"Don't underestimate someone from the Plate." He snickered, leaning against the bartop in his usual slouched pose. "I've heard some of 'em tear people a new one that'd make a Junon dock worker blush. How's my accent? Maul says I'm almost ready to pass in company parties. Don't believe him."
"And you probably shouldn't." She leaned in a little, then, slowly starting to thaw as Reno's playful side draws her in. "Still, you'd know what they sound like better than me. Academy aside, I don't get to talk to many of them. This isn't really their kind of scene."
For several reasons but she's hoping they can stay focused on the 'because it's beneath them' part and not the part where this is a Turks' haunt.
She frowns a little at the sudden change in him. "Not really? No more than they normally do, anyway. And that's more the instructors than anyone else."
And he can probably guess why. Not even being the marksmanship instructor's daughter spares her from everything.
Mollified, he nodded. "Let me know if they start botherin' ya. Some of the kids there can be gigantic assholes. Last thing y'need." Any further explanation didn't really come forth though, he knew what the people were like. A lot of Turks came from the Academy in the past, but that didn't mean it had been an easy place to be. "I want to knock their asses down a few pegs if they do."
That earns a raised eyebrow and a questioning look. "Is that for my benefit or yours?"
Somehow she doesn't think he'd be willing to go that far just for her benefit, though she's not going to pry too far. Then again, given how he's been prying into her business she can't say she feels too sorry for returning the favour either.
Reno gave her a lopsided grin and shrugged. "I got a lot to pay back to that place. If it helps you out, sure, why not? You kinda yell a lot but there's not one of us in the Turks that don't think of you as one of us. And, y'know, that's not such a bad thing, having a whole bunch of us behind ya."
For all she'd been relaxing again, that comment brings a little of the tension back to her features. It's not quite the full-blown dismissal that most would get but it's still enough to suggest she's withdrawing again. "I don't need you behind me. I can take care of myself just fine. And I'm not one of you so don't say that."
"What if ya didn't have to?" It's an honest question, curious at what was driving her. "Y'know, it's not going to mean the end of the world if you got someone to rely on. Kinda lonely, if ya ask me."
"I don't need to rely on anyone and I don't want to, either." She's fidgeting again now, though at least away from anything breakable. "Relying on other people means they can let you down. Relying on myself means I succeed or fail on my own merits, not because someone took pity on me or screwed up because I made the mistake of trusting them."
"Huh, are you sure it isn't because you're afraid of lettin' other people down instead?" Reno's question was pointed, and he finished off the martini and set it on the far side of the bar. "I get it... used to be the same way, and I finally did wind up letting everyone down. Haven't seen my family since."
She very decidedly looks away at that question, eyes boring a hole into the bar top. She's almost tempted to snap at him again, except he's doing the sharing thing again and she has no idea if that's supposed to make her feel better or worse.
"I'm letting people down whatever I do. Why does it matter if I want to do things myself?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, leaning over the bar to look at her pretty close, "maybe because it sorta helps gettin' confidence in yourself if someone else believes in ya, too."
She looks up as he leans in, quite clearly still waiting for the sting. He's being too nice to her and normally that means she's being set up for something or someone's all set to come ruin the moment.
"I have me. That's all I need." She doesn't sound quite as convinced this time, though.
She's quiet a long moment, not really knowing what to say to that. And it seems, at first, she's not really going to respond; it looks like she's going back to work until he has another drink placed in front of him and a slightly shy smile being offered.
"Here. Just don't tell my sister. She might take it as a sign she has to threaten you again."
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branchandroot
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Date: 2014-01-08 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-08 11:49 pm (UTC)For several reasons but she's hoping they can stay focused on the 'because it's beneath them' part and not the part where this is a Turks' haunt.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-08 11:52 pm (UTC)Of course, that's what he focused on instead of the accent.
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Date: 2014-01-08 11:54 pm (UTC)And he can probably guess why. Not even being the marksmanship instructor's daughter spares her from everything.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:43 am (UTC)Somehow she doesn't think he'd be willing to go that far just for her benefit, though she's not going to pry too far. Then again, given how he's been prying into her business she can't say she feels too sorry for returning the favour either.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 05:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 06:18 pm (UTC)Nor would she ever be, as far as she's concerned.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:03 pm (UTC)"I'm letting people down whatever I do. Why does it matter if I want to do things myself?"
no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:37 pm (UTC)"I have me. That's all I need." She doesn't sound quite as convinced this time, though.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-09 09:55 pm (UTC)"Here. Just don't tell my sister. She might take it as a sign she has to threaten you again."