paixaorpg | It's All About Who You Know. [Active]

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It's All About Who You Know. [Active]

Character(s): Rufus Shinra, and anyone who wants to run into him.
Content: Rufus wants to do a little networking of his own.
Setting: J7, or somewhere about there
Time: Late afternoon, early evening
Warnings: Nada. Unless you count wearing white after Labor Day a crime.

It wasn’t their world.

Rufus wanted no part in what was going on with the monster attacks, either to aid or hinder. Sephiroth had yet to send any word on whether the recent happenings were connected with this Organization, and until confirmation was given, Rufus did not want to expend his resources.

He wasn’t prepared to expend his Turk.

Those thoughts accompanied him as he strolled along the avenue, feeling vaguely grateful for his blond hair and pale skin. And while Rufus had previously hated blending into the crowd, the features allowed him to observe others without the concern of being too easily recognizable.

And perhaps it was time he started doing a little investigation of his own. There were bonuses to familiarizing himself with the layout of the area, pluses to establishing contacts of his own. It was dangerous to toss all of his eggs in one basket and regardless of how competent Reno was, there could be a time when Rufus had to rely on his own wits to survive.

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While Cid had no desire to go after mama nasty herself, he wasn't going to let the little buggers run rampant over the streets either. It was bad for business to let customers die in the streets, since you couldn't exactly buy anything if you'd let a goddamned monster kill you.

Not that he really cared about his shop except for the fact that it was his and someone had to keep the damned place running. And he certainly didn't give two clipped gil about the livelihood of the fucking creepy-as-hell residents of the place.

But there were people in the city that he'd maybe grudgingly agree that he sort of cared for and really, there wasn't an Ice spell's chance in Ifrit's deepest hell that he'd let some two-bit monsters take over his (temporary) home. So it didn't really come as a surprise that he'd taken Venus Gospel down from where he'd put it before heading out to do a little monster control.

Rufus hadn't quite expected to see the gruff pilot toting his staff again so soon, having just left the meeting grounds a few days ago. Although, if there was anyone he'd expect to be traipsing about town, protecting people, it would be the members of AVALANCHE.

The question, of course, was where their prodigal (albeit miniaturized) leader was.

"Out for a leisurely stroll?" Rufus drawled, pausing in his steps as the pilot ran past. "I'd suggest the opposite direction, Highwind. Then again, your moral compass did always seem to lead you towards danger."

Edited 2008-09-09 22:07 (UTC)

Well. There was a voice he'd much rather have never heard again. Not that the city would be kind enough for that, he expected. Not with that strange alliance thing that'd come out of that meeting at his place.

"An' why the hell should you care what I do?" he asked, turning to face Rufus. "I already told you I ain't signing on with the damned ShinRa."

It didn't matter that this Shinra had been the one to take his dream from him. It was still the same company and he couldn't and wouldn't bother to convince himself that Rufus was going to be any different. Not with the Turks and Sephiroth in town.

"I don't," Rufus answered smoothly, "and we're not recruiting." Not recruiting lost causes, anyway. Rufus can be practical when it was required. Cid was the stubborn sort, one that Rufus knew would go the contrary direction if only to prove he was making his own decisions. If Rufus truly wanted the man on his side, it would have to be achieved through more...subtle ways.

"It was merely a supposed suggestion; surely you've heard of those?"

"Good," Cid retorted. "'Cause I ain't getting drafted." Once was quite enough for him, and no amount of cajoling could get him to forget the atrocities that ShinRa had visited upon him. Forgetting the good parts that had come of his stay with ShinRa, on the other hand, was far easier.

"What the hell do you take me for. Course I have!"

Suggestions merely meant that he could dismiss them if he wanted to.

"Then take it as one. I wonder, Highwind, is this continual foul animosity due to a lack of tea on your part, or is this a permanent affliction towards me?" And while Rufus would not care in the least normally, he is actually curious as to what Highwind's answer would be.

As far as he's concerned, his actions should have more than made up for any wrongdoings towards Highwind on his part.

On his part, perhaps - for all that he complains, Cid knows very well that ShinRa's been on the mend since Rufus took up the reins. But separating Rufus from the company that he runs has never been easy for Cid, and he's had many a year to grow increasingly bitter about the ShinRa company.

"It ain't you," he answers after a pause.

"I see," Rufus allowed after a moment's thought, though a second thought compelled him to push the amusement a bit farther. "I wasn't aware the city had a shortage of tea. Perhaps importing is the key. I'll look into it."

"That ain't the Ifrit-damned reason either, you bastard!"

There was plenty of tea left in his shop after all, presumably left behind when his predecessor (and damn if that didn't sound odd, even if only in his head) had left for... wherever it had been.

"I'm well aware of that, Highwind," Rufus replied, the same amusement coloring his voice. Cid Highwind allowed too many people to get under his skin, an affliction Rufus felt could be done away with. What good was a temperament that allowed another person full access to your emotions?

"And I would be interested to hear the true reason."

It kept people from getting too friendly with him, for one. He worked better without people getting underfoot all the damned time. Or at least when he had his ships to work on.

"All this time and you still ain't figured it the hell out?"

It wasn't like it was a hard answer to spot. Or at least, it wasn't to him.

Either Highwind had an incredibly high opinion of Rufus being a mind-reader or personality genius (of which Rufus can assuredly answer that he doubted it), or he was an extremely contrary man. Expecting someone to automatically know what was bothering you was tantamount to throwing a geriatric tantrum.

Though in this case, Rufus might be stretching the geriatric part a bit too far.

Rufus had an idea of what exactly bothered Cid Highwind; he could even understand it to a point. However, he wasn't one to play guessing games or indulge the terrorist, causing him to respond, "Would you rather assumptions be applied to you?"

It wasn't so much that Cid expecting Rufus to be a mind reader or anything of a similar nature as the fact that... well, if anyone knows about ShinRa's history, it's Rufus. That and the fact that he himself was around to see at least part of the reason that he's got a grudge against ShinRa.

"What the hell kind of a question is that?"

This would be, for those fluent in Cid-speak, the approximate equivalent of a 'no'.

Rufus gave a soft snort, barely audible in respond to that. It seemed he'd utilize the skill of reading the between the lines too often these days. Such a pity his father had never stretched his own brain to do so. While brilliant in certain matters, he had certainly lacked the ability to feel out the people's mindset.

"Highwind, I honestly don't care if you like me or loathe me at the moment, but do have the courtesy of being honest and straightforward about your reasons. While I wouldn't mind generalizing your hate due to past events or reports handed to me by my Turks, I'm sure avoiding frustration on your part would do everyone a favor."

He wanted straightforward? Fine. He'd get straightforward.

"You know how many goddamned years I spent watching my dream rust away, waitin' for someone, anyone, to tell me that they'd brought back the Space program? And then when you finally get up the fucking nerve to come what's it for? To try and take the last ship I got because apparently the motherfucking Highwind ain't enough when you want to go haring of after an Ifrit-blasted, motherfucking pansy-ass momma's-boy with a planetary deathwish!"

"You and I differ, Highwind, not only through our means in achieving an end, but in also our viewpoint." Rufus nodded once at Venus Gospel, alluding not only to the use of a non-invasive weaponry itself, but towards Cid's narrower desires. "The big picture, as it were, involved sacrifices on all our parts. Of which I am sure you're familiar with, having been Strife's companion for so long, hm?"

And therein lay the problem. If Highwind had wanted the Space Program up and running again, he should have seized it, demanded it, bargained with Rufus about it. If the spin had been done in a way that proved advantageous to the Shinra head, Rufus wouldn't have rejected Highwind's bid.

Technically, yes, he should have at least had the opportunity to suggest it to Rufus, but between Rufus straight up demanding the Tiny Bronco and Palmer try to steal her away when he hadn't been looking, there hadn't really been time. Not until the Tiny Bronco had come barreling out of his backyard. And really, could you blame the man for jumping at his last remaining connection to the sky? He certainly couldn't.

"Course I am."

There had been a reason Rufus had wanted it. There's always a reason for Rufus' acts, no matter how insensible they may seem.

"Then understand that at the time, it was a sacrifice that needed to be done. Of course, if you had approached me After Crisis and Advent Children, we might have worked out an accord. I was highly amendable by that point." Which was another way of saying that he'd been willing to make amends for his and his father's sins.

"I ain't interested in your charity," Cid snapped. He had a perfectly functioning ship, and he had technically been into space. And okay, ShinRa'd been getting better after Meteorfall, but like hell did actually like ShinRa, much less trust them farther than he could throw them.

As far as he was concerned, the less he had to deal with the ShinRa, the better.

Rufus inclined his head once, conceding Cid's own pride to him. There was only so much Rufus was willing to do in plain view, and if Cid refused to see Rufus' half proffered olive branch, that was his problem.

"Suit yourself, Highwind. It seems we are incompatible when it comes to discussing the past."

It wasn't so much that Cid didn't see the half proffered olive branch as the fact that he wasn't entirely interested in taking it. Not yet anyway. Maybe later, when he'd more time to see for himself what Rufus was up to, but not now.

"It ain't that surprising."

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