Guest Number One... (Event)

Midgar. The place was in a constant depression. Even before their leaders had ran it into the ground it was not a nice place to live. Filth lined the streets and people were cramped into small apartment buildings by the boatload. On top of the depressing view the city gave, there was the smell. The smell of sewage from thousands of people who didn't have the money or means to pay for a proper bath each day. The smell was enough to sting Fury's nose that was used to the clean streets of Balamb. It also didn't help that after the ShinRa electric company let their experiments run loose, the place was almost completely destroyed. Fury looked up from the dirty street to the skyline to spot where the Omega Weapon had torn a hole straight through a nearby skyscraper.

Pitiful.

But, since no one wanted to step up and take the reins as the new leader of the city, nor help the people of the city out, Shade found it only right for them to help them out. Apparently that was what she did in her spare time. Since she was spread so thin, she had sent him in her stead to meet with community leaders in Midgar to try and set u some form of relief for them and the people. Things like sending out food and water for them.

By now, though, he was on his way home. Boy was he glad he was done with those meetings. If there was one thing he hated in this world, it was meetings. They were always so boring and they hardly ever accomplished anything. In fact, this meeting went nowhere fast. The leader was over-joyed that Shade was willing to send food and water to them free of charge. The only hitch was that he wasn't going to distribute the supplies. Which was were Fury got angry and threatened the man in front of his armed guards, leading to him being led of the premises at gun-point. So if they were going to get supplies to the people of Midgar, they were going to have to do it themselves. Maybe Shade could get her smuggler friend from Spira to help. Uhh... Gohrick's his name?

It didn't matter, Fury's job here was done and he was able to go home to his daughters. He was strolling down the street when a store caught his attention out of the corner of his eyes. The shop had a greasy window that barely let the light from the single open light-bulb shine through. The sign above the window looked even worse for wear. But he found himself oddly drawn to the goofy looking shop. Maybe he could pick up a few trinkets for the girls.

He slowly approached the wooden door of the shop and turned the large brass doorknob. He stepped inside to the musky air, an instant improvement over the air outside. He let out a long whistle as he looked at the wreck of a shop. "I guess this mess didn't skip anyone in this town, " he said as he walked through the aisle and past the empty shelves. He found a simple item here and there.

One particular item that drew him in was what looked like a large bird cage. He leaned in to look at its contents and saw that there was a single brass statue depicting the creature that had been called Red XIII inside. He thought it weird that a statue needed a cage, but before he knew it, the statue sprang to life and pounced at Fury. The brass lion slammed against the cage with its tiny paws reaching out of the cage to try and grab him. Fury had pulled back from the cage as soon as the creature slammed against the bars, narrowly escaping the claws of the statuette.

Fury looked up from the shelves and looked towards the back of the shop. It didn't seem like anyone was even there. He looked back over his shoulder to make sure the "Open" sign was actually there and he hadn't just barged in. Turning back to the back he asked in a voice that seemed to carry through the whole building, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

He sensed the man’s approach long before he entered the old ramshackle of a shop. Mr. T. Corneille knew long before the door swung open the military man was coming. Some might call it a sixth sense, others a magical spell, but no one could really understand how he did it. How would he explain there was a connection to the world, this world, like the symbiotic bond of a parasite and its host? How to tell anyone he knew a visitor would be coming soon to see him because the ether told him so and how he knew more of the why than the ‘whom’? It was the last which made him smile as he saw the military man enter while standing in the shadows just behind man in the corner of the shop. T. Corneille watched as his ‘visitor’ walked around staring at the empty shelves. He did not wonder what the man would see, he all ready knew what objects would come to greet this military man. So when Red appeared it was no shock to the fantastic T. Corneille, for the shop chose what each ‘visitor’ was to see. The entity he called his child, what others only saw as the building, always greeted perspective patrons with a little mischief.

When the military man jumped back from the cage of Red Mr. T. Corneille smiled just a little bigger, just a little broader. The machine had called a good one here this time. Still, there was the approach one had to consider, drawing one to the shop was one thing but having them take the trip to the backroom…will that was another step all together. So when he saw the man call out Mr. T. Corneille put on his best face, best smile, and stepped out of the shadows. He answered the man’s request with a grand gesture, arms thrown wide and announcing his presence like the ringmaster at the circus telling the captivated crowd of the next act.

“Welcome my friend to the house of Mr. T. Corneille, the emporium of the strange and the odd. We have been waiting for you.”

Oh how it was so much fun being who he was T. Corneille thought

Fury turned to face the pale-man when he emerged from the shadows. He could have sworn the man had appeared out of thin air. The sudden grand movement and introduction did nothing for Fury, though, not even bringing forth a look of shock to his face like it would so many others. He simply stared at the man, looking him over with a calm demeanor. The smile that seemed to split the man's face completely in two made Fury uneasy. Did all salesmen have the same cheesy smile that gave the opposite feeling than was desired? The man's large swooping arm motions furthered the feeling that Fury was talking to an used-airship dealer. Fury crossed his arms and his eyes narrowed just ever so slightly in suspicion as he said, "You have? I hope the wait wasn't too long."

Fury took a step back from the man towards the door. The whole situation just didn't sit right in the pit of his stomach. He felt drawn here against all of his better judgement and now stood face to face with a man whom he never met before who had been expecting him. Things just weren't adding up in his mind. His emerald eyes pierced the man and he followed up with a, "Interesting shop you have here. It's a shame you are almost completely out of stock. I guess I should be going then."

Fury continued to back towards the door, making sure to keep his eyes on this Mr. T Corneille the entire time.