Final Fantasy 7: Seeing Red

"That's right, you fucking monster." The guy pressed the barrel of the gun against Tifa's cheek and started to tug on her arm, trying to pull her further away from Red XIII. "You get any closer and I'll blow the bitch's brains out."

Red's only response was to cock his head quizzically to one side, like a slightly confused housecat. His gaze met Tifa's and she could see the question there. What are you waiting for?

Tifa sighed slightly as the man with the gun tried to drag her away, only to find that she wasn't moving and his desperate yanks were not budging her a single inch. His face was only inches away as he shouted, sending flecks of spit flying.

"Get moving you fucking who-"

To an outside observer, it would seem like Tifa barely moved, shifting only imperceptibly for a split-second before the drunk was suddenly flung violently into the air. But if, by some coincidence, the scene was recorded by a high-speed camera at that very moment then it would have captured the heel of Tifa's palm striking the man beneath the chin just as his mouth stretched grotesquely around the last syllable. The impact causing his jaws to snap shut, his jagged yellow teeth just severing the tip of his tongue before the teeth themselves shattered. Before the force of the blow completely lifted him off of his feet some involuntary muscle spasm caused him to pull the trigger of the gun still pressed against Tifa's face but as the hammer pulled back she took a half-step, the bullet flying only inches from her head before ricocheting off into the darkness.

Tifa grimaced as the man collapsed in a heap several yards away, gun skittering along the ground. Red XIII trotted up as she picked bits of her would-be attacker's teeth from her hair. His feral demeanor was almost totally gone: his mane had flattened and his tail was no longer lashing angrily from side to side. Even the flame on the end was flickering like a merry candle rather than blazing fiercely.

"Hey, Red..." Tifa did her best to seem calm and unruffled. She expected that she was probably failing. "How...uh...how's it going?"

He sat back on his haunches, bringing his head almost up to Tifa's shoulders. She saw him glance at the huge jug of liquor near her feet and for a moment she was worried that he would start asking uncomfortable questions.

"Well enough." Red was a man...or beast...of few words. It was a character trait Tifa was very thankful for right now. "I caught your scent while wandering the festival and thought I would say hello."

"Oh?" Tifa's face and neck felt hot and she really hoped that Red was colorblind and wouldn't notice her blushing. "Where's Yuffie and Vincent, I thought you three were hanging out?"

Red shrugged, an interesting gesture on a quadruped. "They're on the Ferris wheel right now. Yuffie hinted fairly clearly that she'd like some...one-on-one time with Vincent."

"Wait...Yuffie...and Vincent? Seriously?" The thought of the hyper, chatterbox ninja hooking up with the lugubrious gunman was shocking enough to briefly make her forget her own embarrassing situation. "I mean...good for them but...those two?"

Red gave one of his low, growling chuckles and scratched an ear with one paw, causing the beads woven into his hair to rattle. "Oh yes, she's had her sights set on him for a few weeks now. Of course, Vincent seems oblivious."

"Naturally." Tifa smiled, then laughed out loud as a mental image popped into her head. "He probably won't realize what's going on until Yuffie has stolen his pants. Maybe not even then."

"That very well might be the young lady's plan tonight."

The two of them started laughing together but the moment of merriment was cut short by the sound of shouting and the beams of flashlights cutting through the darkness.

"Crap, I think that's security." Tifa winced...she had been so used to fighting bandits and monsters in the wilderness that the idea of actual law enforcement showing up hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Someone must have heard the gunshot." Red's tail lashed back and forth, the light on the end serving as a rather unfortunate beacon. "What should we do? This was clearly a case of self-defense and Dio seems like a reasonable man."

"No, we're getting out of here. We can't take the chance if we're going to make it to the Temple of the Ancients." Tifa hesitated for a moment before grabbing the bottle (it had been almost 5000 Gil after all) and dashing away from the oncoming flashlights. Red XIII loped alongside her, easily keeping pace.

"Where are we going?"

"We just need to find a place we can get out of sight and lay low for a bit." Tifa panted, mind racing to try and come up with a suitable bolt-hole. "I'll think of something..."

-----------

"Have fun you two!" The cheery attendant flashed a smile at Tifa and Red XIII as they closed the door of the gondola. A few minutes later there was a slight lurch as the gondola began to move.

Tifa slumped onto one of the wooden seats, ignoring the glittering sights through the window. Red sat back on his haunches, eyes roaming around the small chamber before settling back on Tifa as she took another long drink from her bottle.

"This is your plan?" His expression was as sardonic, or at least as sardonic as was possible for a magical wolf...lion...beast...thing to manage.

"I didn't hear you come up with any better ideas," Tifa muttered defensively. "The gondola ride's supposed to be about 30 minutes. Then maybe we can just...sneak back to the hotel or something."

"We are truly master criminals," Red commented wryly.

Tifa stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting another husky chuckle.

The two sat in silence for a few more minutes as the gondola swayed. Tifa took another drink, trying desperately to think of some harmless topic of conversation to prevent Red from asking about her night so far. But she was still too fuzzy and stressed to think of any small talk. Thankfully, Red seemed perfectly content to sit in silence.

As she raised the bottle to her lips again a thought occurred to her and she held it out towards Red. "Um...do you drink? I mean...I don't want to be rude or anything."

Red's tail flicked. "I am not...technically permitted. I am still a minor by my people's standards."

"Oh, come on!" Tifa rolled her eyes, "Aren't you like...fifty or something? You're almost as old as my dad."

"Forty-eight, actually." Red let out an amused snort. "But my kind also lives much longer than humans."

"That still makes you literally the oldest person on the team." Tifa paused thoughtfully, "Other than maybe Vincent, but he's like...a vampire or something. That doesn't count."

"Maybe that's why we both get along so well. But, as I said, I would still be considered a child by my people's reckoning."

"Okay, no. No. No. Now you have to have a drink." Tifa's words were starting to slur now, but she was just happy to fill the awkward silence. "First of all, you're like...sho...I mean so much smarter and grown-up than any of us."

"Surely not."

"It's true!" Tifa pounded a fist on the bench petulantly. The impact set the gondola swaying a bit harder. "You're so smart and quiet and like...deep and stuff. And besides...you think I waited until I was 18 to have my first drink? You got to have a sneaky drink or two before you're legal it's a...uh...what's it called..."

"Rite of passage?"

"That's it! See, I told you, I told you that you were the smart one." Tifa grinned triumphantly and waved the bottle. "Now, drink!"

Red XIII got to his feet, his eye glinting with amusement. "Is this what you humans call peer pressure? Am I being peer pressured?"

"You're damn right you are."

"Then I suppose I have no choice."

Red loped over to the bench where Tifa was slouched and, to her surprise, raised up on his hind legs, planting both of his front paws on the bench on either side of her body. This brought his muzzle level with the bottle, and Tifa's face.

She wasn't sure why she was so surprised...he didn't have hands after all, how else was he going to drink? But Red was a big beast and having him straddling her like this brought them very close. His red-furred chest was barely an inch away from her breasts and she could feel his body heat, significantly hotter than a human's, radiating from him with each breath. She couldn't help but notice his odor: his breath didn't have the friendly, wet stink of a dog's, instead it was dry and slightly smoky, like a smoldering campfire. He was close enough that the tassels and feathers tied to his mane tapped gently against her chest and shoulders.

"Uh...here you go." Tifa could feel her face flushing again, probably because of Red XIII's unusual warmth. She hurriedly lifted the bottle up to Red's mouth and tilted it, letting a trickle of liquor flow past his teeth. Red gulped deeply, lapping at the lip of the bottle with his canine tongue.

A split-second later his eye popped wide open and he jerked back, shaking his head back and forth and scattering droplets of alcohol all over Tifa's face and chest.

"Ack! Ack! Pah!" His voice was rougher than usual as he gasped and choked, "This is alcohol? Why on Gaia would humans drink this?"

Tifa burst out laughing as Red rolled around on the gondola floor, pawing at his muzzle. He let out noises that were half-grumble, half-whimper.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Tifa managed to gasp out between giggle fits. "I wasn't thinking...stuff this strong isn't going to be easy for someone who's never had a drink before."

Red glowered sullenly at her with his good eye, tail swishing. "That just means my taste buds still work."

"Come on, I bet you'll get a taste for it." Tifa brought the bottle to her lips again. She hesitated for a split-second, realizing that Red had just slurped directly from the bottle as well. She wasn't worried about hygiene...even if Red wasn't fastidious the alcohol was more than strong enough to sterilize the rim. It just brought to mind old childhood superstitions about "indirect kisses" when boys and girls shared the same glass.

But she didn't want to offend Red by wiping the bottle off...and it was stupid to think about Red like that anyway. She tilted the bottle back and took a slug, feeling the potent alcohol burn its way down her throat and join the warmth filling her chest and belly already. She should really slow down, she pondered as she took another drink.

She held up the bottle and grinned mockingly at Red. "C'mon...try another drink."

Red growled theatrically and backed off a few steps in mock fear, crouching down on his belly. "Get your devil-drink away from me, woman."

"Come ooooon..." Tifa rose unsteadily, still waving the bottle in front of her. "You should never let a lady drink alone. Don't be ruuuuaaaaaahh!!"

Tifa's words trailed off into a startled cry as the gondola suddenly stopped, rocking back and forth sharply. Normally she would be nimble enough to keep her footing but the booze made that...difficult. She wobbled forward, waving her arms to try and steady herself but the alcohol and her natural "top-heavy" build proved to be too much and she went sprawling face-first into the ground.

Or at least, she would have hit the ground, if Red hadn't already been laying right there. He exhaled sharply as her face smacked directly into his flank, leaving her buried in his red fur. Her large breasts pressed against his stomach. The bottle of alcohol rolled underneath a bench.

As she tried to gather her wits there was a hiss of static from the small intercom speaker mounted on the roof of the gondola, followed by a pleasant female voice.

"Guests of the Saucer, we are sorry to report a technical problem with the gondola has forced us to halt the ride. Safety and comfort is our top concern and we will be resuming operation as quickly as possible."

"Fuck," Tifa mumbled, her voice muffled by Red's fur, as she struggled to get her arms underneath her in order to rise. Coordinating her limbs was proving to be a challenge.

"Are you alright, Tifa?" Red's nose, warm and slightly damp, pressed against her shoulder and prodded her gently.

"I'm...ookaaay." She slurred a bit as tried to rise and failed, sliding back down onto Red's flank with a soft thump. His fur was surprisingly soft and before she realized what she was doing she started to nuzzle it with her cheek, too far gone with giddiness and booze to be concerned about her behavior. "I'm...I'm gonna just stay here for a bit. 'S nice. Good fuzzy-fuzzy."

Red chuckled softly. "Perhaps the delay will help you sober up a bit before we disembark."

"Nooooo..." Tifa kicked her feet petulantly, "Don' wanna be sob'r. Want booooze."

"I think you spilled it I'm afraid." Red shifted position slightly to accommodate Tifa as she used him as a large, fluffy pillow. "You've probably had enough anyway."

"Hmmph." Tifa pouted but her annoyance didn't last long as she continued to rub her face against Red's side. She stroked one hand along his mane, feeling the stiffer hairs prickle her palm before moving down to his haunches, fingers twining idly into Red's fur as she luxuriated in the sensation.

As she reached the base of his tail one leg began to twitch slightly. She scratched the spot harder and it began to kick up and down in an involuntary spasm. She burst into a fit of giggles and Red let out an offended harumph.

"It's a perfectly natural response." He grumbled defensively.

"Awww, who's a good boy." Tifa scritched the spot harder and Red's foot pounded against the wooden floorboards. She rolled over to face his head and reached up and started to scratch the thick hair around his ears. Normally she'd never dream of doing this to Red for fear of offending him but she was far too drunk to worry about that right now. "Who is it? Whosa good boy."

"It is I," Red grumbled, but there was no real anger there. In fact, with her ear pressed to his ribs, Tifa could hear a sound deep in his chest that sounded like a purr. "It seems I am the good boy."

His faux-solemnity sent Tifa into another fit of giggles and she continued to weave her fingers into his mane, feeling the elaborately carved beads and decorations woven into his hair. A thought occurred to her.

"How..." She paused, trying to get her words to fit together in the right order. "How did you get all these little doo-dads in your hair? They're so tiny and you've got big...big good boy paws...big ol' toe beans."

She became distracted poking at the dark pads on the bottom of his feet so she didn't realize that it took Red several moments to answer her.

"They are gifts..." Red's voice rumbled through his ribs right into Tifa's ear. "It is a Cosmo Canyon tradition...when a man and a woman share...tender moments the woman leaves him with a memento like this."

"Aww..that's sweet." Tifa's goofy smile faded slightly into an expression of drunken confusion as she parsed his meaning. "Wait...what do you mean by 'tender moments'?"

Red's only response was an embarrassed whine as he put his head underneath his front paws.

"Wait...you mean sex?" Tifa reached out and pulled one of the beaded strands closer. "These are sex beads?"

Red whined again but didn't deny the accusation.

"Oh my Gaia...Red you have...you have so many sex beads!"

Red tried to bury his head deeper beneath his paws, without success. Tifa burst into another fit of giggles, poking him playfully in the belly. After several minutes she finally got her breath back and a thought drifted through her mind, causing her to give him another accusatory poke.

"Wait, wait. You made such a big deal about having a drink before your 100th birthday or whatever, but it's cool for you to go around banging at your age? You've even got little trophies of all the sex you've had!"

"It's...not quite the same." Red grumbled "My species reaches sexual maturity in our 20s. Adulthood is not about reaching some arbitrary age marker, it's about learning to control our more...feral behavior."

"But...you're so chill...Yuffie's way more feral than you."

Red snorted in amusement at that. "I don't think you could ever accuse Yuffie of being an adult. But it's true, under most circumstances I have little problem maintaining my composure. I simply have difficulty controlling some...specific instincts"

"Like what?"

Red XIII shook his head, causing the numerous beads in his hair to clink against one another meaningfully.

"uh...oh...Oh!" Tifa gasped, then dropped her voice to a theatrical whisper, "the sex beads!"

"Unfortunately I find it...difficult to resist when tempted, so I have repeatedly failed the test of adulthood."

Tifa giggled. She was probably blushing furiously, but it was hard to tell since she felt hot in general. Her whole body was burning up as her veins pulsed with alcohol, leaving her feeling hot and somewhat sticky. She pondered taking off her tank-top to help cool down but it seemed like a lot of effort right now. At some point she had already unconsciously kicked off her boots and socks, letting her feet rest on the cool, varnished wood of the gondola carriage.

"I guess you were a dirty horndog under that nice exterior." Tifa poked at Red's belly playfully before scratching the base of his tail again. A thought was drifting through the back of her mind, trying to get her attention but not quite succeeding.

"I thought I was the good boy?"

"I thought so too! How could I be so wrong?" Tifa's smile faded into a thoughtful frown as that elusive idea finally crystallized. "So...so wait...the sex beads. How do your lady friends get them into your hair with their paws?"

"Ah..." Red paused, tail thumping against the cabin floor. "Well...my species is quite rare. I've only met one female of my kind...and I'm afraid we didn't get along very well."

"But...but sex beads?" Tifa furrowed her brows. The alcohol fog was fading a bit but she was still having difficulty thinking clearly. She felt Red shrug his shoulders slightly.

"The people of Cosmo Canyon are very spiritual...and open-minded...when it comes to selecting partners."

"I don't..." Tifa trailed off. "Oh...You mean..."

"Yes..."

"With..."

"Yes..."

"But...um..." Tifa trailed off again.

Red looked over his shoulder at her with his good eye. "I'm doing my best not to take offense. I know the people of Midgard are more conservative."

"What!" Tifa huffed, "I'm not conservative! I'm open-minded! I just...didn't realize..."

"That I had human partners." Red finished for her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I'm not!" Tifa's indignance managed to overcome her surprise and embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I was just surprised. It doesn't bother me, I promise."

"That's good to hear." Red's tail swished over the boards. "And I would completely understand if you wanted to assume a less...close position."

Tifa realized that she had completely draped herself over Red as he lay down on the floor. Her arms were wrapped around his chest and her breasts were pressed against his flank, the fabric of her tank-top rumpled and half rolled up, exposing the underside of her bra. She became acutely aware of just how much of her body was touching him and that her hand was resting on his rear thigh, only scant inches from his underbelly.

"Oh..." She said very quietly, her face heating up even more as she realized how handsy she had been with him over the last few minutes. She didn't want to pull back and make him think she was disgusted but she also couldn't help thinking how intimate their current position would be if he was human. "Are...am I making you uncomfortable?"

"I certainly enjoy having a beautiful woman draped over me...but you understand it is a bit..." It was Red's turn to trail off.