here at the honeybee inn. / open
May. 3rd, 2020 12:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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neopoints[ they tell him he won't make soldier. no amount of training can fix a weakness of the soul. the mako doesn't agree with him - he's bedridden for three days after the initial test, and upon discharge, told he'll nnot be allowed to apply again. on the very same day he'd tendered his resignation, apologizing to his squadmates for letting them down, and left a message to the turk who had helped him on the trains as well as zack fair, thanking them for their belief in him, however ill-placed.
he was left with no choice but to improvise. there was nothing to return home to in nibelheim, no reason to quietly endure further ridicule and a lifetime of being ostracized, but no way he could live on the plate with the sky-high rent and the soul-sucking jobs requiring more skill than country boy can provide. he isn't the first SOLDIER washout to be too ashamed to go home, and he knows he won't be the last. the slums are full of them. he'd found himself lost, wandering lost in the shadow of the plate. sector five was bright and flashy but he wasn't equipped to deal with pickpockets and gangs. the better part of the day was spent utterly terrified, certain he was going to die here tonight and no one would ever know because he'd been too damn stupid to tell them his plans.
don corneo's men saw an easy mark for the coliseum. promising big money and a place to sleep - but a hand on his shoulder, a whisper in his ear, i could make you a star, darling - offered him something better.
andrea rhodea had smiled so charmingly and with such faith he'd decided he was in before he even heard the offer.
( they'd suggested claudia for his stagename, not knowing it was his mothers. he'd balked, almost shouting no, because while the rhinestones and glitter were rapidly becoming just another part of his world - he couldn't imagine the humiliation of anyone he knew knowing this. shame had consumed so much of his life, dictated so much of what he enjoyed - he refused to let it ruin this too. )
so cirrus was born. and cirrus was a fucking hit.
and he hadn't been lying. cloud's androgynous features were a smash with the customer-base. he was a quick learner, a hell of a dancer, and not too bad of a fighter. he was a star - and it came with glitz, and glamour, and gil, but no glory.
the usual showstopper was done for the night. cloud, center-stage, dancing to a flashy new routine in a uniform somewhere between the men's snappy suits and the women's bulky bee costume. he's fanning himself in the changing room, huffing out a breath as he counts down the minutes until the end of his shift, when one of the girls tells him he's been requested for a private show. ]
Seriously? I'm almost off the clock. Can't someone else -
[ it's someone important, she says, shaking her head. classified. you know what that means.
the blonde pulls a face.
don't worry, it doesn't look like an exec. she adds hastily. but you better move.
he sighs. turns back to the mirror to wipe away any evidence of exertion and heads for the room. ]
he was left with no choice but to improvise. there was nothing to return home to in nibelheim, no reason to quietly endure further ridicule and a lifetime of being ostracized, but no way he could live on the plate with the sky-high rent and the soul-sucking jobs requiring more skill than country boy can provide. he isn't the first SOLDIER washout to be too ashamed to go home, and he knows he won't be the last. the slums are full of them. he'd found himself lost, wandering lost in the shadow of the plate. sector five was bright and flashy but he wasn't equipped to deal with pickpockets and gangs. the better part of the day was spent utterly terrified, certain he was going to die here tonight and no one would ever know because he'd been too damn stupid to tell them his plans.
don corneo's men saw an easy mark for the coliseum. promising big money and a place to sleep - but a hand on his shoulder, a whisper in his ear, i could make you a star, darling - offered him something better.
andrea rhodea had smiled so charmingly and with such faith he'd decided he was in before he even heard the offer.
( they'd suggested claudia for his stagename, not knowing it was his mothers. he'd balked, almost shouting no, because while the rhinestones and glitter were rapidly becoming just another part of his world - he couldn't imagine the humiliation of anyone he knew knowing this. shame had consumed so much of his life, dictated so much of what he enjoyed - he refused to let it ruin this too. )
so cirrus was born. and cirrus was a fucking hit.
and he hadn't been lying. cloud's androgynous features were a smash with the customer-base. he was a quick learner, a hell of a dancer, and not too bad of a fighter. he was a star - and it came with glitz, and glamour, and gil, but no glory.
the usual showstopper was done for the night. cloud, center-stage, dancing to a flashy new routine in a uniform somewhere between the men's snappy suits and the women's bulky bee costume. he's fanning himself in the changing room, huffing out a breath as he counts down the minutes until the end of his shift, when one of the girls tells him he's been requested for a private show. ]
Seriously? I'm almost off the clock. Can't someone else -
[ it's someone important, she says, shaking her head. classified. you know what that means.
the blonde pulls a face.
don't worry, it doesn't look like an exec. she adds hastily. but you better move.
he sighs. turns back to the mirror to wipe away any evidence of exertion and heads for the room. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 05:59 am (UTC)[Reeve definitely looks far more uncomfortable now, right up to his feet and pacing nervously.]
But any punishment dealt to you for my lack of... desire to buy company would hardly be fair.
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Date: 2020-05-06 06:01 am (UTC)[ and there's that bluntness. ]
Andrea won't punish me at all... But your colleagues are also customers.
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Date: 2020-05-06 06:09 am (UTC)[Reeve cringes at the very idea. The negative repercussions on Cirrus and this place would be unacceptable.]
This, if you must know, is why I dislike my colleagues.
[With a sigh he sits back down, reaching for the wine again and stopping.]
It's... not that you're not attractive. If that's your concern. I'm sure many people would revel in the position I'm in. It just seems disrespectful to you.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 06:13 am (UTC)[ that vapid edge is entirely gone, replaced with something annoyed. he stops himself, takes a breath. it's not cute to be a prick and he does it so often he's honestly surprised no one's hurt him over it. ]
Is this your first time in Wallmarket?
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Date: 2020-05-06 06:17 am (UTC)[A strange way to put it, but Reeve knows the truth to the statement. To lose him is to lose a lot of Shinra's secrets. More than that, it would mean losing a serious tool in their toolbox.
At last he takes the wine up again. When were those other drinks going to arrive? Not soon enough for Reeve's opinion.]
It has been deemed an unnecessary risk for me to be in the slums. I'm not sure I agree with the assertion, but my trip down today has been heavily escorted.
[Meaning he hadn't had a choice.]
Tell me, did you recognize me, or was there someone in this place who was told who exactly I was?
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 06:23 am (UTC)I wasn't told, exactly. The only people who can afford services of this level are Shinra elite - and yours is the only name I haven't been able to put a face to.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 09:43 pm (UTC)[Interesting. Wait, does that mean...? Reeve grimaces, that is terrible.]
Please tell me you haven't had their dubious company inflicted upon you. If so, remind me to tip over the top because I wouldn't be surprised if they were beyond under appreciative of your presence.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 10:27 pm (UTC)[ he seems... so genuine. How the hell is a guy like this working for Shinra? and, moreover, cloud peers curiously at him. ]
I entertained at Director Scarlet's birthday last month. [ he resists the urge to say, you know, her tenth thirtieth. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 10:30 pm (UTC)[Reeve can't resist the joke, because honestly, it was a common one in his department. And the man was definitely talking to him in a comfortable enough, or close enough to comfortable way, for Reeve to be a bit honest. Which is strange. And something he moves past it.]
As I said, I'm not really allowed. The company line is 'for my safety.' I was even escorted here by a pair of Turks.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 10:37 pm (UTC)That's understandable. The slums are a dangerous place for anyone with real wealth... and no offense, but you look like an easy target.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 11:18 pm (UTC)[Oh dear, what an incorrect expectation of him. Reeve chuckles and shakes his head, fingers running through his hair.]
Yes. Perhaps I have wealth. Mostly I have privilege. I have employment. I have a comfortable home [that he rarely sees which makes it even more of a privilege], and I can feed myself. But wealth? Not as much.
[Enough that he can pay Cloud and this place for the stupidity.]
But there are reasons I'm not allowed down here, and it's as much for my safety because people are upset as because they imagine I'd make a fool of himself.
[Reno and Rude had absolutely had to make sure Reeve didn't give money to everyone he passed.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 11:28 pm (UTC)[ stop, dumbass, don't mouth off. ]
What you have is considered 'wealth' down here. The people of the slums live paycheck to paycheck and by relying on others. Either by their kindness and willingness to lend a hand, or their weakness in the face of a threat... if you give an inch here, people will take miles.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 11:42 pm (UTC)[Of everyone in the company, Reeve's the one that doesn't mind the mouthing off. In fact, he nods along with Cloud's point. He absolutely believes it.]
I'd give miles, if I was allowed. That's my job. To make sure the people have. Unfortunately...
[Well, there are people above him, and they don't quite agree. At all.]
And then there are moments like this. When I'm sent here. By people who think I need this to be more like them.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 12:24 am (UTC)[ he crosses his legs. ]
Just not in the way they think.
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Date: 2020-05-07 12:36 am (UTC)Yes, the whole 'relieving of stress' you implied. Or did you mean another thing. That I'm too full of myself? Too self important?
[Please, tell him, there will be no repercussions his tone seems to say.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 12:58 am (UTC)You walked in here feeling sorry for me, making decisions about what I want before you even spoke to me.
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Date: 2020-05-07 01:10 am (UTC)Well then. Be honest, Cirrus. Do you wish to sleep with me? Or any Shinra Executive for that matter? I can't imagine you would want to. Scarlet is... rough on those she feels she has power over. Heidegger is crass and bloody minded. Palmer is... Palmer. Hojo, I do not believe, would ever come down here save for things I dare not contemplate. The President...
[The man's ego and hunger for power could not translate well to the experiences of those around him.]
And myself? I am hardly a catch, coming in here awkwardly and only starting to develop more confidence as I feel the warmth of the wine in my blood.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 01:29 am (UTC)You? Yeah. So long as you aren't secretly into something really weird and messed up. The rest of them I'd rather not see again... but it's my job. It provides for me and gives me money to send back to my family. I take the good with the bad.
[ reaching out to trail a hand down his bicep. work with him here, you awkward nerd. ]
And this could be really good.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 01:38 am (UTC)S-surely you're being paid no matter what I chose to do with the limited time I have in your beautiful but unexpected company.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 01:40 am (UTC)I already said you're calling the shots. You just asked what I wanted.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 01:55 am (UTC)I did, but that wasn't... You're likely doing this because you were told to, correct?
[Please, just give him a lifeline here. Assure him that it's okay that he's not staring. That it's for the best.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 01:57 am (UTC)[ deadpan.
also, basically a lie. but dear god. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 02:11 am (UTC)You... did not just say that. Please tell me you didn't just say something as horrible as what I just hurt.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 02:30 am (UTC)Company policy, word for word. Andrea goes heavy on the metaphors.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-07 02:33 am (UTC)That's a bit of a mess, isn't it? I don't buy the line. This is not what you'd desire, I expect. An awkward man such as myself.
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