vatheon | 002

Who: Tifa and anyone
Where: Middle district shop
When: Afternoon
Style: I'll match
Status: Open!

Sometimes it was the little things that did it.

Tifa had done her best since her arrival to distract herself from the situation back home. There was nothing she could do about it until she found a way back, so worrying just wasn't practical. She'd volunteered almost immediately to help look for answers in that lab on the island. When she wasn't doing that, she'd had plenty of the bubble to explore and familiarize herself with. There'd been all the necessities of living to see to, people to talk to, and she'd even tried going to that ball last week.

She could feel it pressing on her, like something closing in out of the corner of her eye. It was pretty common for conversations to turn to home, or for people to bring up things that reminded her of it in spite of herself. The past few days had been the worst of it. Someone murdered, Rinoa's best friend disappearing...

But she'd forced everything out of her mind then, and she managed. It was the little things.

She was out shopping. As uncomfortable as it was taking things for free, she'd been here for weeks now and she could use more than a few changes of clothes. And there was one shirt, hung up in the wrong section, that looked so very much like Cloud's uniform.

That was all it was. Just a shirt. One stupid, unexpected little thing that made her think of him.

She didn't know where he was. Her whole world could be coming to an end, but what got to her the most was that her best friend was missing. Probably he was dead. And she didn't even know, maybe she never would know, if he was really Cloud or just some science experiment who'd tricked the both of them into thinking he was her childhood friend. She wouldn't know if it made a difference in how she felt.

She was crying before she realized it. Crying there in the middle of the store over some stupid shirt.

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Tifa looked surprised in tern at his vehement response, but it didn't change her mind about it.

"I want to," she said, sounding firm even if her voice was still a little raw.

"... okay."

He knew better than to argue with a tone like that.

"What's your name anyway?"

She should probably know that if she intended to return the favor.

"Huh? ... Oh! Rin. Rin Okumura."

"I'm Tifa." 'Nice to meet you' didn't quite seem appropriate here considering, so instead she offered, "Thanks for bumping into me."

That got a laugh out of the teen, and a nod of agreement.

"I'll try to be more careful next time we see each other."

"And I'll... try to be more together."

"I ain't gonna hold it against you if you're not though!"

Rin grinned at her, but stole a look at his watch.

"... aw geez. I gotta bounce or dinner is never gonna get made. You gonna be okay?"

She nodded and started to get up herself. She glanced down at the scarf he'd lent her; maybe she should wash it before giving it back?

"I'm all right, thanks." And then, "You're cooking?"

"Good!" he said with a grin, nodding to her question as he stood up, "Yeah. I love cookin'. Only thing I'm really any good at. But hey if you ever got any tokens and want a good meal, I work at the host club here. Golden Victory. Just tell the boss Rin sent ya."

That first part actually brought a more natural smile to her face, but as soon as the words 'host club' were out of his mouth, it faded into a slightly stunned expression. Unfortunately for Rin, Tifa had spent a significant part of the past five years living in the Midgar slums not far from the brothels.

"Host club...?" She'd never actually seen one for men, but, well. How could Rin just say that so easily? "I'm, ah... not really interested in that sort of place."

Oh. This. Hadn't one of their members had an issue with something like this recently? As Rin recalled, it didn't end well for him, but he was pretty damn sure Tifa wasn't secretly hiding a knife and a grudge against host club members she just met.

He shook his head frantically and put his hands up.

"It ain't like that, I promise. Zelos likes to be a big damn flirt but that's 'bout as far as anything goes. Really it's just people comin' in for company and good food. I ain't got any reason to lie to you 'bout somethin' like that, I swear," he explained rather quickly, trying to cover everything he could think to that would paint the host club in a good light. "H... hell if you really want, I'll be your host!"

He wasn't really supposed to take appointments, and he had been hoping to keep it that way for Maka's sake. Even if she wasn't inherently the jealous type, and they weren't doing anything unscrupulous at the club, he didn't want it to be a point of argument. It was just easier that way.

But if he explained to Zelos and Maka both what was going on... well hopefully the two would understand.

Well, 'company' was often how it was advertised officially, but by Rin's reaction, maybe that was really all it was this time. At the very least, she was sure he believed that was the only thing going on.

"You don't need to do anything like that. It sounds innocent enough." She tried for a reassuring smile. "Maybe I will come by though, just to take a look and say hi."

Oh he of the easily bruised pride. It was the first job he had been able to keep for more than a month, he hadn't utterly fucked it up yet, and Zelos liked him so he was probably more defensive than most people about the "it's not a brothel" issue.

More so now that Yukio was using it as a point to tease him with.

But his point had been made and she didn't argue with him, so that was a win in his mind.

"... alright."

Brothel or no, it was probably still good teasing material. But Tifa wasn't in any mood for that right now.

"Now, I don't want to make you any later than I already have. Go on, get going."

"Oh, right!"

Rin turned and took off, stopping once to turn back and wave.

"Nice meetin' you, Tifa!"

002

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