Rufus shot words at each other, and then.. He left, came back and got pissed off, and it's all..a mess'
'Well, you can wait here if you want, but I gotta bring Marlene to school.'
'Can I bring her?'
Tifa watched Marlene come thundering down the stairs and run over to Barrett.
'Daddy, is Tifa gonna bring me to school?'
Barrett smiled at Tifa and mouthed 'are you ok?' When Tifa nodded he looked down at Marlene and smiled.
'Sure she is, you two better leave now, you know she gotta get a train there.'
Tifa nodded at Barrett.
'I'll mind her on the train'
'You damn better!'
Tifa had to laugh at Barrett's concern for Marlene. Barrett knew she would, he knew that the minute she had moved to Midgar, she had taken self defence… and several other martial arts classes.
Marlene grabbed Tifa's hand and held on tightly the moment they stepped on the train. Tifa smiled and began to ask Marlene about school, how she was getting on.. When suddenly the train lurched and she found herself being thrown onto someone's lap.
'Hey!'
Tifa gasped. She recognised that voice. She pulled the small baseball cap that had been covering the persons face and smiled when she noticed Rufus's eyes.
'Looks like I really am you're knight in Shining armour'
Tifa blushed and jumped off his lap, still clutching Marlene. Rufus smiled at Marlene and looked back at Tifa.
'She you're sister?'
Marlene giggled nervously, and Tifa found herself doing the same.
'No, she's my friends daughter, I'm helping him out.'
Rufus's eyes widened.
'That's really nice of you'
Tifa gave him her brightest smile, after all she thought, we'll just see if I'm a pawn in his and Clouds little war game.
'I have to get off now, maybe I'll see you tonight, I'll try not to drown myself'
Rufus laughed.
'I might pop in to say hi, just one thing, I'm sorry about Cloud and myself creating a bit of a scene, Next time I see him I'll call a truce or somthin, ok?'
Tifa nodded, knowing that Cloud's pride wouldn't let him call a truce.
'Goodbye, Rufus.'
Rufus grinned.
'Goodbye, Aah it's Tifa'
Tifa giggled and stepped off the train. She felt Marlene pull on her hand.
'Tifa, who was that man? Was he you're boyfriend? I thought Cloud was you're boyfriend'
Tifa sighed and watched the train disappear from view
'So did I'
********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *********
'Come on in, two for one special'
'Hey, sweetie, you need a new dress? I got lots of 'em?'
Tifa stopped and stared at all the people in Wall Street. She knew it was busy for preparations for the New Year, but still, she never expected it to be this busy. She jumped out of the way of a carriage and caught sight of the shop she wanted to go to. She scurried over and smiled at Mr. Folens, the owner of the shop.
'Sup, Tifa, why you hear, it ain't Saturday?'
Mr. Folens, a stout balding man in his fifties sold the finest material that money could buy. Tifa often popped by for some little cloths every Saturday, knowing they would usually be ruined by Monday, as she used them in the pub.
'Ah, hi. Mr.Folens, I was wonderin, you got any silk or velvet?'
Mr.Folens smiled.
'That's like askin you're friend Cloud has he gotta sword.'
Tifa smiled and watched him limp behind the counter and pull out several rolls of velvet and silk, in different colours.
'I can make you a dress for 100 gil, or I can give you the material for your own purpose, 2gil per yard.'
Tifa quickly calculated it would cost more to get it customised, but she DID have a thousand gil to spare…
'I'd like a customised dress, in the deep red velvet.'
Mr Folens stood up and walked around with the roll, grumbling 'Might fine choice' to himself.
'This is what it looks like, if you still sure, you better give me you're measurements'
Tifa told him her measurements, smiling as she thought of Clouds face when she and Rufus were out together, her in this dream dress. Of course, Rufus still had to ask her out…
'You need it any specific time? I could have it ready in about three days'
Tifa nodded.
'Three days is fine for me, just in time for the new year, thank you Mr. Folens'
Mr. Folens smiled.
'We like family, Tifa, call me George'
Tifa smiled.
Thanks, George'
'No problem'
Tifa stepped away from the counter as Mr. Folens busied himself with another customer. She walked out and hurried away from Wall Street, as the bar opened in an hour, she only had an hour to…freshen up.
The bar was as busy as ever. Tifa pretended to be interested in what the man at the counter was telling her, but every few minutes her eyes would dart towards the door.
'..See what I'm sayin? Shit! you lisssenin to me?'
Tifa nodded absently.
'Hmm?? Yeah, sure'
'If Shin..Shinra gots demselves a.a.a pilot asss good assss Me.?'
Tifa giggled, the man was hopelessly drunk, she was gonna have to refuse his next order. Suddenly, the bar door burst open and a young boy about fourteen stepped in. Everyone looked over at the boy, who was out of breath and wide eyed.
'Som..Someone is fighting Rufus Shinra'
These words caused every single man to jump up out of their seat and head toward the door. Tifa's heart leaped to her throat. Cloud, he wouldn't…would he???
