“Ya can leave it t’ me t’ get into the building and department we need – so don’t worry ‘bout that. ‘nd I don’t wanna be paid, I want somethin’ in return. Ya can think of a few things, and I’ll pick one of ‘em later or so”, the Turk muttered as he waved his hand, resulting in the bartender to pour him another drink. “Unless ya have somethin’ else in mind already, yo. Jus’ lemme know whenever ya come up with anythin’. ‘nd once that’s settled, I’ll help ya get… whatever it was that ya wanted from ShinRa”
A chuckle escaped from the redhead at the other’s words. “Mhm, so muja really sounds a little – spicier. Heh, wait, are ya sayin’ I’m yer love? Cuz ya called me that”
“Oh, I haven’t decided what I want myself, yet.” Chuami replied. She thought about it, legs swinging under her seat, eyes fixed on the back wall. “Hmm… whatever. I wanna see your armoury and the science department.”
It occurred to her, fleetingly, that hanging around the research areas of a highly secretive company with one of its most trusted secret service employees might have been a questionable idea. Common sense said no, but the jet fuel said yes.
“I did say tha, didn’t I? Tell ya what. Get me in, then I’ll find you your reward, then I’ll let you know.”
“Al Bhed? Never heard o’ that. So what does so muja mean?” Reno asked as he took another sip of his drink, eyes focusing on Chuami still. She was pretty interesting, he had to admit.
When she asked for his price though, he let out a short laugh.
”My price? Tch, I only said I want somethin’ in return for helpin’ you out. ‘s not like I care who ya are or why ya want somethin’ from ShinRa. It jus’ won’t be that easy fo’ us t’ get what ya want, so I’d like a little somethin’ for my efforts. Ya should be glad I’m willin’ to help ya, ‘cuz I coulda jus’ brushed ya off, ya know”
"Hmm? So… would you be okay with us maybe swiping something on the way through…? I mean, since we’ll be in the department anyway… don’t worry about it being ID tagged or recognisably ShinRa. I can give it a new look and cut the ID tags on it, whatever it is. See, you caught me at a bad time. I’ve only been here this one day, I didn’t bring a damn thing with me. So, it’s either that, or I just pay you. And that’s so boring.”
She finished the drink in front of her, considered giving the bartender another wave and decided against it. I’ll take five. I think I drank my own body weight already. I’m doing alright though… Gaian liquor must be like rosewater.
"Ah! Oh yeah! Sorry… so means my, and muja means love. So, my love. But… in your language it sounds like something my grandma would say. There’s no life in it!”
“‘s not like I said anythin’ like that” The redhead chuckled, a mischievous grin adorning his face as he watched Chuami sit back on her stool. “I jus’ want somethin’ in return. Doesn’t have t’ be sex, ya know. Unless that’s what ya want. Ya wouldn’t even have t’ be in a submissive position—” The grin turned into a smirk. “—at least not at first, yo”
Reno then turned back to his drink as well, putting the glass to his lips — but before he could take a sip, he hit the glass back on the counter with a loud noise and snorted with laughter.
“Seriously though, what in Gaia’s name is so muja? ‘s that some other language or what?”, he asked, still laughing.
The persona Chuami was keeping up slipped slightly as he laughed. She laughed as well, more than slightly impressed by how difficult he was being… relatively difficult, of course. Only difficult compared to far easier targets who would sell their soul for ten minutes with a woman.
"Yeah, yeah, it is,” she nodded, composing herself, “Sorry – I use them interchangeably a lot, I forget people here don’t speak Al Bhed at all. So, then – what’s your price? What could you possibly want from a woman you just met, who might not have anything in the first place? You gotta have an idea, or you wouldn’t have said it.”
Reno was just about to grab the freshly made drink from the counter as Chuami leaned closer to him, it’s not like he minded. And he listened to what she asked, enjoying how she leaned even closer toward the redhead.
The turk’s lips curved into a mischievous smirk once again as she finished whispering, his free hand grabbing the young woman by her shoulder to pull her even closer, just enough for him to whisper directly into her ear.
Up close and personal — just how I like it.
“Oh, I s’pose I could help ya — but what will ya do for me in return?”
Chuami’s eyebrow raised as she felt Reno’s hand on her shoulder. It’s been a while since I played this one, but I think I remember the rules. She drew back far enough to look him in the eye, then let her gaze drop to his lips.
”For you?“ she replied, coolly. "You’ve read me all wrong, so muja. I’m not gonna do anything for you. Help me out and I’m sure we can come to some arrangement. But it won’t be any arrangement that sees me in any submissive position.”
At her last words, she bit back a smirk and turned back to her glass.
“Well it is a nice tat, so why not? Could’ve turned out worse, ya know” Hands reached out to grab the glass for another sip of the slush, emptying it.
"I’d like another, yo”, Reno said to the barkeeper as he picked up his goggles from the counter, eyeing them for a moment. Hmm, on or off? He noticed Chuami’s stare and smirked to himself. Off. As he heard her speak, the redhead turned his head to look at her.
“Who I am, eh? ‘m a turk, workin’ for ShinRa. ShinRa’s based in Midgar, and I’ve lived there m’ whole life. That should answer both of yer questions,yo”
ShinRa?!
Chuami perked up at the mention of the company.
”Really…?“ she half-murmured.
After a moments’ consideration, she leaned over toward him.
"It just so happens that that’s exactly the company I’m here to get ahold of… So… you’ll know where their headquarters are, right?”
She leaned closer, her hair brushing his shoulder, and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“I’m looking to get hold of a few of their weapons. Nothing major! I don’t want anything huge… Do… you think you could help me…?”
“Really? You couldn’t have waited til we got back?”
Chuami managed to look disapproving for a full ten seconds before she grinned, glanced up and down the road, then took his hand and vanished down a darkened alleyway.
“Woah” Reno’s eyes widened for a second when she pulled up her skirt – after all they were surrounded by people, in a bar – but she didn’t seem to have any problem with that. “Nice legs-”, he blurted out, only to turn his head away right after, scratching the back of his neck while letting out a light chuckle.
The redhead’s glance then wandered to Chuami’s leg again, eying the black ink tattoo closely. He probably looked like an idiot to the other people in the bar, tilting his head around and staring at a young woman’s leg like that. After a few minutes though, he let out a sigh, grabbed his glass and took a sip.
“That ain’t even a clue, yo. ‘nd honestly, I’ve got no idea – it’s a nice tat though, I like it”
“I know, right? They’re probably, like… my… third or fourth best feature.” Chuami laughed. She took her foot off the bar and let her skirt drop again.
“Truth is, my brother did it while I was too drunk to say no. He says it’s symbolic. I think he was being an ass, but I kinda like it, soo… Whatever.”
She paused long enough to order another drink and chewed her straw for a moment. She didn’t bother to pretend she wasn’t staring.
“So who are you, Reno? Where’d you come from, what do you do?”
sovereignarchive 