"Eh... merchandise. Contraband. And shady-lookin' people handling the contraband. Also, exotic "animals" that don't belong on this planet, let alone in the city. Last time I checked, he had a Cockatrice." Just what kind of person is this that they're about to meet? And why does Reno know him? Mind your business, that's what and why. Reno catches the look Rufus gives one of their friendly neighborhood criminals and has a half-second of alarm before the comment he makes follows it, and he can't help but snort, loud and hard and super unattractive. He at least tries to keep his cackling to a minimum, though, lest they wind up instigating a fight for laughing too much. That happens around here.
"Ruf, if that happens, I'll be right there turning tricks with you." First names only—nicknames even better. There are plenty of politically informed-enough people down here to recognize the name Rufus Shinra, after all. Some might even be clever enough to see through the disguise, so no taking chances. "You won't even need me to show you how to work that corner."
"How hard could it be? I've managed to get out of tight situations before, I'm sure I could manage to get myself into them as well." Oh he was loving this and he was grateful that Reno was letting him have this evening to live another life for a bit even if this was incredibly dangerous.
He knew that there was a lot that he didn't know about that went on under the Plate so he wasn't surprised by Reno's explanation. As much as he would love to try to improve life down here and clean out some of this criminal activity that had flourished during his father's reign, he just didn't have the time or resources to do so at the moment.
Whatever. That was a problem for later, tonight he was making irresponsible and dangerous life choices. When they arrived at their destination, Rufus stayed right behind Reno, letting him take the lead.
"You'd probably gonna want them to get into you, actually," is Reno's last smirking quip before they head up the steps and into their man's place. It's one of those dark, wooden ramshackle sort of slums-houses that looks more like a shed or shanty than a place someone ought to live or do business. Even more of their friendly neighborhood Surprisingly Well Armed thugs dot the walkway leading up to the stairs, and there are two more posted on the porch, lounging around with their semi-automatics between their knees like they're fixin' to see who can shoot their jaw off faster. As they approach the front door, one looks to the other and then at Reno, then more critically at Rufus. "Who's the spare?" he asks gruffly.
"My entertainment for the night," Reno replies with a shrug. Hey, sorry boss, but you gave him the bright idea, now we're gonna run with it. At any rate, it works, as both 'guards' take one more look at Rufus and clearly believe that's true.
"Real high-class entertainment," the other one remarks, and judging by his tone and the look on his face, he doesn't seem to mean it as a compliment. "You behave yourself, blondie." Sneering, he waves them on.
Reno keeps a straight face as they go by, but it's a real struggle not to laugh. Not one he'd ever dare lose in a million years, but still. Right from the moment they step inside, it may or may not become apparent to Rufus what Reno meant by contraband, and people handling the contraband. The front room is full of workers like the ones on the street, men and women both sitting or standing idle and several who are clearly in the... process of sealing the deal, if you will. There are more than a few laps occupied in the various couches and chairs that all but line the room, and there doesn't seem to be any sense of shame or interest in privacy between anyone servicing or being serviced, nor does anybody seem to care much when two new people walk into the room. Reno leads them past the debauchery and several other steely-eyed looking individuals to yet another room full of contraband, and people handling contraband, this time in the form of an absolute wreck of a coke den. The only neat thing about the entire space are the lines cut all over the tables. Funnily enough, half the people in the production line here seem to be dressed just the same as the people out front, but Reno isn't about to give Rufus a play-by-play of why that would be. Just that it honestly makes more logical sense to see people in their underwear (or in nothing at all) in here than it does out there.
Ah, and there's also that Cockatrice he mentioned, clucking menacingly on a perch a few feet from the door. For that, Reno does give Rufus a gentle nudge and an indication with a faint turn of his head—don't look at it. Mostly because it'll turn you to stone if you do, but also because of the man who owns it. A very, very big, tall, scary-looking guy, who takes one look at them and, hoo boy, if looks could kill, they'd be goners! Except then Reno grins and says, in a sort of upbeat, friendly tone of voice he scarcely uses that doesn't suit him well at all (it's way too perky), "Heya, Maddy. Been awhile!"
That wipes the killer look right off the guy's face. He lights up like he's been brought a basketful of puppies. "I'll be goddamned," he says, and beckons the two of them over, his grin cutting through the deep, bushy black beard that seems to take up the majority of his face. Kinda looks like a typical image of a pirate. "Sidney. Long time no fuckin' see. How ya been? Who's your friend?"
"Good, good. This here's Tony. He don't talk much; he's shy. Aren'tcha, Tones?" Reno prompts with a playful wink. This is also a hint: keep the talk to a minimum. "He's fresh off the boat, but he's never been on a trip before."
"Ahhh," says 'Maddy'. "Today's your lucky day, then."
"Oh, I will, he's certainly paid enough for that. But perhaps later I could give you a demonstration just how I misbehave," was Rufus's parting comment to the guard and wow, that sounded better in his head than how it came out and the guard gives him a strange look. At least, it seems he doesn't Rufus is anyone except someone who is incredibly awkward and new to the slums, as if that wasn't already painfully obvious. He's not going to ask if Reno heard (he most likely had) but at least he knows he can't share any of these embarrassing moments without disclosing he had brought Rufus down here to score coke.
He decides to just be quiet as Reno led him through the house, taking it all in. He always knew conditions under the Plate were 'bad' but it's difficult to reconcile that a place like this and then the luxury he lived in at the Shinra Building existed in the same city. Everything felt so overwhelming suddenly and he just desperately wanted to take the nearest escape away from his sense of obligation even if it's just for a night. He'll take any escape he can get and if that is getting high, then that is what he would do.
Maddy takes him by surprise and he's reminded that he's not armed- he just hopes that they can make it out if things decide to get rough. He's pretty sure that unlike with the mob he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of trouble this time. He's not entirely reassured by the fact he and 'Sidney' seem to be on friendly terms but at least it seems they weren't going to get straight-up murdered where they stood just yet.
He gives Maddy a grin, going with Reno's direction. He might as well have fun with this incredibly dangerous situation. "Yeah, Sidney tells me you were just the man to see about it since you have the best stuff in the city."
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"Ruf, if that happens, I'll be right there turning tricks with you." First names only—nicknames even better. There are plenty of politically informed-enough people down here to recognize the name Rufus Shinra, after all. Some might even be clever enough to see through the disguise, so no taking chances. "You won't even need me to show you how to work that corner."
no subject
He knew that there was a lot that he didn't know about that went on under the Plate so he wasn't surprised by Reno's explanation. As much as he would love to try to improve life down here and clean out some of this criminal activity that had flourished during his father's reign, he just didn't have the time or resources to do so at the moment.
Whatever. That was a problem for later, tonight he was making irresponsible and dangerous life choices. When they arrived at their destination, Rufus stayed right behind Reno, letting him take the lead.
no subject
"My entertainment for the night," Reno replies with a shrug. Hey, sorry boss, but you gave him the bright idea, now we're gonna run with it. At any rate, it works, as both 'guards' take one more look at Rufus and clearly believe that's true.
"Real high-class entertainment," the other one remarks, and judging by his tone and the look on his face, he doesn't seem to mean it as a compliment. "You behave yourself, blondie." Sneering, he waves them on.
Reno keeps a straight face as they go by, but it's a real struggle not to laugh. Not one he'd ever dare lose in a million years, but still. Right from the moment they step inside, it may or may not become apparent to Rufus what Reno meant by contraband, and people handling the contraband. The front room is full of workers like the ones on the street, men and women both sitting or standing idle and several who are clearly in the... process of sealing the deal, if you will. There are more than a few laps occupied in the various couches and chairs that all but line the room, and there doesn't seem to be any sense of shame or interest in privacy between anyone servicing or being serviced, nor does anybody seem to care much when two new people walk into the room. Reno leads them past the debauchery and several other steely-eyed looking individuals to yet another room full of contraband, and people handling contraband, this time in the form of an absolute wreck of a coke den. The only neat thing about the entire space are the lines cut all over the tables. Funnily enough, half the people in the production line here seem to be dressed just the same as the people out front, but Reno isn't about to give Rufus a play-by-play of why that would be. Just that it honestly makes more logical sense to see people in their underwear (or in nothing at all) in here than it does out there.
Ah, and there's also that Cockatrice he mentioned, clucking menacingly on a perch a few feet from the door. For that, Reno does give Rufus a gentle nudge and an indication with a faint turn of his head—don't look at it. Mostly because it'll turn you to stone if you do, but also because of the man who owns it. A very, very big, tall, scary-looking guy, who takes one look at them and, hoo boy, if looks could kill, they'd be goners! Except then Reno grins and says, in a sort of upbeat, friendly tone of voice he scarcely uses that doesn't suit him well at all (it's way too perky), "Heya, Maddy. Been awhile!"
That wipes the killer look right off the guy's face. He lights up like he's been brought a basketful of puppies. "I'll be goddamned," he says, and beckons the two of them over, his grin cutting through the deep, bushy black beard that seems to take up the majority of his face. Kinda looks like a typical image of a pirate. "Sidney. Long time no fuckin' see. How ya been? Who's your friend?"
"Good, good. This here's Tony. He don't talk much; he's shy. Aren'tcha, Tones?" Reno prompts with a playful wink. This is also a hint: keep the talk to a minimum. "He's fresh off the boat, but he's never been on a trip before."
"Ahhh," says 'Maddy'. "Today's your lucky day, then."
no subject
He decides to just be quiet as Reno led him through the house, taking it all in. He always knew conditions under the Plate were 'bad' but it's difficult to reconcile that a place like this and then the luxury he lived in at the Shinra Building existed in the same city. Everything felt so overwhelming suddenly and he just desperately wanted to take the nearest escape away from his sense of obligation even if it's just for a night. He'll take any escape he can get and if that is getting high, then that is what he would do.
Maddy takes him by surprise and he's reminded that he's not armed- he just hopes that they can make it out if things decide to get rough. He's pretty sure that unlike with the mob he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of trouble this time. He's not entirely reassured by the fact he and 'Sidney' seem to be on friendly terms but at least it seems they weren't going to get straight-up murdered where they stood just yet.
He gives Maddy a grin, going with Reno's direction. He might as well have fun with this incredibly dangerous situation. "Yeah, Sidney tells me you were just the man to see about it since you have the best stuff in the city."