Author's Note: Drug usage, sexual situations, and a disturbing scene in this chapter. Enter at your peril!
CHAPTER 6: Paint It Black
By now, the group of four peculiar men had reached the club's illuminated stairs. They were led by the man in black. Against the pale light of the stairs, his presence became more pronounced. His long black veil flowed behind him, gliding softly in the air with each step he ascended. It was a striking image made more magnificent than a white virgin bride on her wedding day. Cloud continued to hold his breath as he watched him. He saw the bouncers on the second floor quickly step aside when he reached the top stair. All four men entered the exclusive part of Club LIFESTREAM.
"Holy shit, I didn't expect to see him here," Ele' expressed beside Cloud, breaking up his thoughts. Up until they reached the other side of the club, she hadn't spoken a word. Quietly, she said, "He really is strange. I thought he was going to murder you or something."
Cloud turned to Ele' as they continued walking away. She seemed familiar with the veiled man in black. "You know him?"
"Personally? No. But I know of him." She steered them to the bar area and added, "He hardly comes out in the public. When he does, though, he always wears a black veil."
"Why? What for?"
Ele' shook her head and quickened her pace. "We'll talk more at the booth. Just standing out here with that weird guy on the prowl gives me the creeps."
Cloud kept silent after that. He didn't blame Ele'. His own nerves were shot up. Already, sweat gathered at the palms of his hands. Cloud wondered how he let himself get taken away by the dark man's allure. Worse, he invited it in.
His mother used to joke about him being a weird, demented kid sometimes. She was right. During trips to Nibelheim's forest, he'd encountered half-eaten, rotten corpses of animals. Unlike the other children he had never screamed. Observing their bloody entrails and stone-like empty gazes, he'd debate about the delicate nature between life and death instead. Cloud suspected what always drew him toward the disturbed and obscene. However, he quickly shoved the unpleasant thought aside when he finally arrived at a green neon-lit booth.
It was a few feet away from the bar. Providing an excellent view of the second floor above, their booth lined against the metal rails that divided the seating area from the dance floor. A large number of attendees had gathered and waited for their drinks. Some danced while others consumed various substances. Cloud walked around two bikini-clad women in the middle of kissing and fondling. He found Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie already at the booth.
Cloud slid into an empty spot just as Ele' took her place at the opposite end. Biggs was in the middle of dividing lines of blue dust on the black-glassed table when he looked up and noticed the arrivals.
"Man, you look like shit," he described with a loud snicker, having no idea what had rattled Cloud.
From across the table, Jessie stared. There was a worried expression on her face, as if she sensed something amiss with Cloud. But as usual she said nothing.
"How about a round of drinks?" Sitting next to Cloud, Wedge presented a large smile on his face. Before he could gather a general consensus, his fingers were already clicking on several options from a digital interface menu that popped up on their glassed table. "Let's get this party started!"
The group verbally agreed. Cloud quietly massaged the sides of his head but wasn't opposed to the idea. His stomach had settled down, yet the encounter with the black-veiled man still got under his skin. He remained on edge.
When their waiter arrived at the table to confirm orders and ages, Cloud showed him his ID code. Great news came when their server offered him free drinks for tonight on account of his birthday. The seventeen-year-old teenager nodded his thanks.
"Bring out the cake too," Ele' requested to the waiter.
After the server left to fetch their drinks, Cloud turned to her. "Cake?"
"Yea, idiot," Biggs joked and tapped on the blue dust faster with a plastic card. "It wouldn't be a birthday without a birthday cake, right?"
"I handed it to the bartender while you were dancing," Wedge revealed. "I told them to keep it in the bar's fridge until we were ready. It's a triple layered, lavish chunky-chocolate cake, lined by a vanilla stripping with crunchy delectable hazelnuts and cocoa-flavored sprinkles; a serious treat and threat for the taste buds, son."
Wedge's mouth practically drooled while he described the cake. Biggs and Ele' laughed and clapped, clearly impressed. Jessie shyly smiled. Cloud, himself, nodded in approval and looked forward to it.
Waiting for their drinks, the group engaged in trivial conversation. Biggs had finally finished dividing the blue dust and offered everyone a line. Cloud was the last to sniff his up. He wiped his nose with a finger afterward and settled comfortably against his seat. The scenery around him warped into a collection of blurred shapes and colors. Everything and everyone moved more slowly. The sounds of music and non-stop chatter became muffled. He could hear the low beating of his heart pound in both ears. In his dazed state, Cloud checked the upper floor.
His skin crawled at the mere thought of the veiled man who resided there now. Cloud wanted to forget about him. Even so, he needed some measure of assurance. If he knew the man's location he'd feel more comfortable. That's what Cloud told himself as he searched for the man in black. He rejected any notion that this was out of a terrible want to observe disturbing apparitions. And he denied the possibility his dark desire came from a near-death experience as a child, something that had transformed itself into an obsession.
Despair. He would never forget.
On the second level of the club, Cloud spotted a few recognizable faces. Celebrities. Politicians. There were also plenty of Shinra employees. Some still wore their ID badges. Nearly everyone visited Club LIFESTREAM, including President Shinra himself on occasion. Security was higher upstairs because of this.
Aside from the band's stage, the second level contained its own aquatic-themed bar and unique seating spaces. A row of eight-feet-high clamshells were lined along the second floor's railing. Large enough to house a party of ten guests inside, the clamshells were made of crystal and sat wide opened. A low round table made of glass and blue cushioned bedding accommodated each clamshell, allowing guests to comfortably lie down as they drank or conversed. Along the rippled edges of the shell's raised roof hung a stringed curtain made of tiny, beaded glass. They dropped and glistened like rainfall.
It was in these gorgeous clamshells Cloud found the man in black and his party. Near an impressive waterfall that changed colors, their clamshells were positioned directly across his booth. Cloud had an excellent vantage point from his bottom level. Removing his PHS, he used the camera feature to zoom in. He discovered a group of Shinra employees with the four strangers; three men and a woman.
The only female present sat with the veiled man. Together, they occupied a smaller clamshell suited for two a few feet away from the main party. Even with the beaded curtain, Cloud could make out their two forms. The woman carelessly lay against the figure in black. Her curly orange hair was pulled back into a classic retro style up-do. Most interesting was the military dress uniform she wore. According to all the badges and medals that littered her chest, she represented a high-ranking position in the Public Safety Division.
Cloud rubbed his itchy nose again and studied the pair closely. Their intimate closeness appeared surreal. He couldn't understand how a top-ranked officer of Shinra could act so casually around a man like that.
"Any idea why he hides his face?" Cloud suddenly blurted out to no one in particular.
His direct question momentarily interrupted the current talk in his booth. Confused, it took Ele' a second to understand the question. Then she followed Cloud's eyes. She quietly sighed when she saw the veiled man. The others at the table did too. Their expressions changed from jovial to disturbed. Apparently, they had all heard stories about the mysterious man in black.
"I don't really know why," Ele' confessed. "I heard he's in mourning."
"Well, I heard his face is so hideous and deformed that he has to hide it," Biggs chimed in, a bit too eager to disclose any and all rumors.
"Yea, I heard he had been in some great fire that fucked him up real good," claimed Wedge. His over dilated eyes tried to focus.
Cloud sighed, disappointed by the lack of reliable information. It was all hearsay. Rumors. Nobody knew who this guy was. With the PHS's camera still zoomed in, Cloud resumed his close observations upstairs and caught the female officer smiling at the veiled man. Her cheeks burned with color while she removed a cigar from a metal case.
When she leaned even closer to the dark figure, Cloud wanted to roll his eyes. This woman came on too hard. Too fast. He expected the predator next to her to respond with a silent, indifferent reaction. Instead, the veiled man lit the woman's cigar with a match. Then he poured wine into her glass while she took a puff. Each of his moves was committed with ease and exactness. The female officer eagerly took the glass and drank it moments later. Her eyes never left him.
"Suave man…" Biggs noted with an impressed nod.
"I'd like to dress bad-ass like him someday," Wedge immediately said.
Biggs snorted out loud. "Only if you can lay off the junk and sweets, flubber-butt."
Wedge stuck out his tongue.
Slightly irritated by their ongoing ramblings, Cloud ignored them. He watched the three blue-eyed men at their own seating space. They regarded the other Shinra employees with similar, cordial manners. More drinks were poured. Only the boy with black hair kept things lively. He dared the Shinra employee next to him into a drinking contest. Cloud was amazed at how fast the wild teen slugged down the shots. It was water to him.
One after another, he slammed the empty glasses upside-down on the table while the other man sluggishly tried to keep up. Twenty shots later, the raven-haired boy stood in victory. His opponent passed out on the velvet cushions. The boy stepped out of the clamshell with a bottle of liquor afterward and drank it down. Seconds later, he spun around fast and crudely spat the liquor straight into the air.
Lying on his side, the fashionably dressed man in blood-red clothes was in the middle of reading a passage from his book to a Shinra employee when he gradually lowered it. Sharp blue eyes stared at his young companion. He snapped his fingers one time and a flicker of fire appeared on his palm. The red-haired male gently blew on it. Almost instantaneously, the stream of airborne alcohol particles caught on fire and a spiraled-shape pillar of fire formed. It wrapped around the black-haired boy.
Nearby spectators stood in awe while the young man danced in the fires. Unharmed. His lithe form twisted and bent in smooth, erotic movements.
The calm aristocratic man eventually rose to his feet and joined him. The fires burned brighter when it surrounded both their bodies. Moving at a steady pace, the two men perfectly mirrored the other in a slow, sensuous dance. Furious-blue eyes stayed locked into one single gaze. Lips faintly brushed against the other while hands explored the curvatures of muscles. The auburn-haired man trailed the boy's waist with his hands and lifted up a few inches of his shirt. He ran his palm across the flat, chiseled belly. As the youth bent backward and closed his eyes, the older man thrust forward and pushed against him. Their dance became more beastly. It shared all the vigor of sex. It was raw. Energetic. Desperate.
Cloud stared nonstop. He couldn't take his eyes away. The dark-haired boy pushed upward, spiked hair whipping wildly. Their lean, beautiful bodies pushed and pulled while the fires burned angrily. Holding his breath, Cloud watched their dance reach a climax. It ended with them tightly wrapped in the other's arms. Both performers slowly stood at full height, facing each other. The man in red gently planted a kiss on the boy's forehead. They pulled away and fires around them finally burnt out. The crowd upstairs cheered.
"Don't take this the wrong way, guys…" Wedge said a moment later, viewing the incredible magic show. "But I can probably go gay for the Ginger. He's pretty hot." He grinned. "Ha! Get it? Hot. Like fire. Like…"
"Hey," Biggs interrupted. "…Shut up." He leaned across the table and smacked Wedge on the head, as if something was broken in there.
Ele' chuckled loudly while Jessie shook her head. Wedge shrugged off their reactions and sniffed up another line of blue dust.
Cloud decided to do the same. Eager to loosen the tight knots in his belly right now, he squeezed his eyes shut as soon as the blue chemicals shot up his nose with blunt force. He threw his head back and moaned quietly to himself. The room span faster. Voices echoed. The blood warmed and freely flowed throughout the entire circuits of his body. Cloud swiped at his nose with a hand and only opened his eyes halfway. In a slurred voice, he asked another question.
"What's his name?" It was the million-dollar question. Cloud didn't know why he had to ask it except that his curiosity and drug-induced state got the best of him. He needed to know.
"What, you interested in him?" Biggs teased.
Hot-faced, Cloud stared back at him with a blank expression. If looks could kill, his would incinerate.
"He goes by many names," Ele' broke the deadly silence. "Death. Bride of Death. Angel. Devil. One-Winged Angel. But only his clients know his real name. They're all sworn to secrecy, I hear."
At this, the blond-haired boy leaned forward. "Clients?"
"He's a Host," she revealed. "They're all Hosts."
Cloud sat back again and surveyed the men upstairs with his PHS again. The interaction between them and the Shinra employees started to make sense. They were hired entertainers. They were hired to love. Even so, Cloud made a face when he watched the veiled man with his client. The haunting figure undid the clasps that held the woman's fire-orange hair upward. Falling over her shoulders now, he slowly brushed the loose hair with gloved fingertips.
"Those four men are affiliated with the same group," Ele' remarked, "They're kinda weird. Word on the street is that they came from overseas, before setting up shop in Midgar a few years ago. Their club… It's different from the others."
"How so?" Through the PHS's camera view, Cloud observed the female officer smoke her cigar. Her back rested on the Host's chest while he massaged her scalp with both hands.
"Remember how I said customers who fancy a Host can call one up at any time?" Ele' started.
Cloud nodded.
"Their club is exclusive. Everything, from the club's name to its location, is disclosed in secrecy. You have to be personally invited. Apparently, there's a screening process but I've no idea what it involves."
"Maybe you should quit Chocobo Chow and forget the army, Cloud. Become a Host instead," Biggs joked again. "Flaunt that pretty face of yours and get paid and laid."
The group laughed at the absurd suggestion. Cloud offered a middle finger in response, tempted to punch Biggs at this point. He was grateful when his party took note of his annoyance. In his current compromised condition, his reactions were unpredictable. They eventually changed the subject and discussed a collection of cheesy horror flicks. Ele', in particular, seemed desperate to move on herself. A hint of fear appeared evident in her eyes whenever she glanced upstairs.
For a while, Cloud set his PHS down and numbly listened to pointless chatter. The blue dust's effects had settled in his system, exciting all senses. Relaxed and aroused from the drug, he was in the mood to dance and fuck, although he remained undetermined of which to do first. Cloud discretely placed a hand on his lap in a casual-like manner. Warm fingers gently teased the bulky shape that gradually emerged along his inner thigh. As the boy eyed potential partners on the dance floor, half of his mind was still occupied by the veiled man upstairs.
It was hard to believe the four men were Hosts. The veiled man, especially, didn't look like the type who offered himself to anyone. It was a strange feat to be loved by the Angel of Death. To be lovingly held in his arms. To be kissed. Cloud's nails lightly grazed the top portions of his waking want, as if he needed to scratch it when he really didn't.
Business must've boomed well for the veiled man and his companions. Unlike the annoying Hosts in Midgar, they didn't hound women or shove business cards down their throats. They didn't have to. One look into their crazed beautiful eyes and the people were theirs for the taking. Hook. Line. And sinker.
"You should take off your coat, Cloud," Wedge suddenly suggested. "You look hot in that thing."
Wedge's face was nothing but a blur until Cloud squint his eyes and brought him into focus. Confused, he mumbled, "…Huh?"
"Your face. It's all sweaty and flushed."
Cloud pursed his lips for a brief moment. The hand on his lap paused. He hadn't realized how much his skin burned until now. A new coat of sweat had developed across his forehead, likewise the cheeks. Aside from the blue dust's effects, he actually was very hot because of his coat. The fabric had stayed damped from the water sprinklers earlier. It made his skin itch. Cloud fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably and frowned. He remembered why he hadn't taken off the bloody thing yet. Glancing at the Host upstairs, he dreaded the possibility of the mysterious man catching him in his Chocobo Chow attire.
"I'm wearing my stupid uniform," Cloud bitterly explained. "I wish you guys told me where you were taking me so I'd have brought other clothes to change into."
"Aw, but you look sooo adorable in that work shirt," Ele' teased. "Your hair naturally fits right in with the restaurant's Chocobos." She reached over the table to pull a few strands of Cloud's wild hair.
Cloud brushed her hand away and momentarily closed his eyes, feeling a bit woozy.
"Pft, just take off your shirt then," Biggs suggested, "Be shirtless. No one gives a shit here."
The group agreed, especially when they saw topless men and women everywhere. But Cloud kept his eyes closed and refused Biggs' advice. He was very self-conscious over the nasty scar that spanned across his stomach. His discomfort apparently showed when a person in their table finally spoke.
"Um, M-Metaphysic Disciples are selling band t-shirts by the club's entrance…" the woman across Cloud informed. Everyone paused and looked at Jessie's direction. Her voice was nothing more than a murmur when she added, "I-I-I can nab you one, Cloud. You can change out of your top."
The drugged boy opened his eyes; surprised. Jessie had been quiet this entire evening thus far. It was the first time he ever heard her voice. The brunette-haired teenager kept her head down, unable to meet his eyes. A bundle of nerves, Cloud realized. He finally understood Jessie's issue. She wasn't weird: she was shy. Perhaps even an anti-social person. Cloud could see a bit of himself in the unfortunate girl. Not wanting to embarrass Jessie, he offered her a small smile and tried not to obligate her into anything.
"Um, thanks. But no, I'm fine."
"It's n-n-not an issue," Jessie persisted. She scooted out of the booth, pushing Biggs out of her way. "I forgot to get you something anyway. It's, uh, customary to bring a gift to the birthday boy, r-r-right?"
"Not really…"
Before Cloud could protest again, the girl was already on her way out. He sighed, feeling guilty. It was his predicament; his issue. Still, she sounded all too eager to please him. Jessie's silhouette soon disappeared within the cluster of people and neon-colored lights. Ele' turned to Cloud with a glint in her eyes shortly after.
"You definitely have a way with the ladies, Cloud," she commended.
Cloud cocked a brow; confused. "What?"
"Jessie. She likes you. A lot."
"How do you know?"
"Oh, I have my ways…" Ele' grinned.
Biggs folded his arms across his chest, looking upset now. "Sheesh. There goes another one."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cloud demanded and looked at him.
"Man, you're pretty dense for a chick magnet," Biggs declared. Before Cloud could cut in, he griped, "Every time I try to reel in a girl, the moment they see your face all they want is your phone number. I don't get it. I mean, you got the hair of a Chocobo's ass. What the fuck?"
Wedge chuckled at the offhand joke. Biggs told him to shut up, still serious. Cloud narrowed his eyes and instinctively ran a hand through his messy locks of blond hair. He wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or offended by Biggs' comment. From across, Ele' looked ready to add to the conversation but was momentarily interrupted by the arrival of a girl with a giant Mohawk. She stood in front of their booth.
"Fancy a new high, kiddies?" she asked and lifted up her plaid mini-skirt. Aside from the green thong, a second hidden mini-skirt made of plastic pockets appeared. Each pocket contained a pill or vial inside. "I got all types of fun goodies down here."
Dealers were common people in the clubs. Most of them worked for Don Corneo and were able to conduct their business hassle-free. Biggs sheepishly grinned at the attractive woman while Wedge couldn't decide whether to check the merchandise or the girl's panties. Cloud wasn't in the mood for any more substances in his system at the moment, especially when he struggled to keep focused. While the others checked the dealer's products, he grabbed his PHS to look upstairs again.
A small crowd gathered around the Hosts' table since the magic show. The raven-haired boy had gotten a hold of a harness to join two female club performers in their aerial dance. He blew his companions a kiss. Then he howled like a wolf and lifted off from the second floor's railing. Twirling in the air with the hired entertainers, the crowd whistled and clapped. He moved faster than them all. The muscular Host with dark hair merely watched on. He appeared amused. The glint in his strange blue eyes shined brightly.
Cloud observed all of this in his PHS's view finder. As the other boy spun in the air, he felt the Hosts' magnetic aura pull at him again. Many of the club attendees experienced it too. Each Host was as close to a celestial being as they'd ever get. For Cloud, though, his eyes lingered to the one Host whose aura both pulled and terrified him the most.
Through the PHS's camera mode, the black-veiled Host delicately stroked his client's stomach in small circles. She still lay sprawled over him with her back against his chest, facing the club scene in front of her. Cloud had a full frontal shot of her in view. He saw the cigar remain idle between her fingers; saw it still burn. Within moments, the officer tilted her neck to one side and closed her eyes. Content. Cloud's breath hitched once the Host's hand rested over her chest. At first, he simply followed the trail of gold buttons with a finger. Then he undid them one at a time, starting from the collar.
Cloud watched this intimate moment with tightly pursed lips. He suddenly hated this female officer.
"Hey, Cloud," Ele' addressed him. By now, the dealer had left their booth and she was able to ask him a question. "Just curious, but… do you have a girlfriend?"
Cloud set his PHS down. He was glad none of his coworkers had become suspicious of his intrigues. For all they knew, he was recording the club scene. "Excuse me?"
"A girlfriend," she repeated. "You know, a girl who happens to be a friend with boobs and benefits?"
"Wait, I thought you two were together?" Wedge started.
"Nah. I already got a boyfriend," Ele' corrected, "We fucked a few times but that was all. Right, Cloud?"
Cloud's face immediately reddened. Sinking into his seat, he stayed silent. He couldn't come up with a response after that. Not only was that too much information, but Ele's bold description of their flings in the past had nearly caused his head to explode. Unlike her, he valued his privacy.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Ele' pressed again when he didn't reply.
"No. Why?" Cloud countered; his voice a bit on edge. He remembered the annoying conversation he had with Kyle at the restaurant. Everyone seemed to be up on his personal business today.
"No need to sound offended. I was just curious," Ele responded evenly, "Biggs is kinda right. There are a lotta girls into you. It's just weird you haven't hooked up with anyone in the years you've been here."
Cloud silently cracked his knuckles underneath the table. Fucking peachy. Bad enough his mother was heavily invested in his love life, but now his coworkers too. It was a no-win situation. Cloud wanted to bury his face and wait for the night to be over. Too bad the night was still young. According to his watch, it was barely twelve-thirty. The witching hour had only started.
"You're not into guys. Are you?" Wedge suddenly asked.
Cloud's half-lidded eyes stayed on the rolly-polly. He wanted to punch his front teeth out.
"No, he's into women," Ele' answered on his behalf with a light-hearted chuckle. She licked her glossed-blue lips and blushed. "Trust me. He knows his way around a girl's undies. Very well."
Both Wedge and Biggs exchanged a look. In perfect synch, they exclaimed: "Daaayum…"
It was around this time their waiter returned. His arrival saved Cloud from an awkward moment and replaced it with joyful surprise at the sight of a large chocolate birthday cake. It was as impressive as Wedge colorfully described earlier and required the assistance of another waiter.
When the cake settled on the table, Wedge clapped. Ele' got out of the booth and stood. She removed a box of small birthday candles from her purse. Just as the waiter passed out their drinks from his tray, she began to plant seventeen candles on the cake. Biggs, meanwhile, retrieved his PHS from the back of his pocket. He took several snapshots of the birthday cake preparations.
With everyone distracted, Cloud aimed his phone back at the female officer and veiled Host on the second floor. The lights in the club turned to pale purples and reds now. The two were hidden in shadow but Cloud still had an excellent view of them from his spot.
By this time, the figure in black had undone several buttons of the woman's top; a black bra showed underneath. The woman's eyes were still closed. Chest rising and falling noticeably, her face shined with perspiration. Her fragile state served as a sharp contrast to the noble position she held in Shinra; a top ranked official reduced to mush at the hands of a mysterious cloaked Host. For a second, Cloud felt guilty watching them together. Dirty. And pissed for some reason. His curious nature kept his eyes on the lustful scene, however. Cloud's entrapped arousal stirred. It wanted more of this.
As erotic music pounded the air, the Host undid the front clasp of the bra. Two breasts bounced out. Their rosy nipples perked in reaction to the raw heat of the club. The Host lazily caressed the left nipple with a leather-clad finger, tracing its organic soft shape. The woman lying on top of him arched her back when he pressed a particular sensitive point. Her eyes opened. She looked at him; mouth slack. Cloud captured the hungry look on her face with his PHS. His own breath drew harder. As much as he despised this moment, he couldn't keep his eyes away from it. Under the table he pressed the palm of his hand against the budge of his trousers. His fingers stroked with the same rhythm as the Host's.
Leaning forward, the dark figure pressed his cloaked face closer to the woman's right ear. He apparently whispered words to her because now she grew still. Attentive. She slowly smiled. Something about that smile troubled Cloud. He noted the crazed, empty look in her eyes. The woman nodded her head only once, as if to acknowledge something. A question. Her Host proceeded to massage the tender bud between his fingers. His other hand, however, moved along the length of her arm. The Host plucked out the cigar from her hand.
Caught in a trance, the officer's eyes remained open. Pink lights flashed over them. Drops of their beaded curtain sparkled in reaction. The Host uttered more words into her ear. What he said, Cloud would never know. He could only observe the officer's bare chest. Her breasts rose and fell more drastically. Beads of sweat glistened and slid down her smooth stomach. Against the black that surrounded the woman, her exposed skin practically glowed with a sharp contrast. The dark figure held the cigar to her lips. She took a deep, long puff. Thick hazardous smoke blew into the air after he pulled it away from her mouth. The fire at the cigar's tip burned brightly.
Cloud zoomed his camera to max. He wanted to observe this event with all of its delicate details intact. But he froze when he noticed the man in black flip the cigar. Its burning tip nearly touched the woman's neck now. She didn't appear alarmed by this. With half-lidded lustful eyes, she followed the trail of her cigar. It traveled down the length of her body, soon passing the collar bone to her fully exposed chest. The gloved finger that fondled the left nipple now stopped.
Cloud sat still when the woman momentarily arched her back enough for the Host. The dark figure leaned down and planted a kiss on the nipple through his veil. Then he raised his head while the officer resumed her previous position and lay on his chest. Cloud wasn't sure what to make of this. He frowned when the Host positioned the cigar's burning tip over the left nipple. A second later, he pressed down.
Cloud nearly jerked in his seat and gritted his teeth. His wide-opened eyes never left the PHS's screen. He watched in horror as the female officer's face twisted in agony. The most tendered part of her skin burned and bubbled under intense heat. Lines of blood dripped down from her left breast while tears streaked her face. Like a wild dog, her mouth drooled with saliva. The veiled man gently held her down when her hips bulked up and down. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close to him like a lover would. The cigar was still pressed into her nipple but the woman did not scream. Even as the tears burst from both eyes, she did not scream. Cloud instantly lost his hard-on. He saw the twisted grin return on the woman's face and realized he had been wrong.
The woman wasn't in pain. She was in ecstasy.
The woman hysterically laughed and violently convulsed. Induced into a state of euphoria, she no longer cared about the bleeding nipple that was reduced to melted flesh now. The veiled man, in all of his calm façade, whispered to her again. Unknown words poured out of him and traveled into her ear. She rode out her painful orgasm while he cradled her in a lovingly manner. The cigar no longer burned.
Cloud briefly turned away from his PHS's viewer screen. Lips had gone dried. His head felt dizzy from both the drugs he'd taken and the traumatizing event he'd just witnessed. He was horrified; disgusted. One hand reactively grasped his left pectoral muscle and squeezed it. Cloud couldn't imagine the sensation of having his left nipple melt off. His teeth grinded together at the thought. For the second time tonight, Cloud wanted to vomit. His terror, though, amplified when he glimpsed back at his PHS.
Onscreen, the veiled man looked directly at Cloud's camera view. His hidden face slowly swayed to one side. The Host moved his head with the careful speed and grace of a feline who'd just found new prey. The color on Cloud's face turned white. Immediately, he slapped his PHS shut. He didn't dare confront the menace that had showed on his high-definition digital screen with his own naked eyes. His heart pounded fast.
The music and people of the club had all become a dull affair now. Exhaling through parted lips, Cloud dropped the PHS on the table, treating it like a cursed object. Wedge frowned at him. He looked ready to ask what was wrong until Jessie arrived.
"Oh, Cloud! I made it right in time!" She emerged from his left side.
Having returned from her short trip, Jessie's brown eyes grew large when she discovered an impressive-looking cake on the table. Biggs briefly stopped taking pictures and greeted her, all smiles now. None of them knew about the horrific event that had just taken place. Cloud felt both sick and grateful for this.
"Here you g-go, Cloud." Jessie approached him and presented a black, short-sleeved shirt with a band's logo on it. "Happy birthday."
Cloud took a deep swallow and forced himself to relax. "Thanks, Jessie."
For a moment, Jessie noted the broken sound of his voice. She also caught the pale expression on his face. Cloud prayed she didn't ask him any questions and looked away from her. Jessie briefly opened her mouth. A second passed. Then her lips closed. A shadow of a smile appeared; half concerned and half sincere. She quickly returned to her spot at the booth without a word.
"Okay, we're almost ready," Ele' announced and winked at Cloud.
All of the candles on the cake were set. Ele' took out her lighter and started the process of lighting them. Biggs took shots of everyone with his PHS again. Cloud didn't look up at his camera or smile. He mentally and physically withdrew to his tiny corner of the booth as much as he could. Even when there grew a slight temptation to glance upstairs, he quickly stumped out the idea. He knew what terror was up there, eager to return his silent gaze. Cloud kept to himself until all candles were lit.
"We're set," Ele' declared. "Let's do this."
Jessie grinned while Biggs took a snapshot. Both Wedge and Ele' slid the cake down the table so that it sat directly in front of Cloud. The dazed country boy blinked at the multi-layered sweet treat. The cake's overwhelming sight somehow managed to pull him out of his frozen state. Seventeen candles burned. A realization hit Cloud as he sat and studied the piece of work.
Seventeen candles. It was seventeen candles that represented his seventeen years in this planet. He could feel the insides of his stomach bundle together, especially when he knew many of those years had been wasted on a dying dream. Cloud became quiet while the birthday theme played. As was customary, his initiation into the new adult year arrived with a cheesy, very cliché song. Everyone present in his booth mouthed the words. Smiling waiters encouraged others to join, rallying people together. Many followed for the hell of it.
The birthday song traveled beyond Cloud's booth in a matter of seconds. A few aerial dancers converged at his spot in the club and twirled above him. It was easy to find him. Within the dark atmosphere of artificial neon lights, his was the only booth that glowed with a natural fire.
Soon, the song traveled to the dance floor and more attention drew to him. It eventually picked up enough momentum and reached the live band upstairs. The performers played the beat with gentle chimes and piano notes. The sound had a musical-box vibe, one that beckoned back to innocent and carefree times.
The birthday theme lasted only a few seconds long but dragged on forever at the same time. Cloud wondered how long he could hold his breath. The often shy teen sat still in his seat and swallowed hard. His face grew warm from both embarrassment and the seventeen candles still burning. He wanted to disappear. Thankfully, his torment ended on the song's last words. Wedge was the first to scream above the roar of applause and cheer.
"Make a wish, Cloud! Make a wish!"
Everyone at the table offered words of encouragement, eagerly waiting for him to blow out his candles. Cloud could barely make his mouth work, let alone, summon enough air to comply. His slick palms clutched onto his knees. He tried to compose himself but the room span around him fast. Lights flared. Blurs of faces appeared. His companions smiled, likewise the strangers. They were all cast in blue.
A piercing thought haunted the back of Cloud's mind. It had never left him. Delirious and overwhelmed by it, he finally observed the second floor and resigned himself to the inevitable.
The first person he saw was the black-haired youth. He hung on his harness upside-down and looked at his direction with those mystifying blue eyes of his. It was the same for the other two blue-eyed men who sat and watched the event unfold. Blue. Their colors of blue found him. Cloud could feel the vibration of his heart pound across his entire body. He dared himself to look at the final Host.
One elegant gloved hand settled over a glass of wine while the other mechanically stroked the hairs of the woman in his arms. She was too spent to notice that her Host's gaze no longer focused on her. It had strayed away. The dark figure now stared at Cloud's booth. At him. The weight of his hidden eyes was strong. Cloud felt it. Somehow, even with the black veil, he sensed a smile. It made him feel naked; exposed. Cloud could only stand in the line of this man's fire.
"Well, Cloud?" Biggs yelled above the ongoing noise and claps. He brought him back to reality with a large grin on his face. "You ready to blow your candles yet?"
The cake. The candles. His wish. Cloud suddenly remembered. He rubbed off the layer of sweat on his palms across both thighs. He felt the veiled man still watching him. That powerful stare bore down on him and Cloud knew, without a doubt, he'd never feel the same again.
A surprising wish came to him in the midst of these confusing thoughts. It was an absurd wish, especially after the horrific scene he just saw. But the wish drew from the deeper, darker depths of his soul. And that wish grew stronger by the second. Even as Cloud tried to deny this desire and wanted to wish for admission into Shinra's army instead, the hidden aspects of himself wouldn't let him. The wish screamed out for liberation.
Despair. He would never forget.
It was then that Cloud leaned forward in his seat. Slowly, he closed his clear-blue, gentle eyes. He ignored all the vibrant colors in this aquatic world. The pinks. The purples. And the blues. They didn't matter. Neither did the screams and claps around him. They all became silent in Cloud's mind. A calming sensation washed over him and he gladly welcomed it. He exhaled sharply. Within seconds, the burning candles finally blew out.
Black. Cloud wished for everything to be painted in black.