[RL with Rei]

[company_bitch]

After picking Rei up in a car with world-hopping abilities, Tseng took her to the small office where ShinRa did most of their business these days. It was a far cry from the tower they had once had, and the sign needed to be replaced every week or so, since it was often defaced

Comments

[objectofhope]

Rei had been largely silent on the way over, perhaps nodding occasionally in response to a query, and accepted the offer of water with quiet grace as she sat. She looked young in her skirt and blouse, with her narrow shoulders, but the bland implacability of her expression countered that almost unnervingly

[company_bitch]

Tseng watched her speak, noting her discomfort with answering his question and wondering at the source of it. She seemed unfamiliar with speaking, somehow, and he wondered at how much initiative she would be able to show as a Turk

[objectofhope]

Again, it took her some time to compose an answer - Tseng was right to think that she was unfamiliar with conversation. As Ritsuko had once said, she was bad at living. Her words were soft when she did respond. "To help rebuild a world, when I was in part responsible for the destruction of my own..." Rei's gaze wandered away as she thought. "Fitting. The President's goals are unselfish."

Unlike Gendo's. The Commander. She had known all along that his ends were for his own benefit, to be with his wife again... that she was not enough to fill his heart, and was only his tool. For years she had thought that was enough for her, for her heart, and then his son had showed her that loneliness was not the end.

It suited her to protect a world once again, to have this new beginning. A cycle, as she'd referred to. Rei didn't think she could find happiness in the mundane occupations of others. She needed a grander motive. She needed to think that Shinji would approve. Even now and in her mind, she could not stand alone.

[company_bitch]

Tseng's eyebrows rose at her response. A good sign. It wasn't exactly the criteria he'd once used when recruiting, but things were so different now. A new skill set was needed when choosing new Turks.

"Good answer," he said, and leaned back again, steepling his fingers together. "Now then, why should we want you? What skills do you have? What can you offer the ShinRa Company, keeping in mind what you now know about our goals."