Another Day

[Tifa Lockhart]

Just another day. Tifa had dropped the kids off at school, and now she was on her way to the market. Always, she shopped cheap, so the farmers market was the best place to go to. Carrying a small basket in her hand, she made her way around the vendors, picking up small things here and there. Today, she felt like making steak and a few other vegetables and fruits to go along with it. Not forgetting about the kids, she also picked up a small tube of cookie dough so she could bake cookies for them. Taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, she made her way over to the seller and paid him for all she had picked up.

Finished with shopping for today, she started walking home. Two days ago she had been attacked by a man, but she wouldn't let Cloud know that. It was foolish of her to go out at night anyway, and the wounds had almost healed by now. For once in her life, she wished that he would stay away. She could fight monsters that many would believe to exist only in nightmares, but she couldn't fight of a mugger. Typical. Never wanting to be the damsel in distress, she kept her eyes open even though the sun was shining brightly. Her dark brown eyes were covered by glasses even though the bruise looked to be nothing more than tiredness. The kids had said nothing of it, so maybe Cloud wouldn't, and if he did, she would brush it off as a cat fight. Tifa got along with women at times, but many of them annoyed the hell out of her, so it would be believable.

She hadn't seen Cloud in a few days anyway, so she wouldn't know. If had been extended time, she would call his phone, but for short trips like his, she let him enjoy the freedom and peace. He probably got enough calls from all of the others anyway. The whole time he had been gone, she had been trying to find a way to express her feelings to him, but the more she thought on it, the more she decided to stay quiet. She had said many times before to herself, that she would let him come to her, though that may not get them anywhere. All was fine though, she cherished their friendship. And as much as she cared for Aerith, she was kind of glad that she was out of the picture. It made things so much easier. Jealousy had reared it's ugly head when she was around. Alwell, at least she and Zack were together again.

Quickly making her way home, she knew that Barett would be by to pick up the kids later on. He had finally gotten a few days off of work, and Tifa could have some time to herself. She had been wanting to check out the new club down the street, and she had the perfect dress to wear to it. That was of course if Cloud didn't show up. That would be fine too, she could spend some time with him. As long as she got a few small breaks from the kid here and there, she would be an adequate "mother".

Opening the door, she stepped inside and sat everything down on the bar. The bar was closed today. The patrons understood, and they made their way off to the other bars. Well, they understood when they weren't drunk, when they were drunk, they would get pretty nasty with her, but she learned to ignore their comments and shrug it off. Taking out the steak, she cut open the bag and put a few spices on it. Letting the spices soak in, she warmed up the stove and spread some oil on the skillet. This would take no time at all, so she began preparing the cookies and the vegetables. All of this would be easier if she removed her glasses, so she did so, and tossed them off the side. Placing the vegetables and steak on the skillet, she walked into the other room to watch some tv.

Cloud may be coming by soon, but if not, she was sure that Barret would compensate for the extra food she had cooked. Over time, she began to fall asleep from boredom. A commercial snapping her awake, she made her way back into the kitchen and removed everything that was cooking, sitting it out to cool down. Exhausted for no reason at all, she made her way back into the living room and lay down on the couch, continuing to watch tv as she fell fast asleep.

-crap post is crap-

[Cloud Strife]

The thrill of the open road… Cloud sped through the empty and desolate highways, a small smile plastered on his face as his azure eyes gazed through goggles at vast expanse in front of him. The solitude was his drug, his guilty and slightly selfish pleasure. The hustle and bustle of Edge and specifically his home the 7th Heaven, and the still not fully reconstructed highways of the planet were a world of difference. Cloud was healing, and thus no longer felt the need to be as antisocial as he did directly following the death of Aerith and his revisiting of the memories that lead to Zack’s death, however he was still going to be a loner. It was his nature now. But… in recent times he had started to become more and more accustomed and comfortable in the company of some of his acquaintances. Well, a handful to be more specific. Tifa especially… and that’s who he was headed to now. As for the rest… they could wait.

He blazed through the barren roads, orange dust clouds rising in front and behind him, as the wind ruffled his blond hair. The sleek and aerodynamic nature of Fenrir allowed him to move much faster than the average bike, and he was quite fond of it, a fondness only topped by the attachment he had to the blades that were stored within it. He cruised, and turned easily his target destination being Edge. It was a road that he travesesed so much he could literally navigate it with his eyes closed… not that there was anything to ‘navigate’ around anyway, as most travel was still restricted due the ongoing reconstruction after the meteor incident.

The delivery job had taken awhile, as all his jobs did. But it had been run of the mill and mundane, and a bit long winded…. Boring even… something that Cloud thoroughly enjoyed. However unlike every other time when he hadn’t exactly rushed to head back to the city, this time he actually felt a need to get back. His last time when he was ‘home’ he had promised Tifa to be their more often, so he could see the kids… and her, a little more. In general, unless they closed the bar for whatever reason, his contact with his family was limited to saying goodbye when he went on his errands and hello when he came back.

He sped into Edge’s vicinity, easily moving in and out of traffic. He was being reckless, moving at such a high speed inside the city… reckless… this was a good thing. He had been worried that since ‘that’ had happened he would begin to become too boring. Not that he didn’t enjoy his life now… and he honestly did. He could get used to it…. And as he pulled up to the bar he had a very small smile on his face at the thought. He pushed into the bar quietly, trying his hardest to make the sound of the bell set over the door as quiet as possible, but to no avail like any other time. As his black boots thudded into the 7th heaven, his blue eyes looked around, half expected to be met by the cheery grins and greetings of the bars usual patrons. But not today it would seem… “Closed?” He muttered, more to himself than anything. That was weird, she rarely closed the bar unless he or someone else asked her too… and unlike any other time, when he came in she wasn’t there to greet him. Maybe she wasn’t around….

But the smell of food told him otherwise. He walked to the kitchen and glanced at it for a moment, before continuing his pseudo search of the house for Tifa. He moved across to the living room, following the sounds of the TV to see her passed out on the couch. Even he had to laugh inwardly, she had over worked herself again. He leaned over and stroked the side of her face, very lightly brush the hair from it that obscured her features. “Hey,” He said softly, not wanting to actually disturb her… but if she was only sleeping lightly then he might as well let her know that he had gotten back.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Dreams swept the young woman away. Though they could be described more as nightmares. Destruction, monsters, darkness, and... death. Death was all around her. Her friends were gone, the man she loved, the children who she loved more so. Tifa dropped to her knees, eyes filled with tears, yet she could not scream out the pain that she was feeling. Noticing a bright white light above, her tear-filled eyes gazed to the sky. Shaking, weak hands lifted up towards the light though she could not accept the fate of those around her. Quickly, she glanced down to see if lights had hovered above them too, but there was nothing but their bloodied and gored bodies sinking into the darkness. Glancing up to her hands that were held stiffly to the sky, her light too was gone, and something else was coming her way. Faux electrical currents shot through her heart, not only because of the on coming whatever, but because of a touch on her cheek. Then she could feel herself screaming out; screaming to wake up from this nightmare that was all too real.

Within a few seconds, her brown eyes snapped open to reality, her widened depths staring into an all familiar blue. With a rapid heart beat, and rapid breath, she spoke out softly. "Cloud.." she mumbled exhaustedly. The hand on her face that has caused her so much fear in her dreams brought her comfort in reality. She breathed in a deep sigh, slowly sitting up, still shaking hands rubbing her lightly bruised eye. Yes, this was all real. The pain was still there, if only a little. "I wasn't expecting you to come home so soon. Do you need anything?" Quickly she snapped out of her fears and returned to normal. Constant work seemed to keep her relaxed, oddly enough.

Slowly, she stood from the couch and stretched just a little before she made her way to the door. Placing her hand on the door frame, she looked back at the blonde, almost forgetting her usual question. "How have you been?" she questioned him with a smile. Knowing that he would follow, she continued on into the kitchen that merged into the bar area. The food was still good despite her not sitting it in the fridge. She had no idea how long she was out for, but it didn't really matter. The kind of food that she made would last for days under almost any condition. While humming to herself, she pulled out a dish from the cabinet, piling on as much food as the plate would fit before sticking it all into the microwave.

Everything that had happened a few nights ago was forgotten now. Still, a small fear tugged at her heart about the streets. Now she had more to worry about with the kids. Hm, maybe she should get a dog. Nanaki?.. She giggled lightly to herself at the sick joke. It took only a few minutes for the food to get done, and she laid the plate filled with steak and stir fry onto the bar, all of it waiting for Cloud to gobble it up. Once again, she wasn't feeling hungry, so she started to nit-pick at a few little messes in the kitchen and around the bar. Cleaning up a few things here, straightening out some things over there. The usual.

Then her thoughts began to wonder.. Damn, that guy looked so familiar. Meh, now was not the time to think on such things. Instead she looked over at her phone, wondering if she had missed any calls. The ninja was back in town, but the others, besides Barret, were missing in action. Rounding up the gang did not seem so easy anymore, and the strange occurrences were still happening. Checking the clock on her phone, the kids wouldn't be home for a few more hours, then they would run in, see Cloud, run over to Cloud, talk and talk and then be the happiest they had been in days. He was such a good father figure for them, though Tifa didn't know if the man still thought that he was a failure or not.

"So... anything new and exciting come up?" she questioned, trying to start a convo and keep his mind busy so his vision would remain blocked by thoughts. Sitting down at the bar, she would keep her hands away from the drinks, for now. Once the kids were gone, she might get a bit more fun, but until then, it was all good mommy and 'house wife'. Of course, she would probably go to the club tomorrow night since Cloud would more than likely want to be by himself. No matter, she would have fun one way or another. If only she could get that crazy ninja to come along, but hell, Yuffie disappeared again. The ninja had give her some ideas though... but Tifa would never have the balls to pull it off..

[Cloud Strife]

And now Cloud had reason for concern. As he stood over his long time friend, looking down at her he could almost see her fear escaping through her mind and showing on her face. And the scream shocked him. He was about to shake her awake himself, before she jolted back to reality. He knew the feeling well… waking up from a dream or a nightmare that you were so certain was real… He didn’t wish that feeling on his worst enemies… not even on a man like Sephiroth. He smiled down at her, and kneeled so that they were eye level. He wasn’t good at empathy. Nor was he good at comforting anybody, even someone he knew so well so all he could do was place his hand over hers as she continued the waking up process.

“No I don’t need anything,” He said, his words quickly followed by a sigh. She was a strange one… she oddly seemed happy when she was working or serving others, and never hesitated to go out of her way for him. His blue eyes caught the discoloration around her face, and locked on immediately, narrowing slightly. “What happened?” He said softly. He already knew that she would probably lie, as to not worry him… but it wouldn’t work, she had been in an altercation. He could only hope it was one of the many cat-fights that she some how always found herself in when he wasn’t around and nothing more serious.

As she stood up, he straightened up as well, wondering what was next. And there it was, her usual question. His homecoming would not have been complete without it. He nodded towards her, and allowed a small smile to cross across his face. “Fine,” He said. Usually his tone was a bit more distant, in a more serious manner. Today however, he was in a good mood and instead answered with his usual one word response only to keep their ritual intact, rather than to brush off her question.

He followed the brunette into the kitchen, and they went through the usual motions. He sat back and watched her going through the same motions she did nearly every time he came home. Preparing, or reheating him a meal. She always seemed to have his well being in the forefront of her mind… but maybe that’s what being in a family was all about. Anyway, like always he sat down and responded to the food with a small “Thank you,” directed at its maker. He looked at her….

“You aren’t eating?” he muttered, already knowing the answer. He knew that she was always worrying and stressing over what he did, but now it seemed like it was his turn. The bruise, the nightmare… and he rarely saw her eat… not that he was around her all day everyday, but still. Even he was starting to think that this was a cause for concern. He watched as she continued her busy work around the kitchen, and sighed to himself wishing he could provide some other support to her with the exception of finance.

“Nothing in particular. I didn’t learn anything about…. You know...” He said trying to keep the conversation light, and not switch over to more serious topics. He scratched his jaw, and his mind returned to the conversation a few nights ago. “Did you hear anything from the others?” He knew that she had been anxious to catch up with the old crew. He still didn’t approve of the decision to get others involved, but he knew better than to argue. She wouldn’t feel comfortable unless she had everyone informed and ready to go… “Where are the kids?” He said looking around. The blond haired man had virtually no sense of time when he came back from his delivery jobs. He wasn’t sure if they were at school…. Or playing or what..

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa was grateful for Cloud's return. More than his return though, she was grateful for his smile. So rarely did she ever see it. The last time she had seen a true one was when they had, no, he had, defeated the stigma. The small touch on her hand was another shock, though he had placed his hand on her shoulder a few days ago. Normally, he was very reserved. But, he was healing, and the outcome for him looked amazing. One of her fears could be put aside, and a small fraction of the worry that she had for him had lifted. She knew that he had loved Aerith, but it seemed as if he had finally moved on, not just from Aerith, but from Zack as well. "I am glad that you are feeling better," she spoke to him, her mind still a big groggy from the sleep.

When the awaited question was asked, she wondered if she should tell the truth. She had to stop her lies one way or another, even if it meant a bit of hurt for those that she loved. But it was the price to pay to make things right. Shifting as she lay down, her eyes averted to the ceiling before she looked over at him once more. "I was.. mugged," she sheepishly grinned. That was the cause of her not having dinner for the kids that night, but they seemed to understand. Except for Marlene, she was always full of questions, and never scared to ask about every detail. She remembered the kids staring at her, stunned at the words she had spoken. Tifa, being mugged. It just didn't fit, and that sounded more like a lie than getting into a cat-fight, which in truth, was very rare as well. The brunette had become more hardened after it all, but not enough to have petty fights.

Making her way into the next room, she heard his reply. "Typical," she lightly teased, her voice loud enough to be heard into the other room. She could hear his heavy, yet quiet footfall as he followed her. Glancing over at the steak, she bet that it smelled REAL good to him right now, since the Mako seemed to enhance everything. He even seemed to be able to tell lie from truth, which is one reason why she had decided to give up lying. At his thanks, she simply nodded, opening up the fridge and pulling out a soda from it. With a small noise, the can was opened and she brought the fizzy drink to her mouth. Man, she had forgotten how much she had hated this stuff. Immediately, the fizz went into her nose, and she made a sound similar to that of a dog sneezing, her hand clutching her burning nose. Squinting one eye shut, her lip curled into a slightly pained smirk. "That woke me up," she mumbled to herself.

Once the burning stopped, she became a big girl and got over it, thanks to his question. The only times Cloud seemed to ever be concerned about her is when she was in a bind. It was rare for him to ask questions like what he had today. Maybe the fresh air really was doing something for the spiky-haired man. "I haven't been hungry lately. I still eat, so don't worry." Yes, she did still take in some food, though it wasn't a lot. She had lost maybe.. 7 lbs., but nothing to fret over. With each boring day that passed, she found herself missing the fighting as well. The different cities, the open valley's and everywhere that had traveled to years before. Tifa had not been ready for 'motherhood', yet she had accepted it with open arms because of her heart. No matter how much she loved the kids, she would always miss the open road and the free lifestyle. Cloud was one lucky man. "Wanna swap lives for a week?" she questioned him jokingly, though she was partly serious. She knew one thing. If she were to attempt to drive Fenrir, she and the bike would crash and burn.

"Ah.. well, we can worry about that a bit later," she replied, catching onto the hint in his sentence about keeping the conversation at a happy stance. Tifa shook her head at his question. She hadn't been able to get into contact with any of them. Well, Vincent and Cid is what she meant by anyone. "Vincent and Cid never answer their phones," she replied. It didn't much matter anyway, she and Cloud could go into the battle as a duo, that would be damn cool. The heroes of the world, Cloud and Tifa. It had a nice ring to it, and the bar would be extra packed, all wanting to see the hero's. Oddly enough, maybe it was Tifa's dream that was making her more optimistic. That dream had told her that life could end at any moment, and to live it to the fullest, and maybe that is what that dream had meant.

That dream however, did not mean that she would speak her mind about everything. No, some things were meant to be kept secret, good and bad. Reaching for her phone, she looked at the clock, knowing that Reno would be by later tonight for alcohol; on the house. That ass actually thought that he could get free drinks. He believed that Tifa thought of him to be the hot stuff of the town. And damn her luck, as soon as she got to thinking about it, a text came in. "Hey Teef, you treating me tonight?" Rolling her eyes, she typed in a quick 'no' and closed her phone.

Shrugging her shoulders at Cloud about the text message, her full attention was on him now. "At school. Barret's going to pick them up when they get out." Once again, Tifa had some free time to herself. With the economy, it seemed like even Barret was having a problem with work. This night however, was not a great night to be without the kids. It gave the tender hearted woman an excuse to chase the red-head off. Him and his stupid mullet/rat-tail... "What do you plan on doing tonight?" she questioned, hopeful that he would for once think of something to her away from the bar.

[Cloud Strife]

It seemed that she knew him better than had had thought. At her words he was tempted to ask ‘what do you mean’, however there was no need. The words would be wasted. And he was feeling better… he had gotten over their deaths. He still blamed himself, still had regrets, but it was time to move on. Zack.. Aeris.. Both their memories were only befouled every time he mopped over it. He had to move on, both of them would have wanted that. Zack especially. It was just an eye opener that he did not even say anything for her to
detect his change in attitude. “I’m glad I am too,” He said, his soft smile growing just a little more obvious.


However his smile disappeared at what came next…. Mugged? Immediately, he spiraled into the usual cycle he went through when someone close to him was hurt in some way… guilt, regret. He frowned. When had this happened? Why hadn’t he been here? Not for the first time he felt remorse for his open and free lifestyle, and not for the first time he found himself wanting to find someway to both run his delivery service, which allowed him both financial and physical freedom, and be here more often. Eventually he would have to choose between one or the other. Maybe when they had more money… maybe he could find a more localized job. “Mugged?” His voice was concerned, more like worried. He had… never expected to hear those words from her. Tifa had been through almost as many battles and wars with him, and he knew that she could hold her own in a fight… had it been someone else in the same position, he may have laughed. It was ironic that such a capable fighter could find her self harmed by a common thug… “You should be more careful..” He mumbled, still worried. But he was also thinking about how to find the guy who did it… he could teach him a lesson.

And yet the worry continued as the conversation turned to food. She was visibly slimmer, and though a woman might consider this to be a good thing, Cloud could see it and was already concerned that soon she would be malnourished, or fall ill due to being too skinny. “You should eat more. I never see you eat…,” It was true, but it was a slightly unfair statement. He rarely saw her at all… when he came home he stayed for a couple nights before going back on his next job. He sighed at the thought, but found his expression switched to a smile at her joke, “ I’m not sure If I could handle you life for that long,” He responded in the same joking tone. Constantly caring for others, working non stop on making his patrons happy.


“Indeed,” Good… they didn’t have to talk about the Sephiroth situation today. He was tired of it… tired of the fighting, the constant battles… he was back, so another confrontation was inevitable, but the longer be held off the better for everyone. Last time… no, he wouldn’t screw himself up again by thinking about before. “We’ll hear from them eventually no doubt.“ Cloud liked Vincent. He was just as reserved, if not more so. They had a quite understanding, and a friendship that rarely needed words. He liked Cid too. In fact he ‘liked’ each of his old cohorts. However… they were meddlers. Every single one. He could rest assured that even if Tifa wasn’t able to contact any of them, he had no doubt that some how they would attempt to interfere when the actual battle started. He was content to go it alone… but eh. Whatever satisfied Tifa.


School. Wow. He was really out of touch with society. He didn’t even know what time it was… and Barret was around. At least one of their old friends that may help stave off some Tifa’s worries. “Nothing.” It was the only answer he could give to her last question… his life was centered around work and sleep. Nothing more nothing less, on occasion he would brush up on his sword skills when he felt too rusty. But that was it. “You?” She probably had more of a life… he would accompany her wherever she went, maybe have a bit of fun? If such a thing was possible.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Cloud's confirmation on his mental state made her smile even more. Most of the time, Tifa couldn't read the man's face, but when ever he smiled, it was plain as day, just like with anyone else. But just as quickly as he had smiled, any trace of happiness in him vanished. Hopefully he wouldn't blame himself for this one, though more than likely he already was. The sound in his voice made her heart wrench, and now she wished that she had lied to him. When her head was in the clouds, her body was open to attack.

She had always been that way, and it would never change. His face was still in her mind, but she was still biased about letting Cloud know if she ever saw that man in public. Seeing Cloud around her should be enough to deter the guy away, or maybe he was one of those tough guys and he would want to start a fight just to cause problems. There were no worries about Cloud though; he could kick anyone's ass. Plus, his multiple swords would scare anyone away. But no, she wouldn't bring her friend into it. He had enough to worry about. "I was off in my own little world again. He may have got me from the back, but I promise that I hurt him ten fold." And she had. Her glorious fists of fury decided to cause a scene, but it was well worth it. At least she hadn't been arrested.

The conversation stayed down for a little while, but it was expected. The brunette had not been feeling the best lately, so it was natural that eating would be less. "I should. I have too much going on in my mind for me to think about food," she replied to him as her thoughts constantly came and went. And come to think of it, he was right that he couldn't handle her life. Her patrons would be very upset if someone was to take her place, and they would probably leave or start an argument. She laughed a small bit though. "Darn, I thought we could start our own business. The Strife of Locked Hearts Delivery Service." Her hands went into the air, spreading apart slowly as she said the words. Wow, that was one corny name. "We could even be like the Ghost Buster's or something and go around killing monsters for a hefty fee." Yeah, that one sounded a lot better. She couldn't believe what she was saying, but her dumb remarks seemed to make him smile.

And of course, as soon as her mood was starting to lift, another ring came from her phone. "Aww, please!? I thought I was your favorite guy in all of Edge?" Reno's texts were starting to get on her nerves, and she gritted her teeth to show it. The bastard was so full of himself. Believing that he was God's gift to women or something. Like she would ever stoop so low as to be with Reno. Instead of responding back, she put her phone to silent mode, and if she missed any calls, too bad for whoever it was. Tifa looked over and nodded at Cloud, knowing that they did have a knack of showing up as soon as something went down. Tifa had many theories to that, but she wouldn't go into it now.

A small pout marred her solemn features, knowing that was the inevitable answer. Since he was eating, going to a restaurant was out of the question. Movies were lame these days, and the strip club was a place that she didn't think he would enjoy... She didn't enjoy it herself, but Yuffie had dragged her there a few times when there was nothing better to do. She just wanted to go somewhere somewhat quiet and relax, away from the bar and the impending guest of doom who threatened to arrive later. A ride on Fenrir wasn't much of an option either; Cloud was tired.

The brunette swiveled in her seat trying to think of somewhere to go. The zoo? Ha, yeah right. The biggest attraction was chocobo's. Geez, did she really not get out that much. Her wine colored eyes found their way to his, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Wanna beat each other up?" Her voice was somewhat teasing, though she really had no idea what to do with her free time. "I have no idea what to do," she grumbled, her face full of defeat since she was a boring person.

After a few moments of thought, she had decided on two things. "Okay, we're either going to a strip club or the amusement park." She nodded at him, allowing him to pick whichever one that he wanted. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Hey, let's go swimming!" Yes, that sounded like a great idea. Sure, it was starting to cool of in Edge, but not all of that much. And with school in, there would be no bothersome teenagers to deal with. Still, Cloud didn't look like the type who enjoyed swimming. His marvelous hair would probably fall into wet clumps, and if they were to stay as they were now, she would be baffled as to how they continued to deft gravity.

[Sephiroth]

The door opened slowly. Whoever it was obviously hadn't read the sign that the place was closed for the day. Or at least simply just didn't care what the sign had said. There was an ominous sound in the air. A chilling sensation for all those that were nearby, and for those that had already experienced, an eerily familiar sensation. It had been two years since the last time they had seen each other, and the man certainly hoped the reunion would be as full of as emotionally touching as it was when their paths had cross last time.

He allowed himself a small smile before killing it. Much like he’d do to Cloud.

He walked slowly and purposefully towards the bar and rubbed his hand along the table. So that woman was here too. How delicious, this would just get better and better. Maybe he would just kill her here and now in front of Cloud. That would get him going most certainly, or maybe it would just crush him, just like his other failures, as numerous as they were. It was a pity that Cloud had somehow found the strength to break his conditioning as one of Sephiroth’s copies. If he could make Cloud kill those close to him, his revenge would taste so much sweeter.

Continuing as if he owned the place, he walked straight into the back, right to where Cloud and Tifa were having such a tender moment. He wanted to see their looks on their faces to know that he was back. And then he would kill them, or maybe it would be more fun, just to crush their hopes a little bit. Make them beg for their lives, and then leave them here.

He decided against killing them, it would so go against the plan. And as tempting as it was to break Cloud a second time, it would have to wait until he had finished toying with them. Besides revenge was just like fine wine, it needed time before it could fully perfect.

“Well isn’t this a touching moment?” said Sephiroth, his voice full of false warmth. He waited a few moments to let the sound of his voice click in their memories. The way he stood, Tifa would be the first to see him. He wondered what thoughts were going through her head, but he restrained himself from reading her mind. The element of surprise was always so much more entertaining. He wondered which of them would be the first to attack.

“It’s been such a long time, Cloud,” continued Sephiroth, “I just felt like visiting an old friend. For old time’s sake.”

OOC: Yeah that's right, son. I formatted your post.

[Cloud Strife]

His eyebrow rose at her words. She could be lying in order to stop him from worrying, but he decided to give her the benifit of the doubt. Besides, he did know that Tifa was capable of handling her self... He sighed. "You should probably be more careful next time," He muttered. It was disturbing that she had gotten mugged, but it was even more so interesting that the mugger had caught her 'off in her own world'. What else could happen to her when she was daydreaming? Her words may have come off as stern, or a little too serious, but he was simply worried about her.


Worries persisted, but for her sake he pushed it aside. When he was damaged she had given him time, so perhaps he would attempt to let whatever was bothering her blow over and not push it... The food issue was still troubling him.... perhaps he'd take her to dinner one day? That way he could ensure that she ate something.

He stared at her as she mentioned her company name. His blue eyes were on her thoughtfully for a few seconds... then he burst into laughter. It was a deep mature laughter, not like his jovial outbursts from his youth, but it was laughter still... and it was honest, not forced. It was in reaction to both her corny name, and her gesture afterwards. His mind searched for a word to describe it… and came up with lame, which made him laugh more. His outburst quelled just as quickly as it began, but a wide grin was on his face as she continued her joke. “There probably aren’t many ghosts around the planet, judging by what it’s seen…” He said darkly, his sarcastic attempt at humor. A failure no doubt, but even still, the irony amused him.


He was content to watch her think, and muse over their destination for the day. Like he knew any… what did people do for fun? He hadn’t grown up in a big city, and since they had lived in Edge he was rarely ever there. And the rare times he did frequent into the city, it was only because his job had some localized responsibility that had to be taken care of… He wasn’t even sure what people did for fun… so he would let her decide. His eyebrow raised at her suggestion… a suggestive smirk inching it’s way across his face. That could be fun as well… “We could just stay home if there’s really nothing-” he started quickly before her next two suggestions came. “Strip club….?” He said, considering. Tifa was an odd woman. What kind of girl asked her…. Friend (for lack of a better word at the moment) to a strip club. The amusement park sounded decent, all sorts of amusement to be had there no doubt. He was about to answer, when she came with a third suggestion.

“The pool sounds nice,” Yeah. That was more of his style… the amusement park would be too crowded, and he had yet to decide whether or not she was serious about going to the strip club yet. “When do you wan-”

For the second time in under few minutes, he was cut off. Though not by Tifa… by an ominous feeling that gripped him quickly and suddenly. Just as the inexplicable sensation gripped him, and he swirled around in his chair, the bell that was over the bars door rang. He frowned, slightly apprehensive and called out, “We’re not open today,” to whoever was approaching.

But his words were wasted on the on coming man (If he could actually be described as such), who marched straight back. Immediately as his blue eyes caught on to the all too familiar sight, Cloud was on his feet already tense and shifting where he stood to protectively stand in front of Tifa, almost blocking her from sight. His slight smile that had been set on his face was now gone, replaced instead by a frown. Not angry… just tired almost say ‘what do you want?’ He was just getting comfortable… and now this…

“You.” He said in response to his enemies warm façade. Cloud should have known…. He had been getting more comfortable. There was no fear in the blond haired warriors eyes, no he had been through this too many times before. Sephiroth was a nightmare. A physical representation of one maybe, but in the end a nightmare nonetheless… Cloud could get rid of him again, he had done it before.

“Leave.” He said sternly, glaring directly into the Soldiers soulless eyes. Not that he believed it would work, but he would much rather not deal with this bull shit. His fingers twitched instinctively, itching to reach back and grab his buster sword so he could quickly run it through the demon that stood before him. Then he remembered he didn’t have it anymore… he had given it back to Zack, so it could rest with it’s true master. Instead he found himself glancing towards the door… the fusion swords were outside, inside Fenrir. He didn’t dare move though…. Not yet anyway.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Tifa continued to quietly listen to Cloud's mumbles for her to be careful. She could say nothing against it since she was constantly on him about being careful. All that she could do was look away from him and stay quiet, silently letting him know that she would be more careful from now on. The conversation was going pretty good today, and Tifa loved every moment of it. It reminded her of when they all were working for AVALANCHE to stop ShinRa, even though Cloud was not really Cloud back then.

The man would never know how much guilt Tifa had when she thought about the past. As children, the two never really talked. He had saved her from a deathly fall, and because of that, she caused the whole town to hate him. The people that she mingled with back then too.. She would just stand by and let them bash on the shy kid, and she would never forgive herself for that. The brunette sighed deeply. How she wished that those false memories of them being good friends were true memories. Well, it didn't matter much, did it? They were friends now.

A bit startled by his laughter, she still laughed at the same time as him. Yes, it was a very lame idea indeed, but the money almost made her consider it. But no, she was stuck to house duty. She had little time for battling, and she feared leaving the kids to ever battle again. That was a reason why she never wanted to have children of her own. How awful of a mother she would be if she were bring children into this world. Of course, there were many possible candidates out there who weren't in the midst of battle at every second, but she would never want to have their children.

Hell, she didn't even want to have sex, a stuck-up look on her face followed by that thought. "Oh but my dear, that is the beauty of it! We would be killing monsters, not ghosts," she replied to him with a wink.

It had taken her long enough to come to a conclusion on what she wanted to do. In the end, the decision was Cloud's. Her brow raised a little with his suggestive smirk. What the hell was he thinking? She teasingly shook her head, an awkward smile on her face. Surely, he wasn't a pervert... On second thought, maybe he was. "Don't tell me that you're a pervert," she spoke out lowly, wondering if Cid or one of the other men had finally gotten to him. Still, the image of Cloud shoving Gil down stripper's thongs was a damn hilarious thought. She stifled a laugh, though a small single laugh came out anyway. She brought her fingers up to pinch between her eyes. "Oh Cloud.. not you too," she spoke, her fingers still pinching the trigger point though a smile was on her face. Hopefully he would stick to his want of the pool instead. Maybe she was just weird, but she didn't exactly enjoying women shaking their asses in her face.

Tifa was highly enjoying the relaxed mood until she heard the bell of the door ring. Damnit all. "I said no, Reno!" she snapped, spinning around in her chair quickly as she prepared to get up and throw him out. But as soon as her feet touched the ground, she froze in fear.

No... Cloud moved quickly to block her, but she could still see him in her mind. Nothing would persuade her that this was all just another bad dream. Those nightmares. Were they finally coming true? Her heart seemed to stop, her stomach churning with fear almost to the point that she wanted to throw up. How many times would this have to happen? Oddly, her biggest fear right now was not Sephiroth doing any damage, physically, but mentally. Cloud had come so far..

The sound of the silver-haired mans voice sent chills through her body. Would she be next? No, Cloud would protect her. Besides, Tifa was very capable of taking care of herself, for a while anyway. She knew that one wrong move and she would be dead at the hands of this monster.

A small fluke in her protection though; Cloud did not have his sword. Why the hell didn't he have his sword? The only other one's that she knew of were outside in Fenrir, the dead giveaway to Cloud's location. Well, if anything was to happen, the kids would be left out of it. But she didn't want to think about them now. Who knew what Sephiroth was capable of. Tifa backed away from Cloud just a little, her back jamming into the bar uncomfortably. Right now, she wanted to be as far away from here as possible. This bar was her life, and if this man were to destroy it, not would she be fucked, but so would everyone else who lived here and came by here.

Thinking about all of the loss that was possible, the woman began to feel anger over fear. Her hands fisted tightly, her nails digging deeply into her skin, causing just a small trickle of blood to seep out from between her fingers. All that she could do was stand here. She had two kids to care for, and they were one of the many things on her mind right now. This man had attacked her before, and she had lived. And she would do it over and over again with the same outcome. Death.

[Sephiroth]

Sephiroth chuckled softly, as Cloud interposed his body between Sephiroth and Tifa. As if that would somehow prevent Sephiroth from killing her if he was so inclined to end her life. But as their luck would have it, he wasn’t here to end their pitiable lives. At least not this time. No that would ruin the fun of everything. It was much more fun to watch them squirm in fear.

“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” replied Sephiroth to Tifa, “It’s okay. I have one of those familiar faces.” Watching the looks on their faces was so amusing. Especially Cloud, trying to look as intimidating. It was absolutely priceless.

He caught Cloud’s twitch for his sword. Not that it would do him any good if he had it. Sephiroth could materialize Masamune instantly. One of the advantages almost being equal to a God, something he would’ve already been, if that fool Aeris hadn’t continually interfered in his plans every time. But this time, that wouldn’t be the case. He was sure of it this time; there was nothing they could do to stop him. He had already planned this entire move. Like a chess player he purposely leaves himself open as a feint. This was no different, and soon all of them would fall. Checkmate.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to kill you…this time,” said Sephiroth, “I just wanted to pay you all a visit and see how you were all doing. After all, we have such a close bond, wouldn’t you agree Cloud?”

“I even hear you now have children living with you,” He gave another small smile that was anything but comforting. More like inhuman and disturbing, “That’s so charitable of you. And I love what you’ve done with the place. I definitely see a woman's touch.”

"Well, I think I may be overstaying my welcome. Although I regret missing the children." said Sephiroth coolly with a smile still on his face, "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around again real soon."

He turned his back to them and spared on last glance over his shoulder.

[/size]

[Cloud Strife]

Note for later… always care at least one of his blades with him. The blond haired warrior couldn’t help but feeling slightly… helpless. If it came down to it, he would have to make a dash for Fenrir outside. For now he couldn’t move, if there was anything that should be noted about Sephiroth it was his unpredictability. He didn’t want to attempt to grab his weapons, and have Tifa exposed. He cast a very quick glance behind him at the brunette, once again feeling guilty that he didn’t feel he could adequately protect her. She didn’t look too worried though… good, however he could feel her anger resonating from behind him. For now Sephiroth hadn’t made any outward show of aggression besides his annoying and taunting words, but if Tifa attacked him… things could get bad.
“Careful, Tifa…” He muttered.

He was having a pretty hard time restraining himself as well. And it was getting harder and harder with each passing second (sex joke here~), as Sephiroth’s mocking tone continued to eat at his usually calm nature. Luckily it took a lot to put Cloud over the edge. That was one advantage to being so dry and… dull. Things rarely effected him the way they did most other people. However… Sephiroth’s next words came close to pushing even HIM over the edge. And that took a lot. But once again, as mention of Denzle and Marlene came up he was more concerned with Tifa’s reaction than his own. He muttered again to the brunette behind him…
“Careful.” Another warning.. He knew that she loved the kids more than anything else, and took her rule as their mother and protector seriously. If he could choose one word to destroy the white haired man that stood in front of him at this moment.. It would be asshole. It was strange how well Sephiroth actually knew him, and how he had the ability to pick at him like nobody else could.

As he turned his back, Cloud felt his muscles unclench slightly. There was no anger, only fatigue and straight up annoyance in his voice as he muttered. “Leave…” once more. He didn’t care for this life any more. If Sephiroth threatened Tifa or the kids directly, or did some other dastardly action that placed the earth in danger.. THEN he’d do something. As of right no, he didn’t have the patience to deal with the immaturity of the white haired man in front of him.

OOC: Crappy post is crappy. I'm sorry.