For Squalo

[afterlaborday]

Rufus had an honest loathing for parties of any form, although if he had to choose which one was on the top of his list for dislike, he supposed a business event was the least painful of them all. Although he was still expected to behave himself, holding his tongue if it could potentially get him something was fine with him, even if he knew his old man thought everything was being done for his own sake, and not for Rufus'.

The downside to these kinds of events, however, was having to deal with the almost excessive amount of business men who wished to introduce him to their daughters, obviously thinking that the ShinRa Electric Company heir was going to take a shine to them, when really he just thought the whole lot of them fools.

Sometimes, he got the feeling a few of them knew what he was hiding beneath any pleasantness he gave, but if they did, they said nothing about it; something he was fine with.

Though eventually, as with all of these sorts of events, he did find himself a section of the party which was less crowded and more hidden, and sat down to relax for a few minutes with a drink in hand.

Comments

[voooi]

And it would be in that calmer corner of the party that he would feel a different set of eyes on him, something sharper and much less eager, if still interested.

Squalo did not particularly enjoy parties, either, preferring to have a good fight with all the dirt and brutality it usually came with over these polished events. Unfortunately, part of ranking as high as he did was having mingling in his job description, and the old businessman had been a generous customer for the Varia squad more than once. It was polite to accept and show up, and introduce himself to the rest of the family lest they ever have the need for his services as well.

He sits at the bar, a fine black suit and proper manners, and he probably wouldn't stand out at all if not for that long white hair put in a tidy tail and leather gloves that he practically never takes off. And then there's something about his expression and posture, something beyond confident, like a wolf loitering among sheep.

He's done his homework so recognizing the heir only takes him a moment, though as usual with the young and powerful, photographs don't quite capture all of that particular air. Once Rufus catches him looking that way, he just tips his glass at him with a smirk.