/uses this icon forever

[i_love_squats]

Who: Zack Fair i-love-squats, Tseng fingersloophole, open to Rufus machiavellisms
When: Today!
Where: Tseng’s residence.
Format: Paragraph
What: When does Zack ever turn down food? Especially Tseng’s food? Of course, it comes at the price of some heavy talking...
Warnings: none

Comments

[i_love_squats]

Zack’s throat clicked as he laughed nervously. “Yeeeah, it’s going to take more than food to get me there.” But, for the record, not much more than food. A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, after all.

For instance, with mac and cheese. It was only dreamy with toasty breadcrumbs on top. Baked in the oven until it was lava-like bubbling mass of cheesy delight, contrasted only by the subtle crunch of dried crumbs of seasoned bread. A perfect picture fit for a magazine.

He wasn’t sure Tseng’s was like that, but he’d eat it all up anyway. In a well-known truth, Zack wasn’t very discriminatory when it came to things that went in his stomach.

“Really? My boots?” And with a heavy sigh, he set about moving to the door and pulling them off (a comical scene that included a one-foot balancing act and a few hops), before making his way towards the kitchen. Accepting the plate and staring at the wine, he moved towards the mac and cheese with all the eagerness of a man who hadn’t eaten in weeks. It was a customary response that he had at every meal.

“Got a beer?” he asked while slopping the noodles onto his plate. “And is it just us?”

[fingersloophole]

The mac and cheese wasn't up to Tseng's standards. Which was to say he hadn't garnished it with any weird herbs and had put just a tiny bit of nutmeg in it because he couldn't resist. Never the less, he wasn't the one eating it and he'd seen what they served SOLDIERs. Their mac and cheese looked like glue and orange powder.

He made a slightly amused noise at the request and nodded, finding a beer and taking it to the table along with an appropriately chilled glass. Always prepared and that. "Rufus is...around," He replied simply, glancing toward the back hall where Rufus's room was. "He may join us. He may not." And far be it for him to tell Rufus what to do. Rufus was like a cat; he did what he wanted. And he could make your life a living hell if you tried to convince him to do anything.

Instead, he started to make his own plate and then cover the dishes to keep them warm for seconds. Or latecomers. He sat at the table easily. "You take shoes off in my house," He replied mildly. "Or you don't get chocolate cake for dessert."

Ruffles had wandered into the kitchen and he let the kitten onto his lap since it typically didn't steal food. "What have you been up to, Mr. Fair?"

[machiavellisms]

Rufus was indeed in his room, working on something or the other. He had been in his room, working on a plan to revive ShinRa in Anatole itself until they returned to Gaia. Of course, that meant that he was unaware that Tseng would dare have a guest whilst he was doing important .

He sauntered into the kitchen as if he owned the place, barely cast Zack a glance before he open the fridge to find that delicious ---

"Tseng, we're don-" He looked over the side of the counter, bottle of ... whatever this liquor was. "Oh, you have a guest."

[i_love_squats]

The threat of no dessert was always the perfect (and bloodless) way to make this SOLDIER behave; scrubbing the shared bathrooms with toothbrushes had nothing on the denial of chocolate cake. Especially since it had been some while since he had some good food decadence, the kind that could make him groan with a full stomach.

Claiming a seat, Zack set down his plate and leaned back in his chair, going for the beer before the food. Some days, he missed Midgar, but today wasn’t exactly one of them. “Me? Not much. Working a lot. Went to the masquerade and-“

The words died as he heard the president emerge from his section of the place. Zack looked up and actually stared at him, really seeing him in person for the first time (pictures and that never gave the same effect). He…looked like someone, someone he knew, someone familiar but he couldn’t place who. Damn! This was going to drive him nuts, and he knew it, would scratch at the back of his mind like a group of ants running tunnels.

At least he didn’t look like his dear old dad. Yuck.

Realizing he was staring, Zack took a swig from his beer and flickered his eyes to the plate of mac and cheese. His appetite had soured in the last thirty seconds, the memories rising up of things Cloud had told him. And the fact that Tseng could attempt to make good on his threat of buttering up didn't make things any easier, either.

“This guest has a name, you know.” And he put a spoonful of the pasta in his mouth.

[fingersloophole]

Tseng was eating easily with chopsticks and didn't bat an eyelash as Rufus entered. "I told you I was inviting Mr. Fair over for dinner." But what Rufus chose to hear wasn't always what he said. "You two haven't actually met, have you?" So odd to think that when he and Zack had been on missions, Rufus had been so young and not that interested in SOLDIERs.

"Have a seat. I poured the kind of wine you like," Tseng said smoothly. He'd finally had to put his foot down and demand Rufus eat with him at a table like a civilized human. Instead of being waited on or carrying food back to his work like an albino hamster. "I didn't see you at the masquerade," Tseng replied, picking up where Zack had trailed off. "Do you at least enjoy your work?"

He knew this was no doubt going to freak Zack out a little bit. Hopefully they could work past this.

But he went on eating as though nothing was amiss and the temperature in the room hadn't dropped ten degrees. Dark eyes looked back to Rufus "We don't...?" He had little idea what Rufus was even plotting at this point.

[machiavellisms]

He was aware of who Zack was. After all, the literature that he had to pry from Hojo's little grubs had his name littered over it. But, more importantly, he was one of Lazard's and he worked for his old man. So, to say that Zack was like bringing the past into his life would irritate him was an understatement.

Rufus smoothly slid into the chair next to Tseng before picking up the other set of chopsticks and picking at the food almost as expertly as Tseng. Wine was more than enough bait for the President to sit, but the chance to pick at Zack's head only sweetened the deal.

"Something to be discussed once our company leaves, no need to air anything private." Nonchalantly before tasting whatever was on the table and giving Tseng a slight sneer.

[i_love_squats]

Show offs. Look at them, eating with their chopsticks. How could you get a proper mouthful with those? And did they expect him to use them, too? Because they’d be expecting a long time, if that was the case; he’d be more apt to get it on his stomach rather than in it. After all, he wasn’t a graceful eater by normal standards; anything else, and he’d be totally lost.

Zack’s blue eyes were on Rufus, still trying to place why he looked so familiar, as he answered Tseng’s posed questions. “I spent most of my time out on the dance floor; the ladies couldn’t resist me.” Which was only partially true; one of his most enjoyable dance partners was Yachiru, and well, the rest of that thought goes without saying. “And I love my work; helping people is kind of its own reward, though the Ivories don’t hurt, either.”

Another mouthful of food, another drag of beer, another th-

LAZARD! That’s who Rufus reminded him of! Which was…weird.

Nearly choking on his bite, he coughed it down to his gullet and followed it up with another swig. He ventured a smile, but it was over-confident, cocky.

“Ooooh, don’t hold back on my account! You can just pretend I’m not here if it makes things easier. You know, as long as it doesn’t have to do with that stuff you guys posted on the networks, it’s fine; I’d rather not be around for all that.”

[fingersloophole]

Tseng kept normal eating utensils in the house, of course. Not all of his guests could be expected to be Wutainese or fed by a Wutainese man for several years or to have gone to Wutainese style dinner parties. He looked at Rufus, amazed for a moment at how proud he was just because Rufus was using chopsticks. The Old Man had never bothered to learn. And even if Rufus could be a selfish little brat who once stabbed him with a chopstick, something had stuck with him.

Zack choking brought him back into the present. But he seemed to not be suffocating. Even so, the look in his blue eyes made Tseng aware that Zack had just placed something about Rufus. And he'd seen it enough on SOLDIER faces when Rufus was young enough to care. He made an amused noise and ate a few more bites of rice.

"But when we don't have company we play beer pong and hide the chopstick," Tseng replied evenly and sipped his wine. "I doubt you'd want to be witness to that." Always a Turk. Never confirm or deny rumors.

"I spent the masquerade with Ms. Brown. At least you didn't steal her to the dance floor." But now Tseng was a bit nosy since he'd been hearing rumors of Zack having relationships and didn't one normally attend parties with those they were currently shacked up with?

[machiavellisms]

The moment that Zack had that look of recognition, Rufus resisted the urge to sneer even more. Every day when he was in the ShinRa building people would give him the passing looks as if it was he that was the strange one. Another proud moment of being old man ShinRa's son, the idiot had hired his own bastard child without knowing it.

Resisting the urge to kick Tseng for the amused noise (y tu, Tseng?), knowing that it really wasn't Zack choking that made him chortle. Rufus, on the other hand watched the other man flail about, wondering if he wasn't properly house trained to be an actual dinner guest.

"Don't tease the boy, Tseng," Making it clear that he wasn't the same Rufus that Zack knew nor was he anything like Lazard, "We both know that I would never drink beer."

Though, as mature as he was sounding, the mention of Stephanie made Rufus raise an eyebrow, "I assume you paid her."

[i_love_squats]

One couldn’t miss Zack’s deadpan expression that he used like a weapon, wielding it at both of them. Boy? Beer Pong? C’mon, give him a little credit, here. He knew better than to expect either of them to be cool enough/loose enough for some drinking games, dammit!

After composing himself and following it up with a bit of beer (something that gave him a second to try to hide the astonished connection still ringing in his brain), he narrowed his eyes a little at Rufus. Ruffling some feathers seemed like a good idea at the time, he would later reflect. “Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t, since only real men drink beer.”

But, let it be known that it bothered the hell out of him that technically, Zack was the youngest one at the table. It made him sit a little straighter, made him lift his chin a little higher. And fine, he wouldn’t be the oldest, but he’d be in the best condition. You know, for a sort-of-dead-guy.

“I could have stolen her, though. That’s the thing to remember.” And oooh, burn there, Mr. President. Even Zack has to hide the smile on that one; he liked a good joke, but…

“Hey, she’s a pretty decent girl. Be nice. It’s not like he picked her up from Honey Bee or something.”

[fingersloophole]

"I'll pick up your purple coat from the dry cleaner tomorrow," Tseng told Rufus amusedly. "You can start becoming the known pimp of this block." Because really he assumed pimphood was the career choice of everyone who wore a purple coat until he met Lazard.

He was enjoying Rufus's prickly behavior, just a little bit. Rufus was a hedgehog and he was still rolled up at the moment. Eventually he would be worn down and have to show he was still squishy inside. Tseng hoped. For now he just ate more rice and chicken and let them stare one another down.

But then Zack had to make a jab about Rufus's manhood and Tseng's dark eyes drifted skyward. Or ceiling-ward, as it was. "I don't believe men in Rufus's social standing drink beer," He amended gracefully. "Would you like another? Help yourself."

Best to get them drunk. At very least the resulting battle would be more entertaining and less destructive. Tseng did snort in amusement, emotion coming to his face as Rufus questioned him. "I don't have to pay for my company all the time, you realize." In this case it had just cost him a ride on Zack's chocobo.

[i_love_squats]

And because Zack couldn’t help himself, he had to throw in his own two gil. Especially if it meant a little jab. “You can use one of the chocobo’s feathers for his hat. I’ll bring it by tomorrow; I’ll slide it under your door. Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

How could people be too good for beer? What did social standings have to do with tastebuds? Just because you were rich didn’t mean that keggers were banned, were they? And if they were, leave Zack his modest salary, dammit; he’d rather live fun than live rich.

Hmphing, Zack shoved another bit full of cheese-blissed pasta into his mouth before climbing up from the table and padding out to the kitchen. “Hate to break it to you, but social standing doesn’t mean anything here,” he called, before retrieving his bounty and returning to his seat. “In case you guys didn’t notice, there’s no company. No dinner parties. No war. No gil. Nothing but what’s in our hands and our hearts. We’re more equal than we could be anywhere else. You should enjoy it.

“I know I do.”

He made it a point to take a deep drink from his new beer, and smile with a little sigh of contention sliding from his throat. Leaving it on the table, he raised an eyebrow, as if offering it to anyone who wished to imbibe.

/JUMPS BACK IN

[machiavellisms]

Rufus gave a little snort as he leaned back in his chair, watching Zack shovel the food in his mouth. It was true, there was no ShinRa, true that he had no power here and back on Gaia, but the name Rufus ShinRa stirred emotion
and still had meaning.

But, he didn't notice that he had actually started laughing at Zack's words, as if the truth in them had more amused him than put him in his place.

"I wouldn't get too enthused, Zack Fair. No matter what you do, you will never ever be on the level as me. I might have money nor might here, but what hasn't changed is that I'm still Rufus ShinRa. It hasn't changed who I am nor has it changed how I do things."

He couldn't very well rule with fear here, could he? But he knew that he was still the smartest person and he was going to make this work to his fullest advantage so that he was the first person out of here.

"Keep your beer."

[fingersloophole]

Watching them fight was like watching dogs. Zack was the lovable, experienced mutt who had been pushed too far. Rufus was the groomed and prized dog with a pedigree, content in his superiority. But Tseng didn't want to play dog catcher tonight.

"Children, children," He scolded, belatedly realizing they were children. He was nearly twice as old as Zack. But at least Zack was enjoying his food.

He let the silence stretch on a moment, trying to find something with which to change the subject. "I've decided to find Gil a companion," He told Zack. "And a bigger tank in which to move into during the newlywed period."

Ruffles hopped onto the table, trotting over to Rufus and purring. For some reason cats seemed to like the person that hated them most.

[i_love_squats]

Laughing? Rufus was laughing? Zack found the grip on his fork tightening, a little frown curling at his lips. As much as he hated to say it, he could see a tiny bit of the president in his son. Or maybe it was just the class they were brought up in that lead to that kind of ego.

…not that Zack had any room to talk about ego, but still. This was a whole new level of arrogance.

“It’s going to have to change things, though,” he said in return, watching the movement of Rufus’s chopsticks. “Without a company to support you, you’re just another Scorched like the rest of us. You can’t do things like you used to. You’re just a normal gu--”

Saved by the Tseng. Blue eyes glanced at the Turk, then down, chastised. “I’m not a kid,” he muttered as he started to finish off his dinner and lean back in his chair. So much for having a relaxing day out, huh? Though, he did smile at the promise of finding Gil a lady-friend. Or maybe it was a male-friend. Shiva, who knew with fish.

“Really? A new tank?” Bribery worked on most people, and Zack was no exception. He smiled and put his elbows on the table; if his mother had been here, she would have shaken her head, disapprovingly. “Did you find someone who makes them around here?”

[machiavellisms]

For now, Rufus would hold is tongue and merely watch the conversation. For a moment, it seemed that his eyes had glazed over and he had completely checked out of whatever Zack would be saying about anything. But, Tseng knew, Rufus ShinRa never really turned off.