[The gesture is unexpected coming from him, and Tifa peers up at him in quiet surprise, but it melts into a smile before she gives his arm a pat in return as a thank you, hers much more natural than his.
She knew that Juzo did get to them in time before anything could happen, but that didn't change the fact that he'd been planning on turning these kids around for a profit...? What a strange sentence to think about, but... that's the reality in some places. She's sure even Midgar exploited kids the same way.]
I'm glad it had a happy ending...?
[That's happy, right?]
Guess maybe he didn't realize that his wife wouldn't have left him otherwise. He end up getting it all fixed?
[Terrible as his actions are, she does hope he did...]
[ He’s a little embarrassed when she acknowledges his gesture with one of her own, and just as awkwardly draws his hand away. It seems to have worked at least, but hell if he would know where to go from there. ]
I dunno. Guy was dazed and half-deaf when I left him. I didn’t keep tabs on him after that.
[ That probably sounds callous, but at the end of the day, it isn’t Juzo’s job to babysit anyone. After his job’s done, it’s their job to get up and walk on their own two feet. ]
The city’s crawling with people like that, though. Folks who got scooped up by the war, chewed up by the system, and spat back out as somethin’ other than human. It can be hard to make a living.
Of course, she hadn't intended to let things get so dark, but it's nice to have a small glimpse into the life Juzo had before coming to this place, and even nicer that he's managed to find a way to make a living for himself here doing what he's good at.
So she steers the conversation back around, her smile naturally reappearing as if it had never left.]
Hopefully you'll run into less trouble with this business. Any bites so far?
[ To talk about Juzo’s life is usually to let things get a little dark – there’s very little sunshine and rainbows in his past or present, unless one were to count how squeaky clean and shining Camelot is compared to the slums he called home. ]
Nah, not yet, but I haven’t advertised either. I’ll probably pop up on the network before too long.
[Really, it's been a struggle for her not to keep herself busy, and so she's been doing that by visiting the friends she's made to see if they need help with anything. Besides wanting to see the new place and its setup, as well as to catch up... well, those are all the reasons why she's here with Juzo now.]
Been thinking a lot lately about what I wanna do with myself here. Everyone's finding jobs, thinking of looking for houses... It'd be neat if I could get something up and running here. A bar, maybe...
[ Seems like he’s touched on something of a sore spot, but he certainly gets it. It’s hard to watch everyone around you move forward while feeling like you’re standing still. ]
Mm. You any good at running a bar?
[ He assumes she must have some kind of background in the field for it to be her first option. ]
Bought one when I was eighteen, been running it ever since.
[Never mind the fact that the bar was recently obliterated underneath the remains of the sector seven plate, but that's not an important detail here. She doesn't want to bring the mood down too much.]
It would at least be something familiar here, you know? Like your consulting firm.
I've done my fair share of kicking rowdy assholes out of the bar. People can get pretty crazy when they've had too much to drink.
[Most of her regulars were great—that's why they were regulars. They were the ones who were allowed to come back to the bar whenever they wanted... but the slums did have quite a few bad apples who would wander in once in a while.]
Most of them were just looking to get someone riled up, and would sometimes pick fights with me. I don't think any of them went in those nights looking to get their asses kicked by the bartender though.
[...]
But I wouldn't say no to some help. Who's the friend?
[ Ah, true. He knows by now that Tifa can hold her own, given the way she helped kick the crap out of those ghosts some time ago. Anyone who starts shit in her establishment likely gets a lot more than they bargain for. ]
[Tifa's look of surprise lasts only a moment before she breaks into a laugh.]
I should've figured.
[Juzo, of course, would be a great person to have around the bar, and not just to keep the trouble outside. Having him around as a customer would be great, too... but maybe she could hire him for the nights when she knew a lot of people would be there. Yes, that sounds like a great plan.]
Well, at least now I know where to find you. As soon as I can scrounge up enough money, you'll be one of the first to know.
[And with that, she gets to her feet and downs the rest of her cup.]
But I'll let you get back to it. Thanks for the coffee.
[ A Resolver isn’t picky about their jobs, and Juzo has kicked more assholes out of more bars than he’s done probably anything else. It’s easy work and easy money. ]
I look forward to hearin’ from you.
[ Juzo gets to his feet as well, taking her empty cup in hand with his own to bear over to the sink for washing. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She knew that Juzo did get to them in time before anything could happen, but that didn't change the fact that he'd been planning on turning these kids around for a profit...? What a strange sentence to think about, but... that's the reality in some places. She's sure even Midgar exploited kids the same way.]
I'm glad it had a happy ending...?
[That's happy, right?]
Guess maybe he didn't realize that his wife wouldn't have left him otherwise. He end up getting it all fixed?
[Terrible as his actions are, she does hope he did...]
no subject
I dunno. Guy was dazed and half-deaf when I left him. I didn’t keep tabs on him after that.
[ That probably sounds callous, but at the end of the day, it isn’t Juzo’s job to babysit anyone. After his job’s done, it’s their job to get up and walk on their own two feet. ]
The city’s crawling with people like that, though. Folks who got scooped up by the war, chewed up by the system, and spat back out as somethin’ other than human. It can be hard to make a living.
no subject
[War is never easy on anyone.
Of course, she hadn't intended to let things get so dark, but it's nice to have a small glimpse into the life Juzo had before coming to this place, and even nicer that he's managed to find a way to make a living for himself here doing what he's good at.
So she steers the conversation back around, her smile naturally reappearing as if it had never left.]
Hopefully you'll run into less trouble with this business. Any bites so far?
no subject
Nah, not yet, but I haven’t advertised either. I’ll probably pop up on the network before too long.
What have you been up to, lately?
no subject
Not much...
[Really, it's been a struggle for her not to keep herself busy, and so she's been doing that by visiting the friends she's made to see if they need help with anything. Besides wanting to see the new place and its setup, as well as to catch up... well, those are all the reasons why she's here with Juzo now.]
Been thinking a lot lately about what I wanna do with myself here. Everyone's finding jobs, thinking of looking for houses... It'd be neat if I could get something up and running here. A bar, maybe...
no subject
Mm. You any good at running a bar?
[ He assumes she must have some kind of background in the field for it to be her first option. ]
no subject
[Never mind the fact that the bar was recently obliterated underneath the remains of the sector seven plate, but that's not an important detail here. She doesn't want to bring the mood down too much.]
It would at least be something familiar here, you know? Like your consulting firm.
no subject
There’s somethin’ to be said for a little bit of the familiar. If you start it up, I know a guy who’s great at kickin’ rowdy assholes out of bars.
no subject
[Most of her regulars were great—that's why they were regulars. They were the ones who were allowed to come back to the bar whenever they wanted... but the slums did have quite a few bad apples who would wander in once in a while.]
Most of them were just looking to get someone riled up, and would sometimes pick fights with me. I don't think any of them went in those nights looking to get their asses kicked by the bartender though.
[...]
But I wouldn't say no to some help. Who's the friend?
no subject
I bet you gave ‘em one hell of a fight.
As for this friend, well, you’re lookin’ at him.
no subject
I should've figured.
[Juzo, of course, would be a great person to have around the bar, and not just to keep the trouble outside. Having him around as a customer would be great, too... but maybe she could hire him for the nights when she knew a lot of people would be there. Yes, that sounds like a great plan.]
Well, at least now I know where to find you. As soon as I can scrounge up enough money, you'll be one of the first to know.
[And with that, she gets to her feet and downs the rest of her cup.]
But I'll let you get back to it. Thanks for the coffee.
no subject
I look forward to hearin’ from you.
[ Juzo gets to his feet as well, taking her empty cup in hand with his own to bear over to the sink for washing. ]
Anytime. Take care, Tifa.