"For the love of the Ancients Reno, just put the damn thing on!"

"I am not a tie guy."

"I don't care, it's part of the uniform, and Tseng has asked me to make sure you're wearing it, so wear it you will."

Elena glared at her coworker with every bit of female fury she could muster. But this was Reno, and he had long since been rendered immune to the patented look of death.

"Look sweetie, the only way you're going to get that tie on me, is if you promise to take it off later. Along with everything else." With a chauvinistic look in his eye he took her hand and kissed it.

"Ew." She pulled away. "Pig."

"Ew?" He played it as if hurt. "Me... Rejected?" He stumbled backwards as if he was about to faint. "I don't know what to do... The world doesn't make sense anymore..."

"So are you going to put the damn tie on already?"

"Hmm. Lemme think about it." He took the tie in one hand, looking pensively at it while stroking at an imaginary beard. Then he quickly tied it around her forehead instead. "No." With that he stalked off in order to find some entertainment.

Elena turned completely red in complete anger and frustration, then eased up a bit when she realized that, when she removed the tie that made her look like some sort of indie rocker, it had a perfect knot to it. "Now if he's so against ties, how could he...?"

"Best not to dwell on it," Tseng said from behind her.

"Aah!"

"Calm," he said, moving a hand as if to shush her without meeting her eyes. Instead he continued to stare ahead as if at nothing, hands clasped behind his back.

"I'm sorry sir, I couldn't get him to wear the stupid-"

"You tried and that's all that counts. I've been trying to get him to wear one for four years with no success. After a while I've come to admit defeat... For the most part, anyways."

"So why did you ask me to try?"

"To test you, see how far you would go to complete an objective."

"... How did I do?"

"You failed."

"What? But you just said-"

He looked her square in the eyes. "Objectives are important, but you've lost sight of the mission." Then without a word further, he stalked off towards their special guest and a creepy man in a labcoat, both over by the refreshments. While the man's face was unseen, the young woman in green didn't look too happy to be speaking with him. Shortly after Tseng had caught her attention she stormed away.

Elena could almost feel a dark cloud gathering above her. "I am so screwed..."

During our bout across the dance floor, all eyes on us, I noticed Hojo staring me down, a disgusting smile plastered on his greasy features. I excused myself shortly after the next song started, saying I'd go in search of water - something in a bottle, and sealed I promised. It was hard for him to refuse to let me leave him there, especially with so many fangirls ready and waiting to pounce on him. So I approached Hojo by the refreshments and let out a small sigh.

"What do you want, Professor?" I said without looking up.

"Why didn't you take that offer several years ago?"

"Why would I? Oh sure, I'd love to submit to a life of tissue samples and scheduled interrogations about my ancestors." If he couldn't detect the sarcasm in my voice, then he really was a fruitloop.

"I'd like to make you that offer again-"

"Pass."

"-In light of your recent interactions with Sephiroth."

"I said pass." I looked over at him scowling. "What is he to you anyways?"

"Only the greatest soldier Shinra has ever been graced with."

"That's not what I asked to know. I said what is he to you?"

"It's-"

"Classified. Right. But he means something to you, doesn't he? Perhaps he's one of your little science projects, hmm? Is that how far you've fallen?"

"I just want to see you taken care of."

I leaned in so I could speak quietly. "Like how you took care of my father when you gave the order to kill?"

"Be reasonable, Ancient. You are the sole surviving heir of a great legacy."

"And you are a foul, twisted old man and there is no way I would share any such 'legacy' with you or Shinra or anyone." Tseng appeared behind him and spared me a glance before deftly scooping up some punch in a glass he procured. He made to turn away and sample it, still keeping an ear out for me.

I snatched up an apparently sealed bottle of water. "If you are so stuck on 'helping' me, Professor, then do me one favour, and one favour only; Let me feel human for at least one night of my life." I turned and walked away.

"Now wait just a-" he started. I kept my pace.

Behind me I heard a splash, and then a string of insincere apoligies from Tseng. Hojo complained loudly but Tseng insisted that he give him the money to cover the drycleaning. I guess that was how he kept him from following me out to the balcony.

I saw the whole thing.

I politely excused myself from the crowd that had somehow managed to surround me. Or at least I would have, if they'd have listened. Instead I was halfway to pushing them to the ground because the moment I went to move in one direction, the crowd would shift to occupy the space in that direction and surround me once more. When I finally managed to wrest myself free, I made my way over to Zack.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!"

Who was apparently engaged in some barbaric test of alcoholic fortitude against Reno. I folded my arms and gave Zack a pointed glare, and he almost choked on the next gulp. He bowed out of the contest, much to the discontent of Reno and those around him. Reno did us the favour of herding the crowd back to the dance floor.

"S'up?" he inquired.

"Aeris is unwell. I want you to go talk to her," I began.

"Hey man, why me? She's your girlfriend..." he slurred.

I gave him a look that should have answered his question for him, but I suppose he was too drunk to notice. "Because she's angry over something Hojo said, because I'm not proficient in solving another's personal problems, and because you would know better what to say."

"I'm kinda not... All here at the moment, y'know?" He clearly wasn't as he swayed unsteadily to the left.

"Clearly not." I said, annoyed. "Fine then." I grabbed him by both shoulders and turned him around. "Do me a favour, and start walking that way, then tell me what you find out later."

"Alrighty, my man Seph, I'm on it..." Then he started walking unsteadily in the chosen direction.

Sorry about the long delay -;; I briefly tried my hand at a social life once again, but now that my sleep cycle is completely nocturnal again, I've gotten back at it :P As you may've noticed in this chapter and the previous one, a lot of stuff is happening at or close to the same moment in time, so it's a bit confusing to follow and I'm doing the best I can to make it all make sense. It'll be no different in the next chapter, but soon the side-plots will start to wrap up. I just had to have a Reno moment or three :)

In case I forget to with the next chapter (Which is in progress), a huge thanks to Tyramir for his constructive criticism aswell as the only Rufus cameo this fic may have, to come very soon either in the next chapter or in the one after that :)

Please review!! Please!? o.o;