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video | un: bossturk

Backdated to Mid-June - First half action open for Rufus, Reno, and Rude, second half network for anybody else who wants to reply!

[ Tseng's first night in Nippon did not go at all as he initially thought after leaving the orientation provided to him upon his arrival. He spent the first few hours walking around Tokyo, trying to get the layout of the land, take in as much as he possibly could before retiring to his assigned housing for the night... He didn't expect to run into Rufus Shinra. And that chance encounter changed everything.

They spent the night together, getting reacquainted, relaxing, and Rufus telling him everything he has yet to experience in their own world. The things Rufus told him sounded positively ridiculous, but he knows Rufus wouldn't lie to him... It was overwhelming and will likely take Tseng a while to process.

He wakes mid-morning, pulling on the pajama pants he was given the night before and a t-shirt, and leaves Rufus asleep before heading downstairs to bring some coffee and breakfast back up to their room. He quietly descends the stairs and sees the Turks. ]

Reno. Rude.

[ He offers a small smile and a nod as he passes by, disappearing into the kitchen. ]

----

[ Once he's back upstairs and settled on the bed, he pulls out his magi-comm, studying the device before turning it on. It's certainly no smartphone, but it will suffice. ]

I'm looking for a few individuals and was told this is the best and quickest way possible to get their attention. [ He looks over at Rufus, who is off-screen, briefly ] If you know Zack Fair or Aerith Gainsborough, please tell them I'm looking for them and would love to talk.

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[with everyone else, they more or less looked the same from the last time he saw them. But with Tseng, the longer hair sticks out. It makes it a little harder to forget that he lost five years on top of everything else. He pauses as Tseng glances away, head tilting]

For you? I'd have to think about it.

[being a smartass can only last so long, though. He quirks a faint smile]

It's been a while, right? It's good to see you.

It's been quite a while, Zack.

[ He thinks back to five years ago, to the last time he saw Zack, and it's something he doesn't want to think about. He remembers quite clearly Hojo ordering Zack and Cloud to be taken to the Shinra Mansion, and he remembers ordering his subordinates to prepare for incoming test subjects. He was deeply unhappy having to do that to somebody he considered a friend, but Veld's first lesson sat in the forefront of his mind: the mission takes priority over his own feelings.

Tseng can't help the small smile on his face, either, a slight crack in the usual Turk mask he wears most days. ]

How have you been adjusting to life in Nippon?

Hah. Yeah, quite a while.

[four years? No, it's almost five, isn't it?]

I've been managing, it's nice being able to stay put for a while.

[from anyone else, it might've sound bitter or angry. But from Zack it's just a statement, no different from any other answer he could give. It's a deliberately worded answer, though, a little more careful then one would expect from Zack Fair. Vague enough that he could mean anything from being deployed all over the world or the more obvious, unspoken option.

A less serious Tseng is a rarity, though. Hadn't he laughed at Zack before he left Midgar for the last time?]

Did you just get here? I'm gonna be mad if you've been here for weeks and are only just now calling me out.

[ Enough time was spent with Zack that Tseng can see through the carefully crafted statement. That's his job, after all, intel gathering and carrying out the atrocities asked of him by Shinra.

But he's not going to call him on it. It's not his place to do that, not now. ]

I arrived yesterday. [ He pauses ] I was surprised when Rufus told me you were here.

[Zack breathes out a little laugh]

It isn't where I expected to end up, that's for sure.

[Rufus being the one to tell Tseng is a little surprising, but then again, Tseng would have found out no matter what. He almost wants to joke that it ruins his fun, because with the exception of Reno, he's ran into everyone else in person. And wouldn't that be funny, catching Tseng off-guard face to face.

It's his turn to pause, and while he isn't with anyone he still glances off-screen, considering his next words]

I told Reno that when you got here I was going to file my complaint in person. [his lips twitch briefly before he glances back to the screen] So if you want that information, you're gonna have to come get it. We can talk prices then.

A complaint? [ He raises an eyebrow ] I only take complaints when I'm in the office, during business hours, and I've submitted PTO for today.

[ It's nice to be speaking with Zack again, after all of these years, especially considering how they parted ways in their own world. Tseng had developed a sort-of friendship with Zack, enjoyed his company after having been on several missions with the SOLDIER.

Meeting in person will be an exercise in keeping his true feelings buried, though this is something he has experience with, something he does on a daily basis in Midgar. Wearing a mask is second nature at this point, part of the armor he puts on daily. ]

We can schedule a time for you to file your complaint in person, though. [ He pauses, slight smile on his face. ] Perhaps over lunch.

Since when do you have business hours?

[it would be a lie to say he didn't miss Tseng along with everyone else. He was friendly with a lot of people, but that was a little different from people he considered friends, and Tseng was one of them. He didn't ask him to keep an eye on Aerith before he left because he was a Turk, after all.

He huffs, and while he tries to sound serious it doesn't work very well when he's trying not to laugh]

You better put me at the top of your busy schedule, man. Grabbing lunch doesn't sound like a bad idea, though.

[ Off-screen Rufus has poked Tseng in the leg, whispering that his PTO has been granted. It's not loud enough for Zack to hear, and it takes all of Tseng's willpower to not react to it. ]

I've always had business hours, but that doesn't mean I keep to them. Sometimes I work long hours, overtime, that sort of thing.

[ He doesn't have business hours. He works whenever it's required of him, whenever Rufus (or, years ago, Veld) said jump, and they both know that. ]

I'll move you to the top of my schedule, though, so long as you choose where we'll be having lunch.

"Sometimes", he says.

[does Tseng ever stop working, a question he'll have to ask one day] When you put it that way it sounds like you have an actual desk job.

[it's kind of surreal that they're making lunch plans; if you had told Zack a couple of months ago he'd been doing this . . . honestly, he'd find it just as amusing as he does now. Unbelievable, but amusing]

I got a place in mind. [it's a nice little place, nicer than the food carts he usually frequents] So all that's left is for you to pick when.

I did have a desk and an office in Midgar, you know.

[ Tseng can't help the small smile on his face. Talking with Zack like this makes him think of the time they spent together while Zack was still a second class SOLDIER, when they went to Banora together, and later when they went to Modeoheim together.

He enjoyed Zack's presence, considered him a friend even if they didn't always see eye-to-eye on things, especially when Tseng's mission involved loss of life. ]

Lucky for you, I don't have one of those in Nippon. [ Yet ] How does day after tomorrow sound? That will give me another day to get settled in a bit more.

You always came to find me, so I don't think I ever saw it.

[he doesn't remember, at least; but then again, he never did wander that far from the SOLDIER's floor.

Zack can't help but quirk a small grin, though. He doesn't doubt Tseng will end up with an office. Which is why—]

If you get one here I'm dragging you out of it. [it's said jokingly, but you can be sure he means it] Day after tomorrow sounds perfect. I'll send you the address.

[ Zack is absolutely correct, Tseng will end up with an office once he gets settled and figures out what his day-to-day looks like. He thinks he'll likely be helping Reno with his business until he's able to establish something of his own or find something he's better suited to do.

He also knows that Zack is 100% serious when he says he'll drag him out of his office. The thought keeps the smile on his face. Had Zack ever ventured far from the SOLDIER's floor, he fully believes the same would have happened to him in Midgar. ]

This place you have in mind... What sort of food am I to expect?

[had neither of them had been busy as they had been, he would have absolutely done it, multiple times, despite any protests. It's a shame they never had the opportunity, but hey, that's what second chances are for.

He doesn't answer right away, instead typing in the address of the place he had in mind. Not too far from where he lives, actually]

There. [both eyebrows go up] It's the kind of food that's good food.

[what a smartass. He laughs]

Mostly local food, but they like to experiment with stuff from other places, too. They're pretty good attempts.

[ Good food.

Nice one, Zack.

Tseng doesn't really know what local food means as he hasn't had an opportunity to become acquainted with his new home yet, but he's going to trust Zack on this one. ]

Quite the departure from what I'm used to. [ He pauses, almost cracking a smile ] Unfortunately, I didn't bring my paycheck from Shinra with me, so this will have to be your treat.

[you can trust Zack when it comes to food, at least. Both eyebrows shoot up and he has to fight back a laugh. A few things spring to mind to respond with, but -]

You'll just have to pay next time.

Next time?

[ Speaking with Zack like this makes Tseng think about the time he spent with Zack on several missions while he was just a SOLDIER, 2nd Class. It's... refreshing. And extremely unexpected.

He didn't think he would miss this. But, then again, he didn't put much thought into it. He pushed his own emotions and feelings aside for the sake of the mission like Veld taught him to do.

Try as he may, he can't hide the small smile on his face. ]

You just assume there will be a next time?

Are you saying there won't be?

[it is a little unexpected, even for Zack. Not that he thought he'd get pissed at Tseng or anything, but that it's easy to just slip right back into how things used to be. It's nice . . . and it'll give him something to think about later]

I know better than to say that.

[ Because he knows Zack after the time they spent together on multiple missions and Zack is dedicated and persistent, especially when it comes to something he believes in. And Tseng fully believes that includes getting him out of his office for lunch.

He's looking forward to it, if he's being honest with himself. In Midgar, he was never able to simply live and enjoy things like going to lunch with a friend or lounging around all day. Being a Turk always took top priority. ]

I have no doubt that you will make good on your word to drag me out of my office.

Of course, I'm a man of my word. [and a brief, cheeky grin] And I know no one will try to stop me.

[he's pretty sure, at least. It'll almost be the opposite of how it used to be, what with Tseng popping up wherever Zack was for a mission. But that hadn't happened in a long time - even if sometimes, it felt like it hadn't been as long]

I'll see you the day after tomorrow, Tseng. [he taps the screen, pointedly] Don't make her mad if she calls.

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