Oh โ [ and tifa seems to be counted amongst those people who don't expect the tentacle, eyes widening a bit when the tentacle encircles her wrist, watching carefully for a moment to study its movements as she keeps her own body still.
but as she observes, she does seem to gather darkstar's relaxed posture, surprisingly unthreatening in a way that really is drastically different from the creature that seemed more monster than anything at rufus' side. yet now, all tifa can see is a faithful pet, comfortable in the space of someone she trusts, even if that someone happens to be rufus shinra.
unexpectedly, it relaxes tifa too. ]
Well, look at her. With such good behavior, she deserves to be. [ with her visual attention directed away from rufus for the moment, she doesn't even notice the change in her own voice, casual and light in its tone, as she chuckles softly, slowly letting her hand reach out the rest of the way to finally slide against darkstar's muzzle, fingers stroking with a gentle touch there and along the top of her head. ]
[It's odd, he supposes. After all the deep-seated frustration and vitriol of their prior conversations — some of it completely deserved, he's come to reflect — Tifa sounds completely unlike what he would've expected from her on a visit like this. That little yelp of surprise strikes him curiously, too; it nags at him, like it's a sound he's heard before, though he can't immediately place how or where.
Strange. But any noise of exclamation might sound like any other, he supposes. It's probably nothing.]
That's one of the benefits of this rank; she's got plenty of room to move around. She always comes to see who's at the door, however. I'm sure that's not surprising.
[He scratches fondly under her chin, and at last Darkstar closes her eyes, evidently willing to release her focus long enough to bask in the attention of two sets of hands petting at her.]
I expect when I dismiss her, she'll follow us as far as the bar, then go onto the private beach instead. If you were worried about her looming while we have our drink — speaking of, shall we?
[ it's not at all what tifa expected either, since she imagined she'd have had all her defenses up from the moment she stepped into his suite. yet, leave it up to the opportunity to pet a domesticated animal to lower down her guard, as the welcoming of pets from darkstar's willingness to enjoy not just one but two offering hands is enough to bring about a bit of fondness as tifa looks to the animal with a smile.
when rufus speaks up with the reminder of her original intentions in coming here, tifa's hand slows, a flushing warmth creeping up over her cheeks as she realizes her own distraction, imagining the oddity of it from his perspective. ]
Right, yeah. [ with a final nuzzling stroke to darkstar's head, tifa withdraws her hand, straightening up as she finally brings her attention back to rufus, feeling a bashfulness creep over her face as she tries to revert back to an intended focused confidence. ] She's free to go where she wants, so I don't really mind. But, yeah, um, lead the way.
[At first pass, it might seem as though that command is intended to have Darkstar remove her tentacle from Tifa's wrist, but it quickly becomes apparent that's not it at all; she promptly gets up to her feet and gives herself a good shake, making her chain collar and its bells jingle faintly as she's given leave to relax herself, and the way she disengages from Tifa and settles into position at Rufus's flank makes clear — that whole time she'd been under command, and from nothing more than that wordless two-finger gesture. Conspicuous, too, is that now her nails click softly against the marble floor as she trots, where previously she'd moved lithe and silent like a panther across the expanse.
After a moment to let Tifa fall in on his other side, Rufus leads the way confidently through his penthouse, past a room with a high arched ceiling and curved walls clearly designed to make favorable acoustics for the grand piano housed within, and further down past an atrium-style room that appears to be โ of all bizarre things โ a miniature personalized stretch of beach complete with mock-ocean. At last, he turns into the room opposite the beach down the same hallway: a comfortable sort of recreational leisure room done up in blues and tans instead of stark white, with a full bar, a billiard table, and a range of seating from chairs to loveseats to divans.
The bartop, by now, looks lightly lived-in; a bottle or two of Rufus's whiskey label of choice have been left out on the counter, as has an empty glass with a napkin underneath, but for the most part the selection on the shelves behind is robust and untouched, and he motions idly to it with one hand.]
[ as tifa watches the resulting movements at the command to release, she comes to realize just how in tune darkstar has been to every word and even every motion that rufus has signaled. even without the turks positioned at his side, security and defenses low, tifa doubts she could ever actually lay a finger on rufus if it every came down to some spontaneous instinct to attack him here in his suite; she'd probably have darkstar's teeth sunken into her neck in seconds if he managed to draw her attention for it.
probably lucky that none of her intentions in being here consist of any kind of stealth assassination attempt, as tifa stares after darkstar in momentary awe before she draws her attention back to following after rufus. it's with easy curiosity that her eyes peer around the space, lingering for longer than a beat on the grand piano in that expansive room. it isn't her first time in a queen's suite, having seen plenty of other complex designs, equally equipped with their own faux beaches, but she has a more difficult time imagining rufus living within it, absentmindedly trying to picture him leisurely relaxing within it.
it's when her eyes fall onto the bar that a subtle brightness slips onto her face again, already tilting her head to get a look at the various drinks available on the shelves before rufus even welcomes her to it.
looking at him briefly, as if to reaffirm his okay, she steps forward and rounds the counter to slip behind the bar, stepping into it with easy familiarity, the way she can almost find herself within seventh heaven's walls again. fingers trace over bottles to map out the selection, mindfully counting brands she recognizes from home and some that might be more unique to this place or other worlds.
spinning around, her lips purses into something almost like a light smirk as she brings her hands down on the counter. ] So, does that mean I get to make yours too?
I believe we've discussed that you're not here to poison me, so why not? Make whatever you think will appeal, and I'll judge you on whether or not you were right.
[As predicted, Darkstar does in fact peel off from them once they enter the lounge. At first, the sound of her nails clicking as she trots across the hall heralds her departure; shortly thereafter, the sound of splashing water can be distantly heard.
Rufus, meanwhile, goes directly to the pool table and starts to rack the balls with rapid precision, content to have something to do for himself while leaving Tifa the space to do as she likes with the bartop.]
Without sarcasm, Miss Lockhart: is it your intention that we talk to each other at some point, or are we keeping this visit to drinks and billiards only?
[ because if there's a skill that tifa feels herself fairly adept at, it's being able to get a good read on a person's drink preferences. plus, it helps to prevent the returning of the tension in her shoulders now that she's this far into rufus' suite, at least feeling herself in a space that at least suits the kind of air that she's used to, even if it lacks the rambunctious noise of a busy night within seventh heaven, filled with the locals piling in for their nightly drinks.
she's turned back to the bottles as rufus steps away, distracting herself with the labels once more to make calculations in her head about which ones to mix, when his question catches her attention and she stills, gaze unfocusing from the bottle in front of her, feeling the threat of tension working its way back into her muscles.
of course he'd ask eventually. she just hadn't been sure if she'd really be prepared for an answer. ]
To be honest ... I'm not really sure. [ she doesn't turn to look at him, busying herself instead with the shelves, finding it easier this way. ] It's not like I'm here to make any kind of extended deal or anything. And I won't lie, I still have my doubts about ... you. [ it's not spoken with any sort of malice, but the honesty is there, to him, just as it is a reminder to herself. ] But โ well, you said before you wanted to give me an opportunity to get to know you, so ... so I'm here. And that's all I've really got right now.
Well. Unfortunately, I can't be anyone other than myself — though I could pretend my name was something different, I suppose.
[He arranges the balls neatly, then goes over and finds his preferred cue before lining up and making a clean break, more for the sake of hearing the balls clack against each other than anything else. He'll set them up again when Tifa is finished with her own work; for the time being he's more than content to amuse himself with something to do with his own hands, appraising angles and taking shots on the table to pass the time.]
Let's see. We've discussed my dog and your cat. You've told me about your father and — well, who doesn't know mine. [He says, dry as bone.] There's a girl here who's been trying to get me to "make friends" with people. Suddenly I wish I'd paid more attention to her ideas about small talk.
[ though she wishes he were someone different, she imagines that if he were, this really wouldnโt be as complicated as this. because who more than the very president of the company thatโs long since controlled all the tides of her life would be as difficult to endure as company? maybe itโs worse because rufus isnโt necessarily downright cruel in the way he presents himself. not that sheโs finding reasons to like him, really, but โฆ being around him hasnโt been so much of a punishment per se, either. itโs almost more infuriating because of it.
taking a few bottles in hand by their necks, she brings them to arrange over on the counter, lining them up to consider in her head how she intends to mix them. ]
Yeah, you could probably use some pointers.
[ then again, she wonders how someone who doesnโt know him would regard him, considering her own tension comes from so much thatโs been carried since before theyโd even met.
her fingers pause in opening up a bottle at the mention of her mother. sheโs quiet for a moment before answering with a small shake of her head. ]
No, not off-limits. Just โฆ well, she died when I was really young. Sheโd been sick and it hit me pretty hard when I lost her. [ sheโs caught staring at her hands for a moment before lifting her head and putting on a small smile. ] But she was the most beautiful person I ever knew, inside and out. She taught how to play piano before she passed, and so I kept that up to try to hold onto her.
[ she turns, distracting herself again by looking around for glasses. ]
You know, with all that the worldโs talked about you and your father, I never heard anything about your mother. What happened to her?
[He's had a long time to learn how to hide his tells, and it's not as though her question about his mother comes unexpected; it's the obvious thing to ask him in return, after he'd all but opened the door by asking after hers. But he's still quiet for a little too long anyway, regarding the lay of the billiard balls a little too long, thumb rubbing idly against the cue he holds between both hands as he seems to dwell over how he wants to answer that question under the guise of evaluating his next shot.]
Similar. A car accident when I was young.
[And yet the memory of the punishment room in the resort's basement comes back to him, the lamplit elevator, Mummy knows best, you still need your mother —
No. That was nothing but phantoms and tricks. He doesn't even remember the sound of her voice, so any sort of charade could easily pass.]
I'm told I look like her, from people who knew her firsthand. She was responsible for me until I was about eight, and then after she died, tutors took over.
[He pauses, then seems to shrug his mood off and glances up, smiling wryly.]
She had me learn piano, too. That must just be a habit of mothers.
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no subject
but as she observes, she does seem to gather darkstar's relaxed posture, surprisingly unthreatening in a way that really is drastically different from the creature that seemed more monster than anything at rufus' side. yet now, all tifa can see is a faithful pet, comfortable in the space of someone she trusts, even if that someone happens to be rufus shinra.
unexpectedly, it relaxes tifa too. ]
Well, look at her. With such good behavior, she deserves to be. [ with her visual attention directed away from rufus for the moment, she doesn't even notice the change in her own voice, casual and light in its tone, as she chuckles softly, slowly letting her hand reach out the rest of the way to finally slide against darkstar's muzzle, fingers stroking with a gentle touch there and along the top of her head. ]
no subject
Strange. But any noise of exclamation might sound like any other, he supposes. It's probably nothing.]
That's one of the benefits of this rank; she's got plenty of room to move around. She always comes to see who's at the door, however. I'm sure that's not surprising.
[He scratches fondly under her chin, and at last Darkstar closes her eyes, evidently willing to release her focus long enough to bask in the attention of two sets of hands petting at her.]
I expect when I dismiss her, she'll follow us as far as the bar, then go onto the private beach instead. If you were worried about her looming while we have our drink — speaking of, shall we?
no subject
when rufus speaks up with the reminder of her original intentions in coming here, tifa's hand slows, a flushing warmth creeping up over her cheeks as she realizes her own distraction, imagining the oddity of it from his perspective. ]
Right, yeah. [ with a final nuzzling stroke to darkstar's head, tifa withdraws her hand, straightening up as she finally brings her attention back to rufus, feeling a bashfulness creep over her face as she tries to revert back to an intended focused confidence. ] She's free to go where she wants, so I don't really mind. But, yeah, um, lead the way.
no subject
[At first pass, it might seem as though that command is intended to have Darkstar remove her tentacle from Tifa's wrist, but it quickly becomes apparent that's not it at all; she promptly gets up to her feet and gives herself a good shake, making her chain collar and its bells jingle faintly as she's given leave to relax herself, and the way she disengages from Tifa and settles into position at Rufus's flank makes clear — that whole time she'd been under command, and from nothing more than that wordless two-finger gesture. Conspicuous, too, is that now her nails click softly against the marble floor as she trots, where previously she'd moved lithe and silent like a panther across the expanse.
After a moment to let Tifa fall in on his other side, Rufus leads the way confidently through his penthouse, past a room with a high arched ceiling and curved walls clearly designed to make favorable acoustics for the grand piano housed within, and further down past an atrium-style room that appears to be โ of all bizarre things โ a miniature personalized stretch of beach complete with mock-ocean. At last, he turns into the room opposite the beach down the same hallway: a comfortable sort of recreational leisure room done up in blues and tans instead of stark white, with a full bar, a billiard table, and a range of seating from chairs to loveseats to divans.
The bartop, by now, looks lightly lived-in; a bottle or two of Rufus's whiskey label of choice have been left out on the counter, as has an empty glass with a napkin underneath, but for the most part the selection on the shelves behind is robust and untouched, and he motions idly to it with one hand.]
Have at. I doubt you'll find it wanting.
no subject
probably lucky that none of her intentions in being here consist of any kind of stealth assassination attempt, as tifa stares after darkstar in momentary awe before she draws her attention back to following after rufus. it's with easy curiosity that her eyes peer around the space, lingering for longer than a beat on the grand piano in that expansive room. it isn't her first time in a queen's suite, having seen plenty of other complex designs, equally equipped with their own faux beaches, but she has a more difficult time imagining rufus living within it, absentmindedly trying to picture him leisurely relaxing within it.
it's when her eyes fall onto the bar that a subtle brightness slips onto her face again, already tilting her head to get a look at the various drinks available on the shelves before rufus even welcomes her to it.
looking at him briefly, as if to reaffirm his okay, she steps forward and rounds the counter to slip behind the bar, stepping into it with easy familiarity, the way she can almost find herself within seventh heaven's walls again. fingers trace over bottles to map out the selection, mindfully counting brands she recognizes from home and some that might be more unique to this place or other worlds.
spinning around, her lips purses into something almost like a light smirk as she brings her hands down on the counter. ] So, does that mean I get to make yours too?
no subject
[As predicted, Darkstar does in fact peel off from them once they enter the lounge. At first, the sound of her nails clicking as she trots across the hall heralds her departure; shortly thereafter, the sound of splashing water can be distantly heard.
Rufus, meanwhile, goes directly to the pool table and starts to rack the balls with rapid precision, content to have something to do for himself while leaving Tifa the space to do as she likes with the bartop.]
Without sarcasm, Miss Lockhart: is it your intention that we talk to each other at some point, or are we keeping this visit to drinks and billiards only?
no subject
[ because if there's a skill that tifa feels herself fairly adept at, it's being able to get a good read on a person's drink preferences. plus, it helps to prevent the returning of the tension in her shoulders now that she's this far into rufus' suite, at least feeling herself in a space that at least suits the kind of air that she's used to, even if it lacks the rambunctious noise of a busy night within seventh heaven, filled with the locals piling in for their nightly drinks.
she's turned back to the bottles as rufus steps away, distracting herself with the labels once more to make calculations in her head about which ones to mix, when his question catches her attention and she stills, gaze unfocusing from the bottle in front of her, feeling the threat of tension working its way back into her muscles.
of course he'd ask eventually. she just hadn't been sure if she'd really be prepared for an answer. ]
To be honest ... I'm not really sure. [ she doesn't turn to look at him, busying herself instead with the shelves, finding it easier this way. ] It's not like I'm here to make any kind of extended deal or anything. And I won't lie, I still have my doubts about ... you. [ it's not spoken with any sort of malice, but the honesty is there, to him, just as it is a reminder to herself. ] But โ well, you said before you wanted to give me an opportunity to get to know you, so ... so I'm here. And that's all I've really got right now.
no subject
[He arranges the balls neatly, then goes over and finds his preferred cue before lining up and making a clean break, more for the sake of hearing the balls clack against each other than anything else. He'll set them up again when Tifa is finished with her own work; for the time being he's more than content to amuse himself with something to do with his own hands, appraising angles and taking shots on the table to pass the time.]
Let's see. We've discussed my dog and your cat. You've told me about your father and — well, who doesn't know mine. [He says, dry as bone.] There's a girl here who's been trying to get me to "make friends" with people. Suddenly I wish I'd paid more attention to her ideas about small talk.
[He pauses.]
You never mentioned your mother. Off-limits?
no subject
taking a few bottles in hand by their necks, she brings them to arrange over on the counter, lining them up to consider in her head how she intends to mix them. ]
Yeah, you could probably use some pointers.
[ then again, she wonders how someone who doesnโt know him would regard him, considering her own tension comes from so much thatโs been carried since before theyโd even met.
her fingers pause in opening up a bottle at the mention of her mother. sheโs quiet for a moment before answering with a small shake of her head. ]
No, not off-limits. Just โฆ well, she died when I was really young. Sheโd been sick and it hit me pretty hard when I lost her. [ sheโs caught staring at her hands for a moment before lifting her head and putting on a small smile. ] But she was the most beautiful person I ever knew, inside and out. She taught how to play piano before she passed, and so I kept that up to try to hold onto her.
[ she turns, distracting herself again by looking around for glasses. ]
You know, with all that the worldโs talked about you and your father, I never heard anything about your mother. What happened to her?
no subject
Similar. A car accident when I was young.
[And yet the memory of the punishment room in the resort's basement comes back to him, the lamplit elevator, Mummy knows best, you still need your mother —
No. That was nothing but phantoms and tricks. He doesn't even remember the sound of her voice, so any sort of charade could easily pass.]
I'm told I look like her, from people who knew her firsthand. She was responsible for me until I was about eight, and then after she died, tutors took over.
[He pauses, then seems to shrug his mood off and glances up, smiling wryly.]
She had me learn piano, too. That must just be a habit of mothers.