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Baiser Baiser: Prologue by Genki Girl
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Please read "End of Sorrow" before reading this because this is a sequel to the aforementioned story. Arigatou.
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Tifa smiled, the brightness a shade dimmer than it had been 5 years before, but still as cheerful and as open as it had always been. Her eyes scanned the bar almost fondly, affection blossoming in her heart and she chuckled at the irony. Too many things had been ironic in the past 4 years. Too many.
She had left her past, only to find herself in a somewhat similar, if less extravagant, situation as that of before. Excluding all the fighting, the pain, the death, the...sorrow. She worked at a bar here, in this little town she had finally stumbled upon 1 year ago, the entrance of the bar narrow and the light dismal. But it had reminded her of 7th Heaven.
And so she had gone in, head downcast, long hair falling across her face as they had become loose from the tight braid. She could feel the eyes of the patrons int he bar, curiosity burning holes through her dirty and dusty clothes, the same clothes she had worn straight for nearly 3 months, only having time to wash them or change into a new pair every so often, never daring to linger in one place for too long in fear of her old friends finding her.
The owner of the bar, surprisingly and oddly enough, wasn't a man. In fact, it was a woman no older than Tifa herself by much, just shy of a few years younger than being able to pass off as her mother.
She had gazed at the woman then, the warm nut-brown eyes gazing back into her own weary, crimson ones. And the smile she had given then was filled with warmth and motherly understanding, and they had clicked right away.
Her name was Lanair, an odd name that Tifa had never heard before, and she was 34, having opened her bar only a few months ago, and was in dire need of some company and aid that wouldn't try to hit on her or molest her. She had a very shaky past with such men and situations she had told Tifa that night as they got to know one another better.
Tifa had told her quietly of her own past, how she happened to chance upon the small town of Fina, but left many things out, such as her involvement with the death of Sephiroth. Lanair, sharp-witted and with a quick eye, had known she left a lot of important things out, but had accepted her brief summary of her life with gentle acceptance, and things had brightened up after that as they talked long into the night and the deal was arranged that Tifa would work for her and received her pay through being able to live in one of the empty bedrooms upstairs in the bar and all other living conditions.
At that moment, Tifa would have agreed to stay in the alleyway for all she cared, she had been so weary and tired, grateful for whatever she got.
"Tifa! Stop daydreamin' and see to who just walked in will you? My hands are a bit full right now with all these orders," Lanair yelled from across the room, her last statement said dryly and an annoyed look shot at the regular patrons who just winked at Tifa and laughed joyously much to Lanair's annoyance.
Tifa grinned and swung herself around to the front of the bar, empty tray in hand she practically waltzed to the door, a happy and content smile lighting up her features.
"Hello and welcome to Bais-" and trailed off, her happy smile fading away only to be replaced by...despair.
'How...how could this be? Why? Why now? After all I've gone through...why...?' She wanted to cry out, but didn't, instead she bit her lower lip, body trembling slightly.
She stepped back from the figure involuntarily, face shrouded by the hood of the black coat, and she could feel the walls she had managed to finally erect through her years of newfound peace crumble from this unexpected twist of fate.
"Long time no see Tifa." The voice was a low, deep tenor, soft and gentle and she felt the first of her tears slide down her face.
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Author's Notes: No. No. NO! I did NOT just get myself into another series situation! *wails* I can't believe this! So many storylines, so little time! *lol* Just kidding--writing is fun! But I'll tell you something, the readers of my other storylines are gonna have my hide for procrastinating. ^^;
Okay, okay, enough with this...wasn't that an unexpected twist in things? ^_^; I tried to lay out the basic background of what Tifa has gone through since my supposedly "one-shot" fic and I'll explain more later in future chapters. And before you THINK you know who the figure is, don't be too quick to assume, ne? ;P I'll reveal the identity of this surprise person in the next chapter. Until then, patience be with you my readers. *lmao* man, I just crack myself up with how freakin' weird I am. ^.~
And just FYI, "Baiser" means "Kiss" in French (i.e., "to kiss"), and so, "Baiser Baiser" is "Kiss Kiss". ^_^;;
