Not a whole lotta greenery where I come from, either.
[ The slums are just kind of Like That.
Regarding his office, there’s not much of note. It’s pretty barren apart from the kitchenette and the larger pieces of furniture, easy to detach from if he needs to.
She appears at his side, and he turns his barrel in her direction. ]
Want a cup? It’s a lot better than the sludge they called coffee back home.
[She isn't much of a drinker, but she is never one to say no to a good cup when it's offered, and the smell is as enticing as the warmth and comfort she looks forward to when she does. Tifa even takes it upon herself to pick out a cup that she holds between her hands, waiting for him to pour.]
So, a consulting business, huh? [She starts again, noting just how barren the place is. It could use a little bit of decorating, but she is the last person to ask about that.] What kind of consulting do you do?
[ Once Tifa has plucked up her choice of cup from the counter top, he turns to fill it - not too high, in case she wants to add anything. ]
If you want cream, it’s in the fridge. Sugar’s on the counter.
[ So saying, he fishes up a cup for himself and fills it. No such additions for him - he’ll take it black, but he makes a point to have those kinds things around for clients. ]
Heh. That’s just a fancy way of sayin’ I’m a gun for hire. I’ll take any kind of job, long as the pay is good.
[Just sugar for her, and Tifa helps herself to a couple of small spoonfuls before lifting the cup to her lips, taking a sniff of it first to savour its bitterly sweet smell. It's been a while...
She kind of figured that was where he was going with it—he's skilled at it, so why not take advantage of what he's good at? Reminds her a little of when she and Cloud ran around the slums looking for work—to get his name out and spread the news.]
[ With his own cup of coffee in-hand, he moves over to one of the couches, the springs creaking as his weight settles on one of the cushions. With his free hand, he motions for her to join him - either next to or across the coffee table from him on the other couch, makes no difference. ]
It’s pretty hard for someone like me to make an honest living otherwise. But I’m good at what I do, and it’s fulfilling - if annoying sometimes.
[ He tends to work for free more often than not. Not great for keeping up with the rent, but it soothes his soul some to be of help to others. ]
[Tifa will take the spot right next to Juzo, slumping onto the cushion and easily making herself comfortable beside him. She takes her first sip of the coffee then, humming contentedly to herself.]
You think so? I think you could find anything here no problem, long as you're good at it.
[Whatever the people back home thought of him, she has enough faith that it won't extend fully to Camelot. But! She isn't saying that to undermine his choice in profession! If anything, she just wants to hear more about what he did before this.]
What's the most annoying thing you've had to deal with on the job?
This place is the exception, rather than the rule. Back home, many folks don’t take kindly to the Extended, never mind an Over-Extended like me.
[ He leans back in his seat, bringing his cup to his mouth for another sip. It must take some practice, tipping the liquid into his mouth like he does, but he does it easy as anything. ]
Hm. Anything that takes me down into the sewers isn’t high on my list of likes. Me’n water don’t get along, not to mention how nasty it is.
[The poor guy. She remembers his reaction to the water when her familiar had splashed around with him, and that was clean water. Sewer water is a whole other story... and one she's unfortunately all too familiar with. She can't imagine what that must be like, getting into the grooves of the metal...
Eugh.]
Were all of you sensitive to water?
[Sounds like a bit of an oversight on their part.]
It’s not like they ask me to go there, specifically, but sometimes that’s just where the job takes me.
[ A surprising number of criminals and other unsavory types like to take to the sewers, either as an escape route or as a straight-up lair. He hates it.
There’s a bit of a pause there. He gets the full implication of her question, but coming up with a satisfactory answer is another matter. ]
I’m not sensitive, I just… no one’s ever told me I can’t get wet, but that doesn’t mean I wanna take any chances.
[ Which is to say, he’s paranoid about his head rusting. He’s been splashed and worse before with no adverse effects. ]
[It's understandable, and she can't say she blames him for not wanting to take the risk. You wouldn't dip a sword in water and not make sure that it was completely dried off, right? His head is no different from that.]
I get that. But I still think maybe it's something they should've thought about when they were building everything.
[Tifa sips on her coffee. Does she even have a place to be saying those kinds of things? Especially when it's true? Jobs like that take people all over the place, and if they're going to turn people into mercenaries or weapons, then why not make sure they've prepared them for anything?
Anyway...!]
So, was it because you were chasing some criminal that lead you down there?
I don’t think the higher-ups had splashin’ around in the sewers in mind when they built me.
[ In fact, if they had their way, Juzo would be a pile of scrap, like so many of his fellow Gun Slave Units. No one put any thought into what it would be like to live day-to-day with a gun for a head because they were no longer supposed to exist after the war. ]
Usually is. If they don’t stumble in there tryin’ to escape, then they’ve got a “lair” or some other BS down there. I remember some guy calling it the “Blood Kingdom”.
[How edgy. Criminals like to think they're so clever, no matter what universe they're in, don't they?]
Blood Kingdom? In the sewers?
[Tifa snorts into her cup of coffee before drowning a mocking laugh with a sip. She's not a judgmental person usually, but she does have to judge a little bit for that.]
Gotta wonder what made him think that. All that I find in the sewers in Midgar are sahagins and wererats... No one smart goes down there if they can help it.
The guy had big ol’ extensions on his ears, used for gathering intel during the war. Found him hangin’ upside-down off a pipe like some kinda bat dude. He probably thought he was being cool.
[ Says the master of trying to be cool. People in glass houses, Juzo. ]
Not sure what a sahagin is, but wererats don’t sound fun.
[That sounds like anything but cool... Just sounds like a nuisance.]
Sahagin are like... [She pauses to mull it over. How does one explain sahagin besides them being—] Fish... men? Fish that can stand and walk on two legs. They're a little more aggressive than the wererats, but they're mostly what you'd find if you wander too far below the slums.
... But easier to take care of than whoever that guy is, I'd bet. You got him, didn't you?
[ Admittedly, her description puts him in mind of some kind of reverse mermaid - fish on top with a pair of human legs - which is at once terrifying and hilarious. He's not going to question it, however, so he's just going to live with that mental image. ]
After gettin' doused with sewer water, sure. Those bat ears didn't take kindly to my firing off a concussive weapon underwater.
[ He might have temporarily deafened the guy. ]
Guy was kidnapping orphans and the whole bunch of them screamed and ran when I sprung 'em free.
[That sounds more terrifying than what the sahagin actually look like, so enjoy that mental image, Juzo.]
Kidnapping orphans?
[The twists just keep coming, and they're getting weirder and weirder. Never mind that the guy had bat ears or that he was hanging from the ceiling like he was one.
Her fingers grip the cup tighter, and she swallows past the growing lump in her throat, washing her worry down with coffee. She isn't even sure why it's there if Juzo was able to free them.]
Sellin’ em, probably. Guy was trying to afford extension work so he could get his head back to normal. Had a wife waiting for him.
[ He notices the tense way she holds her cup, as if she expects the story to take a turn for the worse. A little awkwardly, he puts a hand on her arm, like she might find it soothing. ]
Nothing happened. I got there in time. Funny thing is, the guy’s wife had been waiting for him all that time to come home. He didn’t need to go to the trouble.
[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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ The slums are just kind of Like That.
Regarding his office, there’s not much of note. It’s pretty barren apart from the kitchenette and the larger pieces of furniture, easy to detach from if he needs to.
She appears at his side, and he turns his barrel in her direction. ]
Want a cup? It’s a lot better than the sludge they called coffee back home.
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[She isn't much of a drinker, but she is never one to say no to a good cup when it's offered, and the smell is as enticing as the warmth and comfort she looks forward to when she does. Tifa even takes it upon herself to pick out a cup that she holds between her hands, waiting for him to pour.]
So, a consulting business, huh? [She starts again, noting just how barren the place is. It could use a little bit of decorating, but she is the last person to ask about that.] What kind of consulting do you do?
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If you want cream, it’s in the fridge. Sugar’s on the counter.
[ So saying, he fishes up a cup for himself and fills it. No such additions for him - he’ll take it black, but he makes a point to have those kinds things around for clients. ]
Heh. That’s just a fancy way of sayin’ I’m a gun for hire. I’ll take any kind of job, long as the pay is good.
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She kind of figured that was where he was going with it—he's skilled at it, so why not take advantage of what he's good at? Reminds her a little of when she and Cloud ran around the slums looking for work—to get his name out and spread the news.]
So, you did a lot of that back home then?
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[ With his own cup of coffee in-hand, he moves over to one of the couches, the springs creaking as his weight settles on one of the cushions. With his free hand, he motions for her to join him - either next to or across the coffee table from him on the other couch, makes no difference. ]
It’s pretty hard for someone like me to make an honest living otherwise. But I’m good at what I do, and it’s fulfilling - if annoying sometimes.
[ He tends to work for free more often than not. Not great for keeping up with the rent, but it soothes his soul some to be of help to others. ]
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You think so? I think you could find anything here no problem, long as you're good at it.
[Whatever the people back home thought of him, she has enough faith that it won't extend fully to Camelot. But! She isn't saying that to undermine his choice in profession! If anything, she just wants to hear more about what he did before this.]
What's the most annoying thing you've had to deal with on the job?
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[ He leans back in his seat, bringing his cup to his mouth for another sip. It must take some practice, tipping the liquid into his mouth like he does, but he does it easy as anything. ]
Hm. Anything that takes me down into the sewers isn’t high on my list of likes. Me’n water don’t get along, not to mention how nasty it is.
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[The poor guy. She remembers his reaction to the water when her familiar had splashed around with him, and that was clean water. Sewer water is a whole other story... and one she's unfortunately all too familiar with. She can't imagine what that must be like, getting into the grooves of the metal...
Eugh.]
Were all of you sensitive to water?
[Sounds like a bit of an oversight on their part.]
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[ A surprising number of criminals and other unsavory types like to take to the sewers, either as an escape route or as a straight-up lair. He hates it.
There’s a bit of a pause there. He gets the full implication of her question, but coming up with a satisfactory answer is another matter. ]
I’m not sensitive, I just… no one’s ever told me I can’t get wet, but that doesn’t mean I wanna take any chances.
[ Which is to say, he’s paranoid about his head rusting. He’s been splashed and worse before with no adverse effects. ]
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I get that. But I still think maybe it's something they should've thought about when they were building everything.
[Tifa sips on her coffee. Does she even have a place to be saying those kinds of things? Especially when it's true? Jobs like that take people all over the place, and if they're going to turn people into mercenaries or weapons, then why not make sure they've prepared them for anything?
Anyway...!]
So, was it because you were chasing some criminal that lead you down there?
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[ In fact, if they had their way, Juzo would be a pile of scrap, like so many of his fellow Gun Slave Units. No one put any thought into what it would be like to live day-to-day with a gun for a head because they were no longer supposed to exist after the war. ]
Usually is. If they don’t stumble in there tryin’ to escape, then they’ve got a “lair” or some other BS down there. I remember some guy calling it the “Blood Kingdom”.
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Blood Kingdom? In the sewers?
[Tifa snorts into her cup of coffee before drowning a mocking laugh with a sip. She's not a judgmental person usually, but she does have to judge a little bit for that.]
Gotta wonder what made him think that. All that I find in the sewers in Midgar are sahagins and wererats... No one smart goes down there if they can help it.
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[ Says the master of trying to be cool. People in glass houses, Juzo. ]
Not sure what a sahagin is, but wererats don’t sound fun.
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Sahagin are like... [She pauses to mull it over. How does one explain sahagin besides them being—] Fish... men? Fish that can stand and walk on two legs. They're a little more aggressive than the wererats, but they're mostly what you'd find if you wander too far below the slums.
... But easier to take care of than whoever that guy is, I'd bet. You got him, didn't you?
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After gettin' doused with sewer water, sure. Those bat ears didn't take kindly to my firing off a concussive weapon underwater.
[ He might have temporarily deafened the guy. ]
Guy was kidnapping orphans and the whole bunch of them screamed and ran when I sprung 'em free.
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Kidnapping orphans?
[The twists just keep coming, and they're getting weirder and weirder. Never mind that the guy had bat ears or that he was hanging from the ceiling like he was one.
Her fingers grip the cup tighter, and she swallows past the growing lump in her throat, washing her worry down with coffee. She isn't even sure why it's there if Juzo was able to free them.]
What was he planning on doing with them...?
[She has a hunch, and it makes her stomach turn.]
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[ He notices the tense way she holds her cup, as if she expects the story to take a turn for the worse. A little awkwardly, he puts a hand on her arm, like she might find it soothing. ]
Nothing happened. I got there in time. Funny thing is, the guy’s wife had been waiting for him all that time to come home. He didn’t need to go to the trouble.
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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...]
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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.
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[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?
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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?
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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...
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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. ]
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[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.
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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.
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