Final Fantasy 7. Tifa Lockhart: Journey to Midgar.

16. Gift shop.

Tifa visited Miki the following morning. She was sedated, having had her stomach pumped not only to counter potential alcohol poisoning but also for the evidence of her drawn out sexual assault. The two boys were in the same infirmary but they were both manacled to their bunks. Once their own injuries had been dealt with, they would be transferred to the Junon Shin-Ra Coastal Security Force under arrest and to await trial on charges of theft of alcohol from the ship’s stocks, entering out-of-bounds areas of the ocean ferry, coercion, giving alcohol to a minor, multiple counts of rape and multiple counts of other acts of sexual indecency. There was no attempt to deal with the origin of the boys’ injuries, even though one had a fractured skull and the other had a small bleed on the brain and a shattered jaw.

Tifa had been thanked by Miki’s parents and just about every member of staff on the ferry. However, she really just wanted to remain out of the limelight and ride out the last day of her trip across the ocean in her cabin. Of course, no one else wanted to allow that, and just about every hour someone would be knocking on her cabin door. With a gift or an expression of gratitude.

The Captain herself even arrived and invited Tifa, as well as Miki’s parents to dine with her this evening at the Captain’s table. Apparently, according to Tina, one of the friendly waitresses from the Blenheim tearooms, it was a great honour. And that, usually, only the rich and powerful ever got to dine with the Captain. Although it was a ‘classy shindig’ as the pretty waitress had stated and Tifa would need to wear a dress.

  “I don’t have a dress, what you see is what you get.” Tifa exclaimed with a shrug, throwing her arms wide.

  “What I see would look amazing in a dress, dear.” Tina replied with a sultry smirk.

  “There are a few dresses at the gift shop.”

  “I had a look at that gift shop, it’s damned expensive in there, I don’t think I can afford one.”

  “C’mon, Tifa honey. The way you dealt with those two… Evil little… Bastard… Monsters… I’m sure whatever you pick up will be on the house.”

Tifa grimaced, uncertain. Not liking the idea of charity too much.

  “Well. I’ll have a look.”

  “Atta girl! They won’t let you in unless you’re dressed to the nines!”

  “I’m not even sure I wanna go…” Tifa pouted as they headed for the door.

  “Oh, c’mon! Now you’re just shilly-shallying! When you find a dress, I’ll help you with your hair and make-up too.”

  “Shilly-shally?”

  “Yeah.” Tina laughed. “A bit like dilly-dally.”

  “Shilly-shally, dilly-dally.” Tifa repeated with a smile.