For Reeve

[emovampboy]

When it came to use of his phone, Vincent was very much like Cloud. He left it on, received messages and listened to or read them, but quite rarely responded. The few times he did respond tended to be if he deemed an actual answer to be required, or when from time to time Marlene got hold of Cloud or Tifa's phone and contacted him. Since it was so rare for her to do so, he always took it as a good thing to answer.

Which meant he had answered when she called him a few days after a message from Tifa asking him to come to a party for the girl, which he had ignored; his first mistake. Once answered, the girl had spent several minutes speaking to him, until suddenly springing the question of if he were coming to her party and making it quite impossible for him to really say no without seeming like a total heel, and so he agreed to go; his second mistake. And then he had made his third mistake - actually going.

At first, it really wouldn't have seemed to have been a bad idea. He knew everyone who was invited, how they acted around one another, and that Tifa would keep the whole group from going completely crazy over the course of the night, but he had not expected having to assist in breaking up one of Cloud and Barrett's squabbles when the woman had to leave for a short time to fetch something, and honestly he was glad that Reeve was invited and could help diffuse the situation with; especially when Yuffie and a very unhelpful Cid decided it would be a great idea to bet on who would win if they actually took to fistacuffs over whatever stupid thing it was this time which set them off.

All of this had left him rather done with company, and as soon as Tifa was back to be the adult in the situation, he'd snuck outside for some relative peace and quiet.

Comments

[emovampboy]

"Our secret." He promises, taking the glass when it's finally open to him to do so, and taking a swallow. Giving a moment for the fluid to settle, he hands the cup back to Reeve. "I've had worse, but this is rather bad."

[plate_builder]

"Worse than this?"

That revelation gets Reeve's eyes back on Vincent's, and a shake of his head. But he only keeps eye contact for a moment. Those are eyes a guy could get lost in.

"My pity to you, Vincent. My pity to us both," and with that he drowns the last of the cup. Vile. But hey, he's going to assume that Vincent poured all he had in here because really, getting up for a refill would just mean inflicting more of this on himself.

[emovampboy]

"Turk moonshine." That is all he will give, since honestly the Turks got paid well enough to buy good stuff. Some just enjoyed making hooch. "Want to try something else from the cabinet? Or had enough?"

[plate_builder]

"That was a thing?" Now there is a story he would adore hearing. As it is he shakes his head and raises an eyebrow before nodding. "If you are offering to pay the minibar tab, then yes, I could be convinced to have another. Perhaps not much more than that. I prefer not to get past tipsy. I remember my college days well enough to know better than to approach true drunkenness."

No Rufus tonight.. But look, Vincent!

[emovampboy]

"Turks aren't all boring." He stands, grabbing the glass from Reeve and moving to refill it. "What happens when you're drunk?"

It's alright, Rufus clearly needs mopey time. Hi Vinny!

[plate_builder]

"None of the Turks I knew would count as boring," Reeve assures Vincent. "You never worked with Reno. If you don't have more bourbon I'll take scotch."

His eyes follow Vincent again, watching the swirl of his cape. Does the man ever take it off? Then he returns his attention to the painting.

"To put it politely, I was known to get... appreciative of other party-goers."

Reasonable then that he wouldn't want to drink too much now. He does have to go back with his guard detail and there is a woman among them. How terrible would it be if he was going home and made one of his employees uncomfortable? Truly not good. Of course the easy assumption here would be that he flirted with female guests, but honestly? Not his thing. He was lucky to be let down gently the last time he made comments about a Turk while in his cups. Ho guarantee of the same here.

Haha he's pissy for some reason... Reeve

[emovampboy]

"Appreciative...?" He searches about for a bit more bourbon, finding it after a moment, and beginning to pour. "Somehow, that doesn't fit your personality."

Yep. Some reason. Reeve will be a bit better in the future. An adult

[plate_builder]

"I've attempted to mature since then," Reeve answers, and he chuckles to himself as he closes his eyes and lets himself think. Lets himself linger over some memories of amusing nights. "I was a popular man in my youth. Even while I was with Shinra. We all have our pasts."

The two have issuss... maybe I'll reread Smile and Reeve can learn about that

[emovampboy]

"Many of the lower ranks in Shinra were good people. And some of the higher ups." He moves back over, silent as always. "Here."

Re: The two have issuss... maybe I'll reread Smile and Reeve can learn about that

[plate_builder]

"Not sure how that directly addresses the point, but that might be the alcohol causing the confusion," Reeve admits, taking the glass to sip at it. Still horrid. Good to know he hasn't gotten drunk enough to find it a better quality yet. "My department worked hard to stay good. I've managed to lure many of them to the WRO."

[emovampboy]

"Basically I meant that being with ShinRa wasn't always seen as negative. Saying 'even while with ShinRa' implies that they were always disliked and thus you would be in relation." He sits back on the bed, letting Reeve "enjoy" his liquor.

[plate_builder]

What? No. Reeve laughs at that. That wasn't what he was going for, and he struggles to master his laughter at Vincent's point.

"No, that wasn't what I meant. I was popular enough, Vincent, in and out of Shinra. I just grew busy. Too busy to maintain my social life. And I grew out of the idea of dalliances to instead long for something... more lasting."

Which wasn't as easy to manage.

[emovampboy]

"Is that so? Seems weird the way you said it, though." But he shrugs it off, crossing one leg over the other and placing an arm on his leg, clawed hand still resting on the bed. "However, now I am vaguely curious about this old Reeve."

[plate_builder]

Reeve's eyes briefly follow the motion and then return to Vincent's face. People asking about him? Not Reeve's normal experience, but yes, he's chuckling again. "Really? I can't imagine why. He was a student. Serious enough when it suited him in the academic sense. But college is about experience, and I let myself experience. But I was dreadfully shy when I first started in college, alcohol helps relax that sort of thing."

There's plenty of memories there, should he really dive into them? "What am I saying? There's a lot that happened when I was younger. What in particular would you like to know about the Reeve that was before he had no time?"

[emovampboy]

"You. Dalliances. This doesn't add up to me. I'm curious about that." He doesn't have a particular question, merely curiosity about the fact it existed, but he finds a question. "What is a suave Reeve like?"

[plate_builder]

Really, don't tempt him like this, Vincent. It is pain enough to have another gorgeous, straight, caught up in a dead woman, sort of Turk in his life. Someday someone should write a book about how silently he suffered in his affection for deadly men.

"It doesn't add up any longer," Reeve agrees. "But people change in their lives, Mister Valentine. Many are those who have fallen prey to the desires of the flesh. I'm not without experience there. And it wasn't always just dalliances. There were failed relationships too. When I was younger, less stressed, less overworked, less wrinkled, I was a rather eligible bachelor in the company. I didn't mind shopping around for companionship. And I was capable of suave then. I'm probably frightfully out of practice now."

[emovampboy]

Reeve does not know all things about Vincent, or he'd know the man wasn't entirely straight. He just happened go have loved Lucrecia, even if sometimes he wonders if she cared back as deeply as he hoped.

Neither here nor there, however, and instead he's somehow amused too much at this thought of Reeve being someone different... someone more like Reno, actually.

"Have you tried recently?"

[plate_builder]

"Who has the time?" There is a hint of a chuckle in his voice, but mostly, it's a bit of regret. Who did have the time? He was too busy to meet people who weren't effectively employees of his. And an employee-employer relationship was just a gross abuse of power. The disconnect there would never work with the man he has become. "But to answer your question, no. Not since before the fall of the Sector Seven plate."

After that everything started happening and he's been running himself ragged ever since. Add in the fact that few have caught his eye lately and those meddlesome scruples of his and there really wasn't a chance in years.

[emovampboy]

"Huh..." He seems satisfied with the answer at least, but does add. "Be grateful I'm not Reno."

[plate_builder]

"I'm intrigued as to why you have that particular response," Reeve admits as he swirls the bourbon in his glass before taking another sip. Trouble, it's starting to almost taste acceptable. But he does love that warmth in his gut, been so long since he's spared himself a drop of alcohol. He drains the rest of the glass and looks to Vincent. "Well? Why should I be grateful you're not him? Other than all of my experiences with the man."

[emovampboy]

"What response?" He seems a little confused, but then indicates the liquor cabinet with a finger. "If I were him, I'd offer more to see what happens."

[plate_builder]

"Referencing Reno. And yes. He would do that," Reeve agrees, shaking his head with a smile. "In fact, he has done so before. For other reasons. However, I believe it would be a poor decision to continue drinking. Rude to your bill of course."

Even now he's deflecting, even tipsy he's used to saying but not saying. Years with Shinra as an executive can do that to you. Too many parties with Scarlet and the others. Mostly her.

[emovampboy]

"I have money." As if that was the point of everything Reeve said. Yet it wasn't untrue. He dealt with enough monsters he had saved a bit up; enough at least to pay for a small mini-bar raid.

[plate_builder]

"Now Mister Valentine, are you trying to get me drunk?" Reeve asks, chuckling lower than before. He can't help it. He finds the idea quite amusing. "Haven't you carted enough drunkards to their rooms tonight? Or am I to expect blackmail photos soon?"

Not that he would protest too strongly if another glass made its way into his hands.

[emovampboy]

"You could always stay here if it came to that." Standing, Vincent moves over to take the glass from Reeve. "And perhaps I am. Want more?"

He moves back to the mini-bar, setting the glass down and then turning to look at Reeve to await an answer.