Empty Cans

So…Obviously, this is the second chapter.

It's ok for me to just…ramble right? You don't care that I'm not goin' along with what I left off with last time?

Oh, right, I'd mentioned Rufus and the police and Rude….oh, and that girl in Kindergarten (but that wasn't really important). So I s'pose the next person who needs ta be given' a formal intro would be my ol' boss, the infamous Rufus Shinra.

To start out, I heard that "Shinra" means "new evil" or somethin' in ancient Egyptian. Dunno if that's just a rumor or not, but in my opinion (which I know you covet so much) it don't suit Rufus. Sure, I know you people who don't know him think he's a bastard and a merciless cut-throat…But me an' the other people who really knew 'im know what a great guy he really is.

Rufus was my "second chance" in gettin' my life right. After I'd screwed myself over with that gang and gotten outta rehab, I was really desperate for some kinda job. I'd do anything. So I ended up with a minimum wage suck-ass job at a sleazy fast food joint. My life was shit and it had BEEN shit fer a really long time. But one night I was takin' the tube back to my rat hole of an apartment…

It was a really cold night in November. It was so cold my fingernails hurt. THAT'S when you know it's cold. The tube wasn't very clean. You know about that though. It's all grimy and nasty. There's graffiti out the wazoo and it always smells like vomit and marijuana. On the back of the seat I was sittin' behind were the words "Tseng x Elena 4evar" in girly scratching.

Right when I was wonderin' who Tseng and Elena were, the tube came to a screechin' halt and a man in a fancy white coat stepped on. It was just me and him. At first, I was tryin' to ignore him, but his eyes were boring holes into my skull. Five minutes passed. He was still starin' at me.

I don't think you grasp how powerful of a STARE Rufus Shinra had. No one who didn't work fer him does. His eyes were narrow and the most insane shade of blue I've ever seen. It was like with just one look, he could see right through you; tell what you're thinkin' an' everything. Naturally, he always intimidated people, made 'em feel totally insignificant.

So I was pretty weirded out by him. I knew that there were all sorts o' freaks who rode the tube at night, but I couldn't figure out what the hell a guy like HIM wanted with me. Instead of bein' smart and lettin' him have the first move, I decided to say somethin', which was downright stupid o' me. One thing you never wanna do is question Rufus Shinra when you don't even know him.

"I got somethin' on my face?"

Yeah.

I couldn't even have said anything cooler than that. Now that I think about it though, what else WAS there to say? It's not like I coulda just said "hello, nice night, huh?" Well, maybe that would've been better, really…Or just something along the lines of "the tube really sucks," but that definitely wouldn't have impressed him.

Rufus's eyebrows went up in a way that clearly said "that's the stupidest shit I've ever heard." I saw him smirk as he brushed his blond bangs outta his eyes. They just fell right back. "No," he replied, "If there was, I would've told you." He paused, givin' me a condescending stare. "Your name is Reno Hsiang, isn't it?"

Now, it's weird enough when someone says my name the right way, since it's a butchering of Midgarian and Wutaiye, but that's just it. I'm half-an'-half, ya see. That's why I got slanty eyes and red hair. Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, what was even stranger that Rufus got my name right was that he knew my name at all. I'd never seen him before, or if I had, I obviously didn't remember where…and forgetting someone like him wouldn't have been too easy.

It's not like I thought Rufus was hot. It's just that he had a very superior air about him and wore all that white. He reminded me of a doctor or a priest or something. Those are the kind of people I try to avoid (them and the cops, that is) so…I have no idea where I'm goin' with this.

"That's me."

I like to keep things simple most o' the time.

That catty smirk stayed on his lips but there was some kinda serious look in his eyes. He wasn't just messin' with me; he wanted to talk with me about something important.

I bet you didn't know I'm so good at readin' people, huh?

Like right now, I can tell you're frustrated that I'm deviatin' from the subject. I'm gonna tell you straight up that this story o' mine isn't just about my little relationship with Rufus Shinra, whatever that relationship was. It's about the other people I worked with when I worked for him; Rude (yea, that's irony. He'd been workin' for Rufus for a while, durin' the time I'd been dealin' with gangs an' drugs an' all that), Elena, and Tseng (yeah, those people whose names I read on the tube. Once again, irony.)

All right, all right. Back to the tube, back to Rufus and his ridiculous hair. He slipped his hand into his breast pocket and produced a little, rectangular business card. "I'm Rufus Shinra. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said as he held the card out to me.

I thought it was really odd that some random fancy-ass business guy was givin' me his card and bein' all prim and proper. Still, I took the card and glanced down at it. For Rufus Shinra, it was pretty nondescript. It was white with red, italic font.

Rufus Shinra, Shin-Ra Electric Company

That's pretty much what it looked like. It was smart of him, I thought later, that he didn't put on there that he was the freakin' president's son.

"Uh…It's great to meet you an' all…But uh…What do you want with me?"

At that point in my life, I didn't know when to be blunt and when to be polite.

Rufus laughed. His voice reminded me of those television announcers who talk about the weather like it's a Goddamn comedy show. Ya know what I'm talkin' about, right? "Whoa, look at all that rain! It's gonna be a rainy day today! Hahaha!"

They're the only people who laugh like "hahaha," I used to think. Until I met Rufus, anyway. He laughed like "hahaha" too, but he sounded much more…genuine, I s'pose.

The tube doors shut before I could even get off at my stop. Rufus didn't seem too phased by that. I bet he knew that was where I usually got off at.

"You used to be a member of a street gang here in Midgar," he said as the tube took off again.

"How the fuck do you know that?" Once again, my severe lack of respect is astoundin', isn't it?

He laughed again. Hahaha. "I know a great deal about you, Mr. Hsiang," he said, sitting back down. Even when he was looking up at me, Rufus still made me feel like I was some itty bitty flea and he was some kinda god. How's that for an analogy?

I rolled my eyes. "I bet you do. Wanna tell me what's goin' on?" Patience wasn't something I had very much of.

"Shin-Ra Electric has taken an interest in you," Rufus said, lacin' his fingers together and stickin his hands on his knee. "You're in need of a job, aren't you? We'll pay you more than anyone else in this city." Anyone who spouts crap like that is always up to something.

But that's a story I'll have to save to finish tomorrow, huh? It's shorter than our last appointment, but don't worry. You'll find out more soon.