Start Date: June 1, 2022
Windwillow
Final Fantasy VII
In the aftermath of AVALANCHE's failed mission, Cloud had fallen from the reactor into a world he'd never imagined. Surrounded by beautiful flowers, he met the equally beautiful Aerith Gainsborough, a flower girl he'd met once before. After a bizarre turn of events, she hired him to be her bodyguard, asking him to escort her home.
Having watched her, Cloud started to wonder who was escorting whom, the way she carried herself. Her personality was bright and warm, the exact opposite of himself, and she swung a mean staff. Once he reached her house, however, her mother asked him to leave. And he did.
And was promptly ambushed by Aerith on the way to Sector Seven. Having given up fighting, he escorted her to the gates of Sector Seven. In the midst of a discussion, though, the sight of a young barmaid riding in a carriage going towards Wall Market froze him stone cold solid. If he knew where she was going, he'd be boiling mad instead.
Chapter Six: Wall Market
Scene One
The playground had been abandoned for years, left to the tender mercies of time and decay. Right in front of the gate to Sector Seven, it seemed out of place; shouldn't it be INSIDE Sector Seven? Regardless, we open there with Cloud and Aerith observing Tifa, dressed to kill, headed straight for Wall Market... and all the ungodly acts that were done there.
"Is that... Tifa?! Cloud went white as a sheet, hopping down from the slide and stepping blindly forward. "What... what the hell...?" He stopped briefly to see Aerith rush past him.
"That girl is Tifa?" she wondered, stepping quickly through the ruins. With a brusque pace she followed the carriage. "Where's she going?" Cloud angrily muttered a curse under his breath, before following her into a new area of Sector Six.
Wall Market was Gaia's equivalent of a shopping mall, sort of a city that never slept. Not that you could sleep well, under the artificial light that burned down from beams and poles. Though it was one long street, both sides were laced with twofold's worth of stores. Clothes, weapons, food - all of it could be found there, and at any hour of the day.
It was when the hour was dark, though, that the seedier aspects of Midgar showed itself. Gangs, guns, ladies of the night - all of it could be found there, at the dimming of daylight. One such establishment was the brothel, the Honeybee Inn. I'm neither required nor inclined to get into ALL the crazy smut going in there; this isn't an 'adult' story.
There was ONE customer, though, that begs elaboration: Don Corneo. Any perverted, vile, and hedonistic deed - all done by the legendary Don. Now, he was in search of a bride. Whoever would willingly do that, I have NO idea. The problem here? Tifa was presenting herself to be one.
Something was afoot, and Cloud and Aerith were walking straight into it. Aerith hurried through Wall Market's wild streets, following a straight line to where Tifa's carriage was headed to. The path ended at a large mansion on the northernmost part of the city, decorated with vibrant banners and streamers.
By now, Cloud had broken into a sprint to keep up with Aerith. As they ran, Cloud's mind wandered to what this area was...
"What is this place?" asked Cloud as they ran. When Aerith said nothing, he closed in and caught her by the arm, whirling around to face him. And he didn't like the look she was giving him. "Tell me!"
"Um, it's..." Aerith stammered, unsure of how to explain the situation. "Wall Market's where, uh... they have a place called the Honeybee Inn... um..." Seeing Cloud's face darken, she averted her eyes. "It's sort of a... um... br-brothel..." All the blood in Cloud's face drained, then surged again and coated his cheeks with red - embarassment and outrage.
"Wh... What the f-" Aerith hurridedly shoved Cloud's mouth shut, shaking her head in disapproval. He slowly gathered himself, choking back both anger and confusion. "What in the HELL kind of place is she-"
Aerith swallowed hard. "It gets worse..." Cloud's face bent into a furious snarl, and she quickly slammed her hands on his mouth before he could make a scene. "She's headed to Don Corneo's place..." Not knowing what his reaction would be, she gathered herself and awaited the typhoon. "He's sort of a... perverted crime lord who's looking for a wife." As soon as she hurried the words out, she knew that she'd made a mistake.
Cloud said nothing, which said everything by the outrage on his face. Where to start? His childhood friend was headed straight to a carnal freak for God knows what... Where the hell do you even start? As it turns out, it resulted in Cloud brushing by a very distressed Aerith towards the Don's mansion.
Scene Two
Very few decent people had ever set foot in Don Corneo's mansion. No one of such legitimacy is PRESENTLY in Don Corneo's mansion. There, the twisted dilettante sates his sick pleasures and his search for - God knows who would want to be - a wife. Storming up to the mansion's entrance, Cloud angrily took the doorman by the scruff of the neck and lifted him into the air.
"Where is she?!" he snarled. "Where is Tifa?!" The doorman promptly slugged Cloud, dropping the mercenary to the ground. As he scruffed off his suit, the doorman patted Cloud's blood from his vest.
"The Don doesn't give a damn about men. Leave," the doorman said plainly. Cloud's response was to throw another punch, one that was also caught and he was sent crashing to the ground on his side. Cloud angrily stumbled to his feet and lifted his hand to the Buster Sword's handle.
"Listen to me, you sick piece of-" Cloud was caught by the mouth and dragged back by Aerith, who managed to pin him and hold him back. "Stop!" he shouted, struggling. "I'm gonna chop the sucker up and get inside!" Aerith's response was to slap him, hard.
"The man just beat you up!" she groaned. "Cause a scene and..." As she tussled with Cloud, the doorman's attention was piqued. He examined the flower girl from foot to head (mostly chest) and promptly stepped in front of Aerith. He rustled around in his pocket, and withdrew a business card for the Don.
"You're a cutie. Wanna audition?" Now completely livid, Cloud tried to move but was simply shoved away by Aerith. Slowly, a sinister plan formed in her lovely mind. One that Cloud would, of course, balk at. Aerith put a finger to her lips, thought, and gave the doorman a wink.
"Sure!" she whistled. "But I have a cute friend to bring. Can you give me a while?" The doorman nodded, and Aerith dragged Cloud back to the main street. Seeing him resist, she shushed him with a devilish look on her face. Cloud took a deep breath, and managed to keep a straight face.
Using all the self-control he could muster, Cloud relaxed his face. It wasn't easy. "What the hell are you doing?!" he hissed, softly so no one could hear. "There's no way I'm letting you in that hell hole!"
Aerith's smile widened. "You can come in with me." Cloud tilted his head, and as the plan formed she couldn't keep herself from giggling. "Dress up as a girl and come in with me."
This was one of those moments where the abbreviation WTF is really the only word that comes to mind. At first Cloud thought he'd misheard her. When Aerith's smile indicated otherwise, the blood in his face drained again.
"Wh-wh-wh... what..." He could barely keep his composure. "Wh-... You..." Swallowing hard, he shook his head vehemently. "You. Cannot. Be. Serious. Hell no!" Aerith merely giggled again. "You... I... Me..."
Aerith put a finger to her mouth. "But we need some prep work. We'll need a dress..." Cloud's eyes narrowed as she said that. "And we'll need a wig..." His eye began to twitch uncontrollably. Aerith failed to suppress her laughter. "And some fake boobs and a cup!"
"I'm your bodyguard..." Cloud said softly. "But right now I think I might be your biggest threat. Dress? No. Wig? No. And I won't even bother mentioning the next part."
"But think of it!" Aerith said with a wink. "Without a dress and a wig, they'll figure out you're a man. Without a..." She paused to stifle her laughter and failed. "We can't have them lift up your dress and see something... male."
There are certain emotions you can't describe. To paraphrase a certain pilot... Oh, can't say it.
With a giggle, Aerith poked Cloud in the chest, now having fun with it all. "You want me to go in alone? I can ask Tifa anything you want..." As she whispered the words and saw the outrage and despair in Cloud's eyes, he realized his choices. "Or we can make you into a girl! What would you rather do, that or try and fight an army of bodyguards?"
"You..."
"Yes?" chirped Aerith.
"You... will pay for this some day..."
Scene Three
With all the seedy institutions in Wall Market, finding a reputable clothing store took a while. When Cloud and Aerith finally found one, in talking to the clerk they learned a horrible fact: his father had stopped making dresses.
"C'mon!" Aerith sing-songed, putting a finger to her mouth. "I've got an extra-special customer he's gonna love fitting!" Given that Cloud knew who she was talking about, he could only swallow his embarrassment and give a forced nod.
"Fine, fine," the clerk shrugged. "He's probably wasted at the bar somewhere. Look for an old guy with long shoes and a floppy hat. Check the south end, he likes the barmaid there."
Now turning our attention to the bar, it didn't take long for the pair to find the tailor. Indeed, he was high on scotch and coke, casually smoking a cigarette. While Aerith approached gingerly, Cloud was considerably less tactful.
"Make me some clothes," Cloud ordered. The tailor took a long drag, and exhaled right in Cloud's face.
"Beat it. I don't make men's clothes and I ain't in the mood anyway..." As she suppressed her glee, Aerith motioned for the old man to meet her at the side, away from Cloud's ears. "Like I said..." Aerith whispered softly into the old man's ear, causing him to jump. "A toughie like him?!" With a nod, Aerith whispered again so Cloud couldn't hear. "Sure. Bring 'im to my shop and I'll do the measurements."
Part of Cloud wanted to ask what she'd whispered. The half with dignity didn't want to know. They returned to the store, and the tailor began to make his measurements. "Should I measure the junk?" he asked. After seeing Cloud's bloodthirsty response, the tailor shrugged it off. "Guess not."
Now finished with the measurements, he wrapped up his tape measure with a satisfied snap. "I can get the work done in a couple hours. Come back later and I'll have something whipped up for ya." As he shuffled away, Aerith embraced a flush-cheeked Cloud.
"I told him to make it soft and shimmery!" Aerith chirped. Cloud could only nurse the monster migraine that this was giving him...
Scene Four
At Aerith's suggestion that they look for more materials, Cloud's response was to take a break and eat some ribs. The neighborhood restaurant was pretty upscale, a well-to-do diner that had a daily special alongside some barbecue and a sushi platter. Cloud and Aerith shuffled up to the counter and settled in.
Cloud snatched up a glass of water and downed it. "Give me whatever has the most meat," he growled. The whole mess had screwed up his mood somethin' awful. As the owner started to speak, Aerith's shaking head signaled to let it go.
"BBQ plate comin' up!" The cook snatched up his tools and began to cook, skillfully concocting what we would call Korean barbecue. All told, it wasn't too bad; pork was a little dry, but other than that it seemed worth the money. Being told it was seventy Gil irked Cloud, but he paid it anyway. "We'd like to hear your input on the meal, sir. Was it good?"
If I say it's horrible, will they kick me out?
With a sigh, Cloud slapped down the Gil with a thud. "It was alright..." he muttered. As he got up to leave, he caught sight of something shoved into his hand. "The hell is this?" Cloud wondered. He read the script: a coupon for the local pharmacy, good for any one item.
How is this helpful? Gah...
After wandering about, they returned to the bar where they'd met the tailor. While there didn't seem any prospects to get stuff from, Aerith's attention turned to the bathroom. The lone man waiting there was dancing up and down, clutching his crotch in desperation. Lacking a reason NOT to, she approached. Cloud disapproved, but was voted down. Gotta feel for the guy.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" The man groaned, agonized by a full bladder, and turned to Aerith with the kind of desperation only a man doing the pee-pee dance could muster. "Whoever's in there's got a clog or something! Son-of-a-bitch needs some push to get the job done! Dammit!"
Cloud's eyes rolled as Aerith turned to him. He kind of anticipated what would come next. Flashing a smile Aerith held up the pharmacy coupon. "Digestive, anyone?" Aerith laughed, Cloud's migraine only worsening. A quick trip to the pharmacy yielded one industrial-strength digestive. Aerith skidded past the suffering man and knocked on the door.
"What'd'ya want?! I'm busy!" snarled the man on the can. Aerith promptly slipped the package in past the door, and waited for the results. Two flushes later, the bathroom was empty and our dear customer relieved himself. And it was sweet relief.
As he slammed the door shut, the now-empty bar-goer rustled in his pants and withdrew an item as gratitude: high-class cologne, fit to mask all the masculine musk a man could muster. Cloud was properly disgusted, but also oddly grateful.
Scene Five
Further research ended up producing nothing, but after browsing the materia shop the owner pulled Cloud aside to make a man-to-man request.
"You want me to check into an inn to do WHAT?" The owner quickly shushed Cloud, his eyes darting back and forth.
"They kicked me out yesterday, so now I can't get in. I want you to check their vending machine and report back what you find."
"The hell am I supposed to find?!" Cloud snapped. "This better not be a panty-vending machine..." he hissed, his eyes darting to Aerith. She gave a cheerful wave in response, not having heard what they were talking about. With a shrug, the owner leaned in close again.
"I can make it worth your while..."
At this point, resistance was futile. The pair entered the inn, greeted by a friendly young clerk with a sterling smile. Beaming, she waved in their direction to indicate they were welcome.
"Welcome to our humble establishment!" she said with a wink and a nod. "Would you like to have a room together, or..."
"Separate rooms," Cloud moaned.
This is a complete nightmare.
During the night Cloud exited his room and slowly slunk towards the vending machine. There were three options: fifty, a hundred, and two hundred Gil. While he was loathe to be a part of the whole mess, Cloud slipped in two hundred Gil. What popped out was... well, it was a protein drink set, finely packaged in strawberry and vanilla flavors. The whole operation was to spy on a fitness package.
You have GOT to be sh-... no, wait, whatever. I don't care anymore.
The clerk examined the goods carefully, finally smacking his fist on his hand in victory. "All I need to do is run chocolate flavor and I'll corner the market! Everyone loves chocolate, right?" Upon seeing Cloud's reaction, the owner promptly shut up. "Right, whatever. I've got something for your little lady..."
He quickly rustled through a pile of junk at the top of his seat, dropping down a lovely, shining tiara for Cloud to wear. Aerith giggled, but Cloud's glare only made her laugh harder. She was enjoying every minute of this, and by this point she could barely look at him without laughing.
Oh, there WILL be retribution for this...
Scene Six
To recap, the dress was being made by a guy fascinated with Cloud cross-dressing. They'd gotten an uber-high-class cologne for giving away a laxative. And most recently, a tiara came into their possession for the stupidest act of industrial subterfuge anyone could probably imagine. But it was Aerith's next suggestion that finally broke Cloud.
"Y-you're out of your mind! Hell no!" Cloud scowled, face flushing. Aerith put a finger to her lips, and gave a wink. "There's no way I'm going in that-"
Aerith shushed him. "The Honeybee Inn must have some good stuff. Maybe they have some-" Cloud covered her mouth with both hands. "You're going in," she stated resolutely, "and you're going to find something useful. Maybe some fake-" For all his struggling, Cloud knew that it was worthless.
Looking for a way to enter the Inn (it was Aerith's idea to ask around), Cloud's attention locked onto a familiar face: Johnny. He was outside the Honeybee Inn, deciding what was more important: self-respect, or... well...
Johnny vehemently shook his head, throwing a flyer on the ground. "I can't do it! I can't do it!" Johnny agonized, gripping his face with both hands and contorting in agony. "Ma and Pa would never approve... I just can't go in!" With a flick of his wrist he palmed the membership card he'd stolen. "Maybe someone else..."
Slowly, his eyes trailed up to meet Cloud's. The words "hell no" echoed again, but Aerith took point and began to chat. Before going to the big city he'd been given a membership to the Honeybee Inn as a bonus for the job in Costa del Sol. But after so much soul searching, Johnny just couldn't go into the... establishment.
"Y-You want my card, Cloud?!" he gasped. "And I thought you were better than that..." Cloud snatched him by the collar and stared straight into his soul.
"Please..." Cloud begged. "Please don't make me ask again. This is something bigger than you can... or WANT... to know." With a shrug, Johnny handed him the membership card. In so doing, a piece of Cloud's dignity joined its companions in the dustbin. They now approached the bouncer.
"Ooh-la-la baby! Is that a membership card I see in your hot little hand?!" Cloud felt his glove tighten painfully, his fingers digging into his own palm hard enough to draw blood. The bouncer covered his face with one hand, and as it slipped past a sinister smile was left. "Enter, babe! Welcome to the Honeybee Inn!"
Choking back his disgust, Cloud's boots slowly stepped forward. They were stopped cold, though, as the Inn's patrons surrounded Aerith. Though his hand clenched his sword, Aerith's wink indicated he wasn't needed.
Aerith threw her hair back, striking a defiant pose. Her hand deftly fell to her back, where she drew out her staff and snapped it open. The action made everyone jump back a few feet, leaving no doubt who was in control. As the patrons inched backwards, Aerith flashed a smile.
"I can take care of myself!" With her declaration she smacked the butt of her staff to the ground. Aerith turned back to Cloud, a glimmer in her eye. Cloud could only groan and re-evaluate his life choices.
This girl needs a bodyguard?
Scene Seven
The Honeybee Inn was, shall we say, a house of ill-repute. Divided into different segments based in a hexagonal-shaped lobby, there were houses to sate any particular desire. Some were well-stocked hotel rooms, where VIP clients could rest after a rough day of work. Others had hot tubs, and a few hosted whips and chains. All in the name of good business.
Its hostesses were beautiful young women, dressed in scandalous bumblebee costumes that left little to the imagination. It didn't hurt that they used some special equipment to accentuate their endowments. There were four rooms available that day.
There was the Lover's Room, a gorgeous VIP room, filled with pillows and booze. That one was occupied. Next we move to the Queen's Room. Remember the whips and chains? Yeah, that one. And it was being used as well (it was soundproof). Then there was the Group Room, complete with hot tub. That one is also too explicit, so we'll move on.
Her tail fluttering alluringly, the Inn's hostess welcomed Cloud to the venue. This was another one who was... ENHANCED.
"Hello, sir!" The hostess flitted about, bouncing around in more than one way. "I'm afraid we only have the &$#% Room available. Will that be alright, sir?" She swooned, exaggeratingly fawning over Cloud; he was excited and infuriated at the same time. With a shrug of his shoulders, Cloud was led into a darkened room.
It was decorated with silk and satin all over the room, complete with a wet bar and its own sauna. The main bed lay just ahead, an alluring voice beckoning Cloud.
"Well, hell-O, handsome," she purred, a silken hand jutting out from between the sheets. "We're gonna have a FUN, FUN time..." Whether he wanted to or not, Cloud briefly imagined the hand wore a leather glove, like a certain someone he knew.
"This is too much... All this for what, a BRA?!" Cloud hacked, turning away with an indignant huff. "This is the last time I listen to Aerith's advice!" The hand lengthened into an arm, covered in lace and silk.
The voice breathed a coo, filled with lust. "Who's Aerith? Is she coming here to party with us?"
Oh, God...
Your mother would be ashamed.
"Stop talking to me!" shrieked Cloud. His knees buckled as he fell forward, smashing his head against the bed. Darkness covered his eyes, and as he regained his senses he found himself outside of the room; the sound of the door closing beat into his ears. He slowly opened his eyes to find the same hostess as before standing above him, hand on her hips.
Ooh, slick move.
Stuff it!
"Seriously, dude? You came here for a bra?" she huffed in disgust. With a swift motion her hands turned to her back, and Cloud quickly averted his eyes. When he opened them he saw a yellow, fake-breasted bra laying on the floor. Above him the hostess adjusted HIS outfit, slipping his limbs back inside the costume. As it turns out, the HOSTESS was just a HOST.
After he exited the Inn (none too soon), Cloud was greeted by Aerith. The party-goers around her swiftly skittered inside, leaving the two outside alone. And the sight of Cloud carrying a fake yellow bra finally cracked Aerith.
Scene Eight
We're almost at the end of Cloud's ordeal, but let's do another recap. Dress, tiara, cologne, and a pair of fake breasts from a man-lady at the local brothel. By Aerith's reckoning, that left two items: a beautiful wig, and... well... a piece of undergarments to... disguise... well, his man parts. Aerith gave the summary to Cloud herself, sending into convulsions.
A quick return to the dress boutique revealed that the dress was almost done, so there remained two items to find. Cloud was willing to agree to the wig - not the cup - and so the pair was directed towards a boxing gym just a bit to the south of Corneo's mansion. The owner apparently knew someone, insinuating something untowards would be waiting for them.
Upon entering the gym, Cloud noted the large number of muscular bodybuilders, with a notable exception being a pleasant-looking girl hanging out at the side of a boxing ring. At least someone seemed normal, so...
"Hey, ma'am..." Aerith said sweetly as she walked towards the female trainer, hands behind her back. "I heard from a little birdie you have something to make my friend look CUTE." The way she said it sent a chill up Cloud's spine.
The woman tilted her head. "Oh, so you're the guy that likes to dress up as a woman, right?"
Dammit, Aerith, what the hell did you tell them?!
Aerith nodded. "Do you have anything to make my friend's hair look fabulous?"
F-fabulous...?
From atop the ring a huge meathead jumped and landed between the two with a thunderous thud. He wore only a pair of swim trunks, covered with scars and tattoos. As he hit the ground, the bodybuilder angrily flexed his muscles.
"You want Big Bro's prized wig?!" He growled, pectorals rippling. "You're gonna have to earn it, sweet cheeks!" A bead of sweat ran down Cloud's face.
Sw... sweet cheeks...?
Another bodybuilder approached, equally muscular. "Ya better know how to do squats, or Big Bro'll kick you out!" As the first joined the second and nodded fervently, the female trainer stepped forward with clear irritation.
"Man-oh-man, boys!" The trainer moaned, hand clasped to her head. "Big Bro this, Big Bro that... I've got a name, y'know." Cloud wasn't the only one whose face dropped like a stone; Aerith's jaw joined him. "I've got a nice spare, yeah. But you'll have to strut your stuff first. You know how to do squats, sweetie?"
Squats?! What the hell...
You squat, swing your arms, and fold your body back up. Remember?
Cloud cleared his throat, the voice he kept hearing for once providing something useful. Yeah, now that he thought of it he'd seen it done several times before. But he couldn't quite place WHO showed it to him.
Big Bro cleared his throat, gesturing towards the scarred bodybuilder. "Boris will be your opponent. Whoever does the most in one minute gets the wig." Cloud's migraine worsened trying to take everything in.
So Boris wants it too?!
Necessity was the mother of invention and, in this case, motivation. Stepping up, Cloud stood face-to-face with Boris. A look of fierce, almost constipated concentration stretched across his face as he slowly knelt in a squatting position. Cloud reluctantly joined him.
This better be worth it.
Raising his hand, Big Bro signaled the start and thrust it down. Both Cloud and Boris began to perform squats, each time more difficult than the last. But while sweat flooded the bodybuilder's frame, Cloud's superior physique proved the deciding factor; when the minute was up, Cloud had smoked his opponent.
"And that's the match!" announced Big Bro as he lifted his arm high into the air. "Cupcake gets the wig!"
C-cupcake?
Boris, his whole body drenched in sweat, angrily lifted his tired frame and leered straight in Cloud's face. "No way you out-squatted me, punk! One more time and I'll-"
A brutal gut punch from Big Bro rocketed Boris into the far wall, cracking it open and sending him to the floor in a crumpled heap. "I've got it over here," Big Bro said with a nod. "Gimme a second..." Aerith stepped up with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Do you have anything to cover boy parts? He's going to wear a dress, so-"
"GOD DAMN IT, AERITH!" Cloud screamed, his composure melting as he gripped her arm and spun her around to be face-to-face. "That's all I can take! I..."
"Sure, I got a spare..." Big Bro muttered, opening a drawer and withdrawing two items. "You can keep it, it's too sweaty for me to use anymore." All the blood from Cloud's face drained, as Aerith's cheeks flushed and swelled with a wide smirk.
"Don't. Say. A. Word." Cloud hissed, his eyes turning to Big Bro's incoming delivery. And she didn't. She did sweat profusely trying to hold her laughter back, but she managed to keep her composure.
Scene Nine
Part one was over; all the equipment had been assembled. Cloud and Aerith thus returned to the boutique to complete the plan. As they entered, the pair saw the finished dress: stunning black, with a blue corset and see-through silk sleeves. By now Cloud had resigned himself, so his only task was to wear the damn thing.
We all know the components for the outfit, so: he donned the blonde wig and tiara, assembled his, ahem, undergarments, and slipped the dress onto his muscular body; it actually fit pretty nice. The owner's measurements were comfortable.
"Are you going to come out?" Aerith sing-songed, Cloud's face dropping at every syllable. "Come on out, Miss Cloud!"
Tifa had better thank me for this.
He exited the dressing room, and the full image of Miss Cloud came into view. For all his protests, he looked pretty convincing. His slim, muscular build accentuated the dress's curves, the silk sleeves softly gripping his lean arms. The blonde wig and tiara complimented each other, and even from close up his anatomy looked female: smooth in all the right places.
Aerith's eyes gleamed as her cheeks flushed from both embarrassment and laughter. Cloud's glare tightened her face as she swallowed all the things she knew he didn't want her to say and shifted towards the dress rack to examine them.
"I suggest a pink gown," the owner remarked. His son shook his head in disbelief.
"You'd look radiant in teal!" Aerith put a finger to her mouth before finally snatching up an entirely different dress.
"I want THIS one!" she declared, snatching it from the rack. As she approached the dressing room, she whirled about with a red-flushed face. "And no peeking!" After a few minutes, those assembled were given the shock of their lives when she stepped out.
It was a red, silk, spaghetti-strapped dress, with a split up her left leg and a crimson bustier. She'd removed her pink ribbon, allowing her long brown hair to flow elegantly fall down her shoulders. While the tailor and his son were entranced, Cloud felt a bizarre emotion welling up. Attraction? Or just wonder at how elegant she looked?
She's so beautiful...
Aerith threw her hair back and assumed a sensuous pose, her bustier lowering ever so slightly to reveal her cleavage. From behind her she produced her staff and snapped it open.
"We need a way to hide our weapons," Aerith remarked. "Do you two have luggage big enough to hide his sword and our normal clothes?"
She has the presence of mind to think that? I... guess she's got a point. Charging in with a six foot long sword would raise too many questions.
Scene Ten
And with that the disguise was complete. Aerith had her dress, Miss Cloud had been presented to the world, and the boutique owner found a luggage case big enough to conceal the Buster Sword (and their actual clothes). It looked like an exaggerated guitar case but it would do the job.
As they approached the mansion, Cloud couldn't control the blush of red on his cheeks. It actually made him look shy and demure, so it worked out better than he intended. He and Aerith walked towards the Don's abode, and as they presented themselves to the bouncer his jaw fell to the floor.
"Hot DAMN!" he whistled. "You did have another cutie!" Turning to the entrance, the bouncer snatched up a mallet and banged on the gong. As it reverberated, he flashed a sly smile as the pair entered. It took every ounce of self control on Cloud's part not to smash his face in.
The inside of the mansion was a garish, atrociously-decorated mess of a home. Banners decorated with obscene phrases and pictures of an idealized charmer smoking a cigar lined the walls, no doubt the Don trying to compensate for something. His beer gut would never attract a lady. Entering the chamber, Cloud and Aerith hauled in their luggage on their backs.
"Here," the bouncer swooned, reaching out to Cloud's disguised blade. "Let me take your... gack!" The case containing the Buster Sword dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. "What the hell d'you guys have in here?!" Aerith giggled softly, not returning Cloud's stare.
"We're here for the long haul," Aerith explained. "We brought all our worldly belongings in hopes that we'll find ourselves a real MAN." The way she said the word nearly made Cloud vomit. "Can you take this somewhere safe?" The bouncer swallowed hard, but nodded.
"Someone get these ladies's stuff to the fun room!" As a group of three muscular, black-suited men rushed in to carry the Buster Sword off, Cloud's eye began to twitch. "I'll let the Don know you're here. Don't be wanderin' off, sweeties!" At that he left a VERY angry Cloud and a VERY amused Aerith in the lobby alone.
"I see a set of stairs up there," Cloud irritably gestured. "Let's start there." Aerith nodded, and the pair ascended the stairs and descended another set to enter what looked like a dungeon. I won't elaborate on what it contained, but the most notable occupant was Tifa. She turned around to see the party and flashed a look of sheer horror.
"What are you doing here?!" Tifa gasped. "Don't you know what kind of place this is?!" Aerith approached, placing one high-heeled shoe in front of another. Tifa narrowed her eyes, then opened them wide. "I saw you with Cloud at the park!"
Aerith nodded softly. "You must be Tifa. Cloud's told me so much about you!" Tilting her head, Tifa's eyes darted from Aerith to a petrified Cloud and back again.
"Cloud...? What about Cloud?"
"Oh!" Aerith gasped, covering her mouth. "We just met, so it's nothing special." Cloud's face twitched again.
"Why would I worry?" Tifa said as she shook her head. "It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything, we just grew up together." Her eyes turned to a disguised Cloud, who quickly turned away from her.
"I guess it's a bit harsh..." giggled Aerith. "The way we talk about him right in front of him must be embarrassing." Cloud inwardly cursed her, as Tifa carefully examined the mercenary. What started as confusion became horror, and slowly a smile passed her lips. Then she blushed bright red and covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh.
Cloud tightened his fist, and because he wasn't wearing his gloves a thin stream of blood dripped from his palm. This was EXACTLY what he was afraid would happen.
"Please, PLEASE," he begged. "It wasn't my idea, it was the only way to get in here, and..." Seeing Tifa's widening smile, he angrily swept his arm across his chest. "Forget that. Why the hell are you here dressed like this?!" Tifa suppressed a snort, but swallowed hard and her face loosened.
"After Barret dragged me back to HQ, we saw a suspicious guy checking us out. Barret pressed him for info, and he mentioned Don Corneo being involved with something dangerous against us. The only way to get close to the lech was to sneak in as a potential bride. So even though everyone told me not to..."
As he swallowed hard, Cloud shook his feelings off. "And they were right!" Tifa waved him off.
"Every night the perv picks from three girls. I don't even wanna know what he does with the 'winner.' Anyway, if I don't get picked all this will have been for nothing. I've GOT to get in there and interrogate the sucker..."
A mischievous look crossed Aerith's face, and she held back another laugh. "The solution is simple: We're gonna be all three." Tifa's face contorted in horror, and while Cloud's did as well outrage quickly replaced it.
"There's not a chance in hell I'm letting you do this!" Cloud hissed. Aerith tilted her head and giggled.
"But you're okay with Tifa doing it?" As Cloud fumed, Aerith shifted her gaze to Tifa. "I can take care of myself. You in?" When Tifa affirmed with a nod, Aerith's smile widened. "We've got our candidates!" Cloud's head - and his morale - dropped like a stone.
My God, I can't believe this is happening...
"Hey! Girls!" A voice called from upstairs. "Don't keep the Don waiting!" Aerith and Tifa exchanged nods, and Cloud hung his head in utter defeat.
It was time for three beautiful ladies to infiltrate the Don's inner sanctum!
Author's Note
I wasn't anticipating writing this. Basically, if I went too far with all this, well... I apologize. I thought it wouldn't make sense not to attend to Cloud's... attributes... to make him look more like a woman. But it's possible I overdid it. My apologies if I offended anyone. I am, simply put, as perverted as a Japanese mangaka apparently. Never knew. And now back to our regularly scheduled fanfiction.