...Part Two...
Tseng was the first in the Flying Duck restaurant, and he had arranged a table in a secluded area. He also had a patch of ice in a bag for his blue eye. He waited for everyone.
Cloud came in next, before Reno. His clothes were lightly singed and he took a seat as far away from Tseng he could get. He didn't bother saying hello as he plopped down, parts of his sweater falling off into ashes and took up a menu.
Reno is thoughtful as he comes in, though he was doing his best not to show his emotions on his face. The conversation with his cousin had been enlightening, he gave Cloud a curious look as he slid in next to his girlfriend.
Elena had come in limping a bit, though smirking slightly. A deep claw mark was carved into one of her arms, assumed from a grapple hook. Her hair was a bit of a mess honestly, though her eyes were bright, and filled with pain, though refused to show it. She was shaken up for certain, covering a patch of a bandage with her hand as she leaned her elbow on the table.
She gave Reno the quickest smile, before looking around. Everyone was slowly reassembling.
Reno just negligently, almost casually, casts Cure on her, the green miasma floating up from the bangle around his left wrist. He'd spawned and mastered the materia he had himself, thereby had been allowed to keep it
Elena looked back a bit, smirking some. "You don't have to do that, you know." She snorted a moment. "Careful, we are in public. Scaring the norm is not the best idea."
"Shotgun is late again," Tseng sighed. "It matters not. Tell me how your day went."
Shotgun shows up as if on cue, sliding through the door with a shocked squeal. "Shotgun, reporting for duty!"
Cloud saw a few things on the menu he recognized and didn't wait for the others to order. They'd pick up the tab anyway right? He order a few things actually.
At least she wasn't late again. Tseng may have her head for that. "I had...fun?"
"Well, from what I was able to get from Aerith, a lot of the issue is that thee isn't enough of Jenova left for Sephiroth to make himself a body like he was able to before, so he's takin' what he can get from the cells left inside people." Reno said all of this, spoken too quietly but any inside of their group to here. "He's goin' after Rufus because Cloud is apparently too strong mentally for him to get."
That sent a shiver down Cloud's spine. So Sephiroth had tried or at least thought of using him as a vessel. He didn't like that. "...is she sure he can't use me?"
"She said he tried, but without the stigma, he doesn't have an in. You apparently have managed to get the attention of the gods an' have their protection or some shit. She knows all that mumbo jumbo better than I do." Reno made another faint snorting noise at that.
"I found some medical stuff that can at least temporarily help. I can;t say it will help much but I went through hell to get it." Quite literally. No one knew it, but Elena's pockets were full. Of what...well, perhaps that was best saved for out if the restuant.
"Shotgun, indoors voice. What are your results?"
"... Riiiight... Indoors voice," she said, pouting as she once again disappointed her boss. "Um... There's an abandoned house, big enough for the lot of us, including the President, in the Nibel mountains. We can stay there as we study the samples, and the medical supplies Elena collected."
The ShinRa Manor... he had not considered that location. Tseng looked around.
"Good work, everyone. Better than what I managed to accomplish," he took the ice from his cheek to show the black-and-blue eye. "The President and myself had an argument after disclosing the information to you. He is not pleased..."
"Yikes..." mutters Shona.
Tseng sighs, "I am starved. Let's order first."
"The boss nailed you?" Reno's expression is concerned, and then his lips purse. Rufus was not physically violent that way usually.
Tseng winched at that. He didn't reply.
"Okay, but we needed to know, right?" Shotgun asked, looking and feeling worried.
He nodded. "We did. But that's a bad sign, he's gettin' physically violent."
"It's alright," Tseng said. "He is the only person who I will allow hit me. Not moving away is my own decision. But you are right - it might be better to move him to a different location. The Nibelheim Manor seems a ... better place. Does everyone agree?"
Shotgun simply nods her agreement not wanting to break the peace again with her 'outside voice', and not wanting to upset the boss more.
"Then we will move to the Manor tomorrow. Consider it one big sleepover."
Reno's gone even more thoughtful. he's worried about Rufus, but more he's worried about this man that took him off the street and helped him become who he is even more so. Tseng has been the holder of all of his secrets for as long as he can remember.
"Reno," Tseng said softly. "Chicken dumplings in hot sauce." That should make the other smile again. And he in fact did. Reno smiled like a fool at that.
"Though you make 'em best."
"You can't stay in the manor," Cloud insisted
Tseng smirked. To Reno; "Only on your birthday." To Cloud; "Why not?"
"Someone lives there."
"Hm? Oh! I cleared it with Mr. Valentine, no need to worry!" Shona smiled brightly. "I asked him first thing."
Cloud raised an eyebrow at that. "He...did? How?"
"I... Asked him?" Had the SOLDIER boy taken one too many hits to the head?
Tseng glanced at her, and made a mental note that he had to keep Shotgun close to the center of his group of Turks. How she had accomplished that by simply asking was beyond him, and someone as apparently charming as her was too valuable to lose early on in her career. It would be problematic if she were to fall for Vincent Valentine - though he wouldn't object if she did.
But if he could avoid it... maybe. Maybe he would. After clearing it with the President, of course. Was he possessive? Maybe.
He glanced at her face, and then let go of the thought. If she were to fall in love with anyone outside the group of Turks, Vincent was maybe the best option.
"But he...he is so stubborn and he likes living there..." Cloud continues.
"It should have enough rooms for most of us. Though maybe certain Turks may be asked to share a room." Tseng replies, staring intently at the menu.
"Pffft, 'certain'." Shotgun snorts.
Tseng did not glance at Reno and Elena, but at the menu card. He kicked Shotgun softly.
Reno snorted "As if me an' the Rookie ever minded sharing."
Objects to the kick, then pouts at the two Turks in question.
"I hope you don't intend on having me stay there too," Cloud objects.
"Cloud, it would be nice to have a guide," Tseng insists.
"You know what you're asking. You know my answer."
Reno resisted the urge to point out that he and Elena would not be loud enough to disturb Cloud, but he knew what the man was saying.
"Cloud, please?" Shotgun asked, turning the now infamous 'kicked puppy' eyes on him, even managing to make her lip quiver. "We can't do this without you... We never have been able to." Cloud knew that face well, but that face didn't fit on her. No he knew that face to belong to Zack and only Zack's face could ever get that same emotion out of him. "Stop with the face. It's weird."
Don't make me mention the contract, Tseng thought. Don't make me.
And cue absolute shock and horror as her routine didn't work, even though her words had been genuine. Under the table, Tseng put a hand on her hand, and squeezed it. Thank you for trying. "Cloud, are there certain rooms in that Manor that Rufus should not enter? Certain things that could say that would link him to Sephiroth? Because I will not be able to notice those tiny signs. You can."
"The whole manor is probably a bad idea," Cloud says, rolling his eyes. Damn... thought Shotgun. "Sephiroth was in there when he lost it so..." He shrugged and took some water at the table and poured himself a glass. Reno's eyes closed a moment as he thought about that whole thing.
"It gives me the creeps. I don't like to stay there alone and no offense but I rather not share a room with any of you," he finished.
"You have a point. We shan't go." Tseng resigned.
"I have an idea." Reno said quietly. "I don't know if it's still standing after well. . .." he trailed off, the Platefall was not something he liked talking about. "But if it is, no one's lived there since Mom died."Tseng gave him a questioning look., and it caught Shotgun's attention as well.
"My childhood home, before everything went to shit." he said even more softly.
"Ah..." Shona replied, feeling depression hit her like a wave.
Cloud sighed and rubbed his head. He was usually the depressing one at the table. "No, you can stay at my place in Costa Del Sol"
"Ooooh, the beach?" Now Shona was actually looking forward to this. A lot, in fact.
He rubbed his arm and looked away. "I got really lucky in chocobo races and well...I have a place there."
"Ya mean the big manor over on the edge of town?" Reno grinned at that. "Rude's family lives a few blocks from that."
"Yeah...that one. I bought it under a different name so I could keep it a secret.."
"We know about it," Tseng said. "But the President has his own holiday villa in Del Sol."
"Sooo... I negotiated with the war bride for nothing?" Shotgun asked, looking affronted. She was referring to Mr. Valentine.
Cloud choked on his water. "How do you even know about that!?"
"Uhh... Turk thing? Right, sir?" Not gaining a response, she again said, "Tseng...?" She nudges him with her elbow.
"..." Tseng looked down to his phone. "The President's calling me. One moment."
Cloud just huffed and put his head on the table. He had tried so hard to leave no trail for that purchase. Tseng got up from his chair and moved to a different part of the room, where he started talking quietly.
"Pft, cop out..." she mutters, looking away with a frown. "So... Cloud. Why did you look so disgusted by my expression earlier?"
He kept his head planted on the table. "Because it was disgusting."
And this was where she pulled out the, also infamous, Mideel death glare. In the distance, Tseng cursed on the phone. "Don't you ever say such a thing again, or you'll have to watch your back everywhere."
"You tried to pull a Zack on me. You failed horribly," Cloud says, muffled by the table.
A... Zack? Oh-"Fuck!"
Tseng cursed again softly while on the phone. He checked the screen again, and then clenched his jaw.
"Yeah..." Cloud mutters, still not looking up.
Rufus waltzed in, as much as a sick man could do such a thing, and his cane tapped gently on the rich wood floor. He instructed the waiter to put everything on his tab, before walking right up to the unsuspecting party, and stood behind Tseng, and there was silence.
"You don't get to have a discussion about me, without me." he said with cold cheerfulness. Reno went stiff as a board, the wrongness he could sense bothered him but the man was still brother in all but blood to him
"Don't make me sing in Wutain again to cheer you up, Reno. We aaaall know how well that went last time." Shotgun says, laying hand on his shoulder. Cloud was glad his head was on the table because the moment Rufus walked in his head began to hurt like hell. He had to rub it and obviously didn't look too good with him around, not that he wanted to see Rufus to begin with.
A waiter pulled up a seat for Rufus, and the man sat next to Tseng's. The tension was so visible now, but Rufus looked both weary and ready to talk anyone down.
"He's here, Rude." Tseng slowly put down the phone, and turned around to look at Rufus. Then he took his seat, but the calm manner in which he did spoke of more anger than a lecture would have shown. Tseng was furious Rufus had ditched Rude.
Rufus was nonplussed at Tseng's fury, and gave the man an amused smile, "You realise at this stage that trying to keep things from me is fairly impossible, even as Director of my Turks. Don't blame Rude, the nurse assured him I had been sedated, but the drip wasn't even in my arm."
Sitting here was not helping Cloud, so he got up and went to the bathroom, not caring to say where he was going.
Tseng looked at Rufus, and put down the bag of ice he had been holding against his own face. Then a handcuff clicked around Rufus' wrist, the other end around Shotgun's wrist.
Shotgun almost gets up to follow Cloud to talk his ear off, but thinks better of it now that the President can't leave. And neither could she, she realized with a start.
Rufus glanced down at the cuffs, before giving Tseng a long look.
"... really Director, really ?" Rufus murmurs, glancing up through his lashes.
"Why meeee!" Shona whines at the same moment.
"Probably because you're the only one willing to throw me over your shoulder and carry me back to the Lodge," came the slightly miffed reply. "Did Strife go to powder his nose?"
"Pft. True that," she replies with a proud smirk, leaning back in her chair. "And no."
"He's taking an awfully long time. I'm not exactly going anywhere, so he might be waiting a while." Then Rufus glanced at Reno, "So, what've you all decided to do with me?"
Another faint shudder, but he does his best to hide it. "Costa." Reno said simply.
"I'm not feeling particularly inclined towards beheading alien beings, or razing entire village - Costa?" Rufus shook his head, utterly bewildered, "Why Costa?"
"Um... I've been asking myself the same question this whole time. I spend hours talking to Veld's Girl, and then this," Shona mutters.
"Cloud offered his home. We will all sleep over in his living room," Tseng sneered.
Seeing how being away from Rufus wasn't making Cloud's headache go away, at least if he maybe ordered some drinks or food he could get something out of it. As soon as he left the room he went to find their waiter and decided to order nearly the whole menu, drinks included.
Tseng put his elbows on the table, and put his fingertips on his temples. He rubbed them softly. His black eye hurt, and Rufus wasn't making him feel any better. When he saw Cloud order foods, he was glad.
"Really? No commen- Okay..." Shona says, meaning the 'Veld's Girl' statement. To say she was disappointed in the boss was an understatement at the least.
When Cloud came back to the table he didn't sit down, instead he just looked at Tseng. "I need to talk to you"
Tseng stood up, and after a glance at Rufus, he gestured for Cloud to follow him. "Let's go out for a smoke."
"Aaaaaand, I'm alone..." Shona huffs, leaning back, quickly finding herself still cuffed.
Elena kicked her under the table. "I don't count? Oy!"
"No, squirt, you don't!"
Rufus watched them leave with irritation, his single eye narrowing, before looking at the remainder of the table's occupants, "I don't appreciate being left in the dark. I am responsible for this just as any of you are."
Elena shrugged. "It was Tseng's call, sir."
"Eh, I don't really care at this point," Shotgun muttered, leaning against the table with a weird smile.
"What is that smile supposed to mean!" Elena snaps.
Shotgun turned a glare to the youngest. "Shut it, brat!"
"Well, the Director does not order me around," Rufus said with a sweet, icy tone, "And if I'm to turn into the next maniac hell bent on using our planet like a rocket ship for some virus-like entity, I would prefer to know when to off myself as appropriate."
He followed him out and took a deep breath as he leaned against the building.
Tseng took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and offered Cloud one. The lighter followed. "What is it."
"If it's about Aerith..."
Cloud didn't take a cigarette. "It's about Sephiroth"
Tseng forgot to light his cigarette. He put the lighter away, breathed in, and then -annoyed- grabbed the lighter. "What about him?"
"I feel him. It's weak, very weak but I feel him. As soon as Rufus walked in."
Tseng nodded. When he light his cigarette, a yellow flame illuminated their faces, passing in a flicker like a shooting star. "Thank you for telling me. Anything else? How do you know for sure?"
"The static. It's the same as last time. There is this...static and it clouds my thoughts..."
"So Rufus is indeed turning into Sephiroth..." Tseng muttered. He made a cloud of smoke, shook his head. He didn't want to deal with this. He was too old for this, he wanted everyone happy at the restaurant table and then tucked in bed. He didn't want another war for the unforgiven. Oh, how he didn't want another Sephiroth.
"Any idea how we could slow down or stop the process, Cloud?"
"Well you already told me I couldn't kill him..." There was a rather annoyed bright eyed look sent his way before he rubbed at his chin. "Maybe Aerith's church...the water there helped me...it might still have curative powers."
Tseng pressed his back against the wall, and sighed out. "Yes. Yes, that could help."
"Besides that I'm out of ideas...and I don't know how long I should stay near him. Reno did say Sephiroth was after me too, or had tried to."
"Then he's most weary of you, I imagine," Tseng said. "I imagine that if it is your desire to go away, it might be because Sephiroth does not want you here. Is that a possibility?"
"I...guess so. That makes sense" Cloud looked back towards the inside of the restaurant. "Yeah fine...let's see what happens." He went in first, going back to his seat that was luckily far away from the president.
Reno shivered when Rufus looked up and his eyes. ..shifted. It was a little strange though, and Rufus was aware that something within him was changing.
"... Look," he raised a hand, voice less tense, "... we must be realistic about this too, for the sake of everyone."
"So... Has anyone else at this table actually spoken to Mr. Valentine?" Shona mutters, making idle chitchat.
Rufus looked at Shotgun, "There's a thought. Though, how willing would he be to actually cooperate with us?"
"I...guess so. That makes sense" He looked back towards the inside of the restaurant. "Yeah fine...let's see what happens." He went in first, going back to his seat that was luckily far away from the president.
"He was okay with it, after the famous kicked puppy routine." Shona said this with pride, puffing up a bit.
Rufus glanced at the two that walked back in, and his chest tightened with a cold anger that he realized after a few seconds wasn't his. Good of you to rejoin us." he quipped at Tseng, though he smiled slightly to take the sting out of it. Tseng would have none of that attitude, neither fake nor nice. He sat down, put the bag of ice on his eye again to make Rufus aware of the damage he had done, and the drink was more important than looking at the President.
The food came soon after and took up a majority of the table, along with drinks for everyone and then some.
Shona begins to glare at the President, the Mideel death glare boring into his skull. Sure, he was Prez, but how dare he hurt Tseng!
Elena took a deep breath: "WELL this is awkward!"
"Ya think, honey?" Shona snaps. Cloud kept his head down, a mix of the static pain in his head and that fact he didn't really belong here bothering him enough. He just ate a few dumplings silently.
"Girls," Tseng says, and his lip quivers up.
"Yessir?" Shona asks, playing innocent.
Tseng nipped his drink. "If you're about to start a catfight, at least do allow us to place bets."
"Glady, sir!"
He smiled at Shotgun. "$5 at Laney."
Rufus knew he wasn't welcome, but his condition wasn't his fault, nor was it the other's to take responsibility without him knowing. He ignored Tseng's annoyance, and decided to go for a martini, despite all of the various plethora of medication he'd been injected with. Tseng and the rest of them could bitch all they want, he was going to enjoy himself while he could.
"$100 on Elena." Cloud shoots in.
"How dare-!" Shotgun splutters. She then proceeds to tug on the cuff, "Sir, if you don't release me this instant, I'm breaking it with my teeth!"
"Oh no," Tseng said with a hand over hers. "These handcuffs are the reason why I am betting on Elena."
"$200" Rufus interjected, and sipped his drink, deciding he'd stir things up.
Cloud gave Rufus a bit of a look before raising it. "$400 on Elena.
The martini that Rufus had ordered arrived, and Tseng stuck up his hand. "Give that to me - the blonde is under aged, I'm afraid." The staff didn't argue.
"I'm twenty three Tseng." Rufus reached.
Shotgun downright growls at the men, then decides to play dirty as well. "Sir, I can and will draw my weapon in a crowded, and public, facility. Do you really want to file that report?"
Tseng took the martini nonetheless, and tapped his fingertips on the table as if he was considering that for real.
"We gang up on him!" Elena decided through her teeth.
"For once, I agree with you Lizzy."
"Well it'd certainly make things more exciting "Rufus hissed, and tried to climb over Tseng to get his drink, despite pulling at Shotgun's wrist while doing so, "Tseng I swear to Odin - "
Cloud watched the display and took the martini from Tseng and downed it, a little smirk on his face.
Rufus paused, watching that smarmy little git down his drink, before he sat back slowly. Then he smiled even more slowly, and widely, before shoving his walking stick right into the Soldier's foot. "That was for my Guard Hound." he said sweetly.
"5$ on Rufus," Elena said and looked at Shotgun.
"I say 20, on Rufus."
Normally that probably wouldn't have hurt Cloud as much as it did now and damn did that hurt. He glared back at him, teeth gritted but didn't give him the pleasure of saying how it hurt.
"I've been known to raise up to seventy-thousand," Rufus smirked at a particular memory.
"For what? Seventy-thousand to stop you from talking, maybe?" Cloud quips back.
Oh, but Rufus wasn't done, as he then shoved the cane into Cloud's second foot even harder, "Auction, for a charity event. Cadets like you weren't even able to survive the first round."
It was so hard not to just reach across the table and punch him. He should have never signed that contract. "Oh and who paid that? Your father?"
Rufus looked at Tseng with a knowing smile, "Can you remember, Tseng? I think my memory's a little hazy on that matter..."
"..." Tseng looked from one to the other, then sighed. This was not their usual banter, this had a tone of unfriendliness below it that cut deep.
"Maybe you can't remember because it never happened" Honestly Cloud had no memory of there ever being a charity auction of people, but then again he tried not to think of his life back then too much.
Rufus leaned on the table with a rather vile glow to his visible eye - and relished just how much he really was starting to hate Strife right about now, "I'm sure if he re-emerged once again, he'd tell you alllll of the little details himself... The general did earn a lot of money, and liked to play games."
He let the hint sink in, before something flickered across his face, and the sudden realization that this was not him dawned. Rufus sat back, looking a tad confused, before turning to Shotgun, "Perhaps returning to the Lodge may be a good move."
That eye. He knew that look. It haunted Cloud's dreams, it haunted his daily life. He froze up when he saw it, not expecting it, at least not having thought he'd see it now. He was actually enjoying the banter a bit, even if it was a bit meaner then he was used too.
"..." He leaned back in his chair when Rufus pulled away. He wanted to leave now. "...Is my house on Costa decided then?..."
"Perhaps it is," Tseng said quietly.
"Agreed," Shona replies, still glaring at the Wutain.
Tseng met Shotgun's gaze, and his face didn't change. He ate some of his dinner, but not much. He would deal with her later..."
"Do what you like, then." Rufus stated with a finality, and stood up, pulling Shotgun gently.
Tseng handed her the key to the handcuffs. "Elena. Reno. Take him home."
Shotgun groans at being pulled along with the Prez, then nearly squeeled in delight as the key was handed to her.
Reno nods, but he's twitching almost invisibly. That had freaked him out, which had been most of his quiet.
Rufus' fingers drummed unconsciously on the cane's head, but didn't look at anyone. If anything, he was holding his head as if in pain... or trying to keep someone out.
This did not slip Shona's notice, and she unhooked the cuff from her arm all the more quickly at the face he pulled.
Tseng looked at Rufus long, and he looked weary. "Be home safe," he said softly, and in such a manner it almost seemed a bedroom comment.
Rufus glanced at him over his shoulder, and let an amused breath through his nose, "Can never stay mad, can you."
And with that, he was led away - a little wobbily, by his escorts.
Tseng took a deep breath in, and then he fell back on his chair. He pushed his plate away, and shook his head. "That was not a success."
"I should have left..."
"Nah, Cloudy. You've been a gem."
"I am glad you stayed," Tseng said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Why?" It made no sense to him why they would have enjoyed seeing that.
"Shotgun, I betted on Elena to see if a negative conflict would bring out violence in Rufus... violence against Cloud, and it did. More than I thought. The president is changing." is Tseng's response, to them both.
Now this made sense to Cloud. So he was just played. "..."
Tseng glanced at Cloud, and then reached out. He folded his arms and tried to look Strife in the eyes. Then he leaned back, and shook his head, as if ridding himself of a thought like a fly. He didn't say whatever he was going to say, and instead looked out of the window.
"Dude. Don't do that to yourself, and just say it," Shotgun snaps, sick of the Turk mind games.
Tseng looked around, from first to Shotgun and then to Cloud. Indoor voice, he automatically wanted to say, but it matters not. He sighed, and shook his head. "I... wished to express my concerns about Cloud's well-being."
"You...did?" Oddly enough, the thought of any of the Turks actually caring about him even a little bit made him feel very uncomfortable. He moved a bit in his seat and kept his head down. "I can handle myself fine...I don't need help."
Tseng didn't know if his previous sentence had been a lie or the truth. "It is late. I am... happy with our progress, but we still do not have much information. Let's split up for the day and continue later, shall we? I will be in touch."
Tseng made eye-contact with a waiter, summoning him.
"Shotgun, shall I see you home, or would you rather work on that music of yours?"
Tseng... Why must you be so infuriatingly cold and distant? "I'll do both, I can multitask. But only if you listen to me play a song for you."
The lead Turk stood up, and took his own coat from the back of his chair. He put it on. Then he took Shotgun's jacket from her chair, and held it up for her to slip into. "It seems I have no choice, do I?" That last remark was said by Tseng with a faint bit of amusement in his voice. Cloud grabbed a few more bites before getting up and walking past the two. He knew when he was a third wheel.
"Well, I would hope not," she chuckled darkly, twice in quick succession. "And it's going to be in Wutain, too." The last part is added with a smirk, as she knew none of the others understood fully.
Tseng glanced at Cloud's back, and he briefly considered mentioning a thank you... but would not talk at his spine. Reno and Elena had left with Rufus, Cloud was gone too. They were alone at a table with plates empty of meals. The waiter returned with the golden credit card, and Tseng put it in his pocket. He summoned Shotgun to the exit with a nod of his head.
"Enough for today..."
Okay! Part two! Next part is all Tseng and Shotty, and it gets a little... Interesting. Please leave a review! I own nothing, and my RP group own the plot ideas.