SLOUCHED FORWARD YET CALM ALL THE SAME,
eyes of deep brown silently awaited rufus to release his grasp on his tie, watching the fabric slip from pale && nimble fingers - ah, he had finally uttered a word too many.
although he was released from the former presidents hold, tseng remained where he stood, feet planted firmly against imported rugs threaded with silver && gold. his tongue sat idly in his mouth, retaining no intent to speak, merely directing his vision to lock what was an awfully long, awfully tense, stare with his colleague.
his tie ? dishevelled - undone at the base, hanging slack from his dress shirt. be aware of the hierachy, tseng, was one thing he oftenmost thought to himself. whilst he stood in a position of undeniable, unrefutable power, there would always be those who stood above him.
and he had little intent to disrupt the pecking order, albeit, he often did so without meaning to. whether it be by meddling with orders regarding cetras && soldiers or speaking out against kilmister ( a false prophet, a man who paraded himself as the saviour of humanity whilst poisoning it simultaneously ).
❝ forgive me, sir. i spoke out of hand - i should give kilmister credit where it’s due. ❞
a brief pause broke his musings. absolute silence - stinging to the ears. he could not think of a single thing he thought good of kilmister. perhaps he played an integral role in the recovery of rufus or saving his life, but tseng knew well that the blonde would only grow frustrated were he to mention the fact rufus had to rely on others to get him out of his abduction.
he allowed his tie to stay where it was. the air was thick - perhaps rufus did not wish for him to adjust it.
❝ however, i disagree with the notion that my feelings are disrupting things. i haven’t changed anything in the lab, nor have i said a thing to kilmister himself. my place in this plan is to advance whatever is in your best interest.
… but, i would hope that you aren’t trusting kilmister more than your own turks. tell me, what exactly do you intend to do about the addiction in edge? we’re constantly at threat for security breaches of medication being stolen. ❞
he doubted rufus was aware of what his absence did to the turks. sleepless nights, or if any sleep were due, they were powernaps against a nicked up leather couch as they gathered the energy to scower desperately for his whereabouts. tseng himself had hardly slept a day - pits of despair welling deep within his stomach.
the care the turks retained for their president ran beyond a paycheque and a contract. they were no longer paid, no longer sworn by oath. all that remained were unbreakable ties forged beneath a meteor and the constant impending risk of death.
❝ i trust you, sir. but if nobody asks you to explain your actions, then you may find yourself making mistakes across the way, and a mistakes will always be costly. ❞
FROM time to time, they would often butt heads like this. Tense air and looks were nothing new, but perhaps everything felt ESCALATED because they were trying to SURVIVE. Making it through this mess, the aftermath of the calamity Meteor caused, was proving to be a challenge for them all. And with this disease that affected him, it was only added stress about whether they would all make it through this situation. If he had any say in the matter ( which he did ) neither human nor disease could end his life. Nothing could dictate how or when he died, except for himself.
Expression softened, yet still held a certain amount of firmness from just moments before. A soft chuckle filled the room, hand raising as his finger playfully batted at the hanging tie—making sure it lightly tapped against the Turk’s chest. The loyalty of dogs was always an admirable quality, it was why he preferred owning them over cats. Tseng TRULY was a dog personified. Loyal to a fault, and doing whatever he thought would make his master happy. If left uncontrolled, it could prove to be dangerous for the Turk—especially in a world that had been turned upside down. He had to redirect that feeling of over protectiveness, so it wasn’t so over bearing. So STIFLING. But, if anything, Rufus at least felt REASSURED.
❝ You’re doing yourself a great disservice if you actually believe that, Tseng. Do you honestly believe I would trust a scientist more than you? Don’t tell me that you’re feeling jealous because I’m paying more attention to Kilmister. Just because I’m telling you what he has done doesn’t mean I value him more than you. ❞ Amusement tinged his voice. Wouldn’t that be something, making Tseng admit he was jealous for his attention. He was teasing, though, making light of what he could in this serious discussion. ❝ There’s nothing we can do about the addiction until we have more balanced medication. I know if I talk with Kilmister, I can get something out of him. ❞
What a shame, though, that he had to talk about his currently formulating ideas. Presenting unfinished products always left a distasteful feeling in his mouth. Yet, in order to appease Tseng this one time, it appeared he had no other choice. ❝ Right now, I simply need all the information I can get about these drugs, and what Kilmister is planning. I realize how frustrating it is, but neither one of us knows how to create the stimulant, nor how to possibly cure this disease. Keep notes on his research. If we can create something ourselves based off of what he’s learned, then we won’t need him anymore. ❞ Former Shinra scientists were dangerous in their own right. If they could separate from him soon ( or KILL him ) then it’d be for the better.
❝ I’m not trying to discourage you from giving advice, either. I have a reason for everything I do. Kilmister has a tendency to run his mouth while changing my bandages. I can acquire more information this way. Understand? People I can handle, and it’s not like I’ll be going anywhere else again. I know you’ll provide me with the best and most accurate information so I can come up with the best plan in our current situation. And as always, you’ll be the first to know. ❞
