Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Interludes – Scene 28

Scene Notes: Reno’s first day on the Plate involved learning the rules of being Tseng’s new rookie.

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It had started to rain almost as soon as they’d arrived at the train station. By the time they were halfway across town, it had become a steady shower. As they pulled into the parking lot of Tseng’s apartment complex, the skies had opened up a torrent over the city of Midgar.

And through it all, the young redhead in the passenger seat had simply stared out the window at it, as though he’d never seen such a thing before. It had taken Tseng nearly half the journey to realize that he very liked hadn’t. Living beneath the Plate tended to limit one’s exposure to the elements.

“Reno?” The teen jumped slightly and swung his head around to face the Turks’ second-in-command, a nervous expression on his face. Tseng fought the urge to laugh. “We’re here.”

He reached behind the seat and found an umbrella before climbing out of the car and hurrying around to retrieve the Turks’ latest acquisition. Moments later, Reno joined him, huddling beneath the meager shelter, the somewhat grimy backpack that contained everything he’d brought with him from the Slums clutched to his chest.

“This is all yours?” he asked, faintly awed as he glanced up at the eight story building. Tseng shook his head. His apartment was a bit larger than was typical for this part of the city… but it certainly didn’t encompass the entire structure.

“Only the first floor,” he replied, chuckling quietly, “Come on. I’d prefer not to be soaked.”

He ushered his new charge up the walkway and unlocked the front door, showing him inside. Reno hesitated just inside, eyes roving the living room.

“Shoes off, if you would. Then you may make yourself at home.”

The redhead obediently toed the worn sneakers off of his feet and nudged them over to the side of the entryway before daring to set foot on the carpeted interior. He let his bag drop from his fingertips next to the couch, and took a seat, glancing back at Tseng again with that same on-edge expression he’d had in the car. The boy was a bit like a small, wounded animal that had been unexpectedly snatched from a predator’s jaws and placed in a soft, warm box lined with blankets. He didn’t seem to know quite what he should be doing… what actions were safe to take… and so had defaulted to making himself as unobtrusive as possible. Tseng took a seat in the chair across from him.

“Tomorrow I’ll be officially introducing you at headquarters. For today… we’ll simply go over what is expected of you, and then you’re free to settle in and relax.”

Reno swallowed sharply and nodded his understanding.

“First and foremost… You’re still a minor. Which may have little significance in the Slums but on the Plate, means that you require a legal guardian until your eighteenth birthday. As you’re to be under the command of the Turks, you’ve been named a ward of Shinra Company, with the immediate responsibility for your welfare falling to me,” the Turk lieutenant explained, “It also means that you will be staying here for the time being. We’ll see to getting you your own apartment in a few months, once you’re a bit more acclimated to life on the Plate.”

The redhead nodded again.

“As we will be living together, there are a few rules I expect you to follow. And you will be punished accordingly should you break them. I trust that’s clear?”

“Yeah… Got it,” Reno replied, sounding somewhat resigned, as though he’d always known this was much too good to be true, and had just been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well… Tseng certainly didn’t want to disappoint him…

“Rule one… What I say goes, both on duty and off. If I tell you to do something… or not to do something, for that matter… I expect you to obey, and to do so without complaint.”

That seemed to give the redhead pause, but he finally nodded.

“Rule two… You may do as you please, within reason, on personal time, but you will return home no later than ten p.m., or have an overwhelmingly good excuse as to why you failed to do so.”

“… What would you consider an ‘overwhelmingly good excuse’?” Reno queried, with the faintest hint of challenge in his voice, and Tseng had to stop himself from laughing. That attitude a bit closer to the slum rat he’d been so adamant about recruiting.

“Things beyond your control. A power outage on the trains… An injury that requires immediate medical care… Being stranded at some other location due to weather. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out what does and does not constitute an acceptable excuse.”

“So… I’m guessin’ bein’ out drinkin’ and not wantin’ to leave yet isn’t gonna cut it.”

“You guess correctly. Which brings up rule three,” he said, smiling somewhat evilly, and his new rookie visibly cringed. “And no… I am not prohibiting you from indulging in your vices. I do, however, expect you to do so with some level of responsibility. I will not tolerate you showing up at work hungover, nor is drinking while on duty permitted. I should also point out that bars on the Plate and the city police are not nearly as tolerant of underage drinking as you’re likely used to. Should I have to retrieve you from the police station for that, or any other offense… I will not be pleased.”

“Heh… Understood,” he said, looking decidedly relieved that his guardian wasn’t banning him from alcohol. “Uh… what about smokin’?”

“Not inside the apartment, and it’s also universally banned inside the Shinra Building as a matter of company policy. Otherwise, though I discourage it, it’s entirely your choice. And though you’ve already told me that you don’t use… as long as we’re on the subject of prohibited substances, I will reiterate that the Turks strictly forbid the use of recreational drugs unless it is a matter of maintaining cover on a mission.”

Reno shook his head. “Trust me… I’m not about to get into that shit. I’ve seen what it does to people.”

“Good. Then I suppose that just leaves a few minor house rules. Clean up after yourself, no guests without my permission… and if you value your life, don’t touch my car.”

The rookie pulled his knees against his chest, making himself more comfortable on the couch and laughed. Tseng let a cool smile creep over his face.

“That wasn’t a joke.”

The laughter stopped… and Tseng smirked.

~fin~