milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Drinkin' at home or drinkin' at the end of the universe: it doesn't much matter to him. End result's gonna be the exact same, so either's good. As he opens the door, his hand goes to that knife he carries in his pocket.

Knives ain't new for him either. One hand fingering the knife's handle, he makes his way over to the bar, grabs a stool that looks like it was just made for his skinny ass, and orders himself a bottle of his usual ale. Looks around, turns his attention back to the bottle that shows up in front of him without a second thought about the shit people are wearin'. Some nights, good old Wutai Pale's the only friend he needs.

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"Chocobos?"

The word's about a hair away from sounding like some kind of chocolate-frosted cereal, and that almost makes her laugh. She saw the guy dismounting, but she can barely imagine people racing those big birds.

"He didn't say anything about aliens while I was there." Still smiling, she shakes her head. "That a popular story around Midgar?"

"Could be." He just raises one eyebrow and smirks. "You might have to go back again if you want to get the whole story." Sure, he could tell her all about the Northern Crater and Jenova and the Cetra and all that shit, but where's the fun in just givin' everything away? Nah, she wants it, she's gonna have to do somethin' for it. Anyhow, he doesn't want to start in on that story because it hits a little too close to some need-to-know-basis shit he's privy to, and in ten years workin' for the Turks he hasn't blown it on one of those things yet.

Tonight ain't gonna be the night it happens either, so he gives her a smoke screen instead.

"There's lots of stories around Midgar. You stick around a little longer next time, you might hear a couple of 'em. And some of 'em might even be true."

The way he toasts her with his ale might just signify that's all he's gonna say about that, but that might be askin' just a little too much of his nonverbal communication skills.

Grinning again, she raises her own eyebrows as she watches him drink. "You inviting me to run out after you again sometime?"

She doesn't say -- chances are she doesn't need to -- that she would've happily stuck around a little longer last time. She wouldn't have minded having to find Reno to get back to the bar when she needed to return.

Next time maybe she can be a little more careful about noticing what she's actually walking into when she thinks she's going into a shop.

He gives her one of those Looks that deserves the capital L. "I don't know, Kate. You want to run out there after me again? I told you last time, all you had to do was ask. I'd probably be real happy to hold the door open for you."

She doesn't make any demands; she's real low-key. Easy on the eyes, pretty, smart, brave, funny. Bottom line is she'd make a fuck of a Turk herself, probably, if she's any good with a gun. Lady like that probably is, too.

"And I mean it too. You like it over there? There's better cities than Midgar."

One corner of her mouth quirks until her smile's lopsided. "Yeah?"

The look she gives him isn't quite so serious, but there's curiosity mixed with appraisal that wasn't there before.

"And what'd be in it for you besides helping a girl out?"

It's not that she's not interested, but the offer's nothing she expected.

"You tell me." He gives her a look that's not a threat, not a promise, just curious. "Last time, I got my tab paid for a while. I could always get around a bottle of ale. But if you have something else in mind, I'd be open to hearin' a proposal."

What he ain't doin' is comin' on to her. It ain't 'cause he's not attracted to her: a guy'd have to be friggin' blind not to see how pretty she is. It's just there's a couple ladies he's met here -- Kate's one of 'em, Charlie's another -- he thinks deserve to be treated a little carefully. Lady like Lara? She pretty much broadcasts exactly what she wants, exactly how far a guy can expect to go with her. Same thing with Bela, in a different way. But with people like that, there ain't a fuck of a lot of actual trust; he's always said he doesn't have to trust a girl to fuck her. Once he starts respecting her, that means he's got to play a whole different set of cards, or tuck the cards away completely and be honest.

He friggin' hates having to be honest, except in rare cases.

He's got a lot of respect for Kate 'cause of what she did. It ain't just anyone who bullshits her way to a whole new planet and says she wants to get lost, thanks a lot, don't need no one. That's big.

He'll still try to get in her pants eventually. Can't help that, but that'll come later. Much later.

A proposal. Suddenly he's a pale ale-drinking businessman.

"Well, here's the thing, Reno." Patting the bar's surface, she pauses long enough to ask for a Wutai Pale of her own. She picks up the bottle as soon as it appears. "I haven't been earning any money while I've been here, and before that I was living on the island. I'm not going to have the resources to keep paying you back this way."

And Sawyer's way of doing business is right out of the question.

"So basically," she adds, pausing to take a drink, "I don't have a lot to offer you here."

He waves that shit right off. "Eh, I got plenty of money, and you seem like a creative lady. Maybe you could come up with somethin' different. Like... I don't know. You could repay it by tellin' me a story from your world. Or drawing a picture or cookin' dinner. I don't know. It doesn't have to be somethin' big." It's true that he doesn't get a lot of appreciation in his everyday life and he's just as likely to get slapped as he is to get thanked.

"Or, you know, you could just be a friend. Shit like that. I ain't askin' for the moon or nothin'. I ain't lookin' to extract a fee you ain't prepared to pay."

That's his way of lettin' her know he ain't gonna hit on her too bad or nothin'. "Just some company might be nice. I mean of the platonic variety. I don't get a fuck of a lot of that."

Personally, he thinks she's got plenty to offer.

Her eyes narrow slightly -- not in an unfriendly way -- as she considers him. "Well, if that's all you want--"

Nothing she's not willing to do, no kisses in exchange for medication. She knows plenty of stories, and she doesn't have a problem being friendly with him.

"--I can probably cover you pretty easily."

Maybe too easily, but hey, she's not going to complain about it.

"All right, then. So if you want to go again, just ask. Unless sneakin' around's something you take pride in." Shit, he could understand that. He's pretty friggin' good at it himself sometimes.

Most times. Slinking is a learned skill. He got top honors in that class at Shin-Ra.

The only problem is he ain't sure how come he's bein' so nice. Maybe it's the way work's been lately. That's always been like a mirror of his own life to him, and now they're in this kinder, gentler, clean-up-the-friggin'-planet, undo-the-damage phase at Corporate.

What the fuck right? Go with the friggin' flow.

"Just one thing."

Yeah, there's always a catch, ain't there.

"The stories have to be good ones. Not like... so I went shoe shoppin' one day and got brown ones, the end." Yeah, he's the youngest kid in his family. So what if he still likes hearin' stories?

Maybe her smile's a little bit smug over the neck of her beer bottle. "Think I'll save the sneaking around for when I really need it then."

He says just one thing, and for a second she's sure this is the catch she's been waiting for.

It's a catch, all right, but it's nothing she didn't expect out of him. Nothing she can't agree to.

She lets out a small laugh. "That's too bad. I had a lot of great shoe stories I was going to tell you."

That actually gets a moment's consideration.

"Well, if they're great shoe stories..."

Grinning a little -- he can't help it -- he nods. She's all right, Kate. He likes her, and he really doesn't like most people so very much, not that it stops him sleepin' with them, shit like that. But the ones he genuinely likes? Few and friggin' far between, so... yeah. If she wants to tell him great shoe stories, he probably won't mind too much unless it's the same one over and over again.

"Okay then. I guess we have a deal." If she wants to shake on it or not ain't something he really gives a fuck about. He'll remember it, and he bets she will too. She doesn't seem like the type to want to be confined to any one place for very long.

"Guess we do," she agrees, raising her beer to him as if to cement it.

She's pretty satisfied with it; it's a good deal for her. If he wants, she can practically tell him about what's happened on the island since the crash in installments.

"And don't worry. I'll keep away from the shoe stories. I think I've been shopping in the wrong places for interesting stories about shoes."

"That makes two of us." The shoes on his feet are his old standbys and he doesn't even give 'em a second thought. As long as they get him where he needs to go and keep him kickin' ass, they're all good.

Draining his ale, he pushes the bottle back away with only mild regret at its empty status and stands. "Thanks for the drink, Kate." She's pretty, and pretty fair, so it's all good. As far as he can see it, there ain't no problem bringin' her out that door with him. She's maybe the least demanding lady he's met and part of him wants to know exactly what she wants 'cause everyone wants somethin', but in this case he's pretty sure the thing she wants ain't got a lot to do with him.

More to do with freedom of movement, and who wouldn't understand that? He sure does.

"So just let me know when you want to make that trip. You know, see the world. Win friends, influence people, shit like that." It ain't his usual M.O. to take care of people, but it's a little-known fact he can when he wants. It's just he usually has like zero interest in doing so.

And that's cool. Keeps him out of all sorts of trouble.

"Looks like you'll have to look forward to seeing more around more often, Reno."

She flashes him a grin as he gets up. He's been pretty decent to her, and after how easily he took her unexpected little trip to Gaia in stride, she can't see any reason not to take advantage of his willingness to help her out.

He's easier to do business with than Sawyer, that's for sure.

"Don't work too hard out there."

That ain't somethin' she's got to worry about; he just laughs a little, waves good-bye, and heads to the door. When he gets to it he turns around to check and make sure she ain't slidin' out behind him right now, but it's cool. She ain't, but if she was, he's polite enough to hold the door open for her. He knows how to mind his manners.

Maybe next time.

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