And Zack seems more than excited enough to be here as he stands amidst his new coworkers, those who potentially might be his if the future plays out right. It's like watching a tiny excited dog, standing amidst much larger ones... The braced stance, the alert way he stands, how he's practically vibrating with excitement as everyone takes a look at him and asks questions. Angeal says something about that being it for what he wanted to say, but it's only when he's made his way over to Sephiroth's table that he properly looks up at his boss. "So what do you think?" Angeal asks him casually, sliding into the booth along with him.
That is something of a question, considering that Sephiroth's experiences with Zack so far have been seeing Zack follow after Angeal, Zack being late for a meeting where Angeal introduced him, getting excited being around so many people, and the time he practically tried to grind himself to completion against Angeal while digging his fingers against his chest.
Still, it's all enough to at least give him something to work with, for now. Sephiroth leans back in his seat, observing the potential boss. "He has a lot of energy," he remarks after a moment, which he supposes is rather like stating that the sky is nonexistent this far down in the plates. "And he seems to be making a good impression on a lot of people already." At least, those immediately around him don't appear to be actively glaring at him, and more than a few are smiling and laughing at whatever it is that he's talking about. "However... What does he actually know about running a business like this?" Sephiroth frowns somewhat. "And how well does he know Seven? I've never seen him around Wall Market before."
Important questions, for whoever is going to take over Wall Market if Angeal truly does accomplish his dream of a simple retirement. Yet Angeal doesn't seem perturbed, just drapes his arms along the back of his seat. "He knows absolutely nothing," he says, upfront and honest. The words aren't exactly reassuring, but Angeal's honesty, funnily enough, is. "But neither did I, when I first arrived in Midgar. And neither did Gen, although he had a slight edge in knowing how to handle a business."
"So you're going to spend your time teaching him, then."
Angeal shrugs. "I was always going to have to have to spend a lot of time teaching anyone I decided on," he says matter of factly. "There's more to this place than just business. More to this place than just knowing it. I have a duty to the people here in Wall Market, and it'd tarnish my honor if I just tossed it aside without even the slightest attempt to keep it going after I was gone."
Sometimes, Genesis rolls his eyes at the idea that Angeal seems to have of honor - especially as a crime boss, of all things. Sephiroth likes it. It's something... distinctly Angeal. Some sort of ideal that seems to keep him better than anyone else out on the streets.
After all, a great many people really would just hand it off, and wash their hands of the whole affair.
"I suppose that is why you said that it would at least take a few years for you to retire," Sephiroth muses. If he's going to be teaching someone everything about Wall Market, from the location itself to the business to its people, their people, then a good few years is the very least that is required. Probably even better would be many years of it, but, well, Angeal had said he wanted to retire. Too many years would be too long. "Although I do wonder where you picked him up in particular."
"Well, it was a ShinRa thing-"
That sounds like an interesting start to a story already, but Angeal doesn't have time to properly go into it. Instead, Zack manages to make his way out from the throng of people - most of which have lessened now as jobs and homes had to be gone to - and heads straight for the two of them. "Angeal!" he exclaims, the name an elated sound on his lips, before he stumbles a bit at the sight of Sephiroth, too.
This isn't a reaction he is unused to, by any means. He is one of the most striking individuals in the employment here in Wall Market, and even people who've heard of him tend to be caught off guard by the actual sight of him. In the many years he's worked in the business of sex, Sephiroth has learned how to use that to his advantage.
A part of him ponders doing that right now. Angeal had said to test his potential successor... and seeing how well he'd respond to a pretty face is a good measure of judgment on just how reliable he can be. For the time being, instead of going all out, he teases him, just a bit.
It doesn't take much. Just a tilt of his head, making sure that his silver hair catches the lights just so. Draws attention to the curve of his neck, exposed for once thanks to the long neckline of his current black shirt. Looks over to him from underneath pale eyelashes, bright green all the brighter in the dim lighting of the Honeybee Inn.
Zack, having gotten his feet under him again, nearly trips on a step up towards their table.
A soft snort of amusement comes from the side, Angeal, but no doubt his face is a little more schooled into place. He's rather good at that; it absolutely infuriates Genesis at times. "Eyes up, Zack," he says dryly, and that seems to be enough to get Zack back in working order as he bounds up the rest of the short steps. "So, going to tell me why you were late? I distinctly recall telling you that this was going to be fairly important."
There is this to be said for Zack: he has a rather boyish, almost puppyish, kind of charm to him. It was no doubt apparent from the very start, when he first started to make his way through the crowd, but it's especially apparent now as Angeal rebukes him. His shoulders rise up a bit, sheepish as his hands spread out helplessly, and his wide blue eyes are quite expressive even from beneath crumpled brows. "C'mon, Angeal, don't be like that!" he protests, a hint of whine to his voice. Sephiroth tries to recall how similar it is to the one he made when he was kissing Angeal. "I couldn't help it! I got delayed!"
"Delayed doing what, exactly?"
Not only expressive eyes, but expressive hands, too, flailing all about as Zack gestures. "I was helping some people out! And, I know, I know that you told me that this was important, and I wasn't trying to ignore that on purpose. I just thought, hey, this will take just a second, right? Except then things might have kiiiiiiinda spiraled out of control, so..."
"Funny how things tend to spiral out of control with you," Angeal remarks dryly, before he shakes his head. No doubt he's shelving this for a later, when he can grill Zack a little more effectively in private. "Anyway... This is Sephiroth." He inclines his head in his direction, as though introductions ever really have to be made when it concerns him. Most people, if they have any idea of what they're doing when they come to this area of town or when they contact the market's many "offices", know well enough who he is. Introductions are really just a nicety at this point. "Don't forget him, since you'll be working with him at least a few times."
That could mean anything, really... but Sephiroth has some confidence in Angeal. Enough to imagine that, if he ever has to work 'alongside' Zack in any capacity, Angeal will talk with him about it first.
"I don't think I could ever forget him," Zack says immediately in response. It almost sounds like a line, honestly, and Sephiroth has heard more than his fair share of them since settling on Seven. But he looks in those wide starry eyes set in a fidgeting frame, and. Hm. This is 100% non-scripted and actually genuine, isn't it?
A rare occurrence, although not impossible. Sephiroth finds himself smiling slightly before he really thinks to stop himself.
This wouldn't really be a problem in any other situation, but Sephiroth can tell even without looking that Angeal is doing that little quirked up smile of his. The one that shows in his eyes more than anything. Honestly. He must have known that something like this was going to happen. Terrible. Sephiroth doesn't bother to wipe the smile from his lips regardless. "I'll look forward to working with you, Zack," is what he says in the end.
no subject
That is something of a question, considering that Sephiroth's experiences with Zack so far have been seeing Zack follow after Angeal, Zack being late for a meeting where Angeal introduced him, getting excited being around so many people, and the time he practically tried to grind himself to completion against Angeal while digging his fingers against his chest.
Still, it's all enough to at least give him something to work with, for now. Sephiroth leans back in his seat, observing the potential boss. "He has a lot of energy," he remarks after a moment, which he supposes is rather like stating that the sky is nonexistent this far down in the plates. "And he seems to be making a good impression on a lot of people already." At least, those immediately around him don't appear to be actively glaring at him, and more than a few are smiling and laughing at whatever it is that he's talking about. "However... What does he actually know about running a business like this?" Sephiroth frowns somewhat. "And how well does he know Seven? I've never seen him around Wall Market before."
Important questions, for whoever is going to take over Wall Market if Angeal truly does accomplish his dream of a simple retirement. Yet Angeal doesn't seem perturbed, just drapes his arms along the back of his seat. "He knows absolutely nothing," he says, upfront and honest. The words aren't exactly reassuring, but Angeal's honesty, funnily enough, is. "But neither did I, when I first arrived in Midgar. And neither did Gen, although he had a slight edge in knowing how to handle a business."
"So you're going to spend your time teaching him, then."
Angeal shrugs. "I was always going to have to have to spend a lot of time teaching anyone I decided on," he says matter of factly. "There's more to this place than just business. More to this place than just knowing it. I have a duty to the people here in Wall Market, and it'd tarnish my honor if I just tossed it aside without even the slightest attempt to keep it going after I was gone."
Sometimes, Genesis rolls his eyes at the idea that Angeal seems to have of honor - especially as a crime boss, of all things. Sephiroth likes it. It's something... distinctly Angeal. Some sort of ideal that seems to keep him better than anyone else out on the streets.
After all, a great many people really would just hand it off, and wash their hands of the whole affair.
"I suppose that is why you said that it would at least take a few years for you to retire," Sephiroth muses. If he's going to be teaching someone everything about Wall Market, from the location itself to the business to its people, their people, then a good few years is the very least that is required. Probably even better would be many years of it, but, well, Angeal had said he wanted to retire. Too many years would be too long. "Although I do wonder where you picked him up in particular."
"Well, it was a ShinRa thing-"
That sounds like an interesting start to a story already, but Angeal doesn't have time to properly go into it. Instead, Zack manages to make his way out from the throng of people - most of which have lessened now as jobs and homes had to be gone to - and heads straight for the two of them. "Angeal!" he exclaims, the name an elated sound on his lips, before he stumbles a bit at the sight of Sephiroth, too.
This isn't a reaction he is unused to, by any means. He is one of the most striking individuals in the employment here in Wall Market, and even people who've heard of him tend to be caught off guard by the actual sight of him. In the many years he's worked in the business of sex, Sephiroth has learned how to use that to his advantage.
A part of him ponders doing that right now. Angeal had said to test his potential successor... and seeing how well he'd respond to a pretty face is a good measure of judgment on just how reliable he can be. For the time being, instead of going all out, he teases him, just a bit.
It doesn't take much. Just a tilt of his head, making sure that his silver hair catches the lights just so. Draws attention to the curve of his neck, exposed for once thanks to the long neckline of his current black shirt. Looks over to him from underneath pale eyelashes, bright green all the brighter in the dim lighting of the Honeybee Inn.
Zack, having gotten his feet under him again, nearly trips on a step up towards their table.
A soft snort of amusement comes from the side, Angeal, but no doubt his face is a little more schooled into place. He's rather good at that; it absolutely infuriates Genesis at times. "Eyes up, Zack," he says dryly, and that seems to be enough to get Zack back in working order as he bounds up the rest of the short steps. "So, going to tell me why you were late? I distinctly recall telling you that this was going to be fairly important."
There is this to be said for Zack: he has a rather boyish, almost puppyish, kind of charm to him. It was no doubt apparent from the very start, when he first started to make his way through the crowd, but it's especially apparent now as Angeal rebukes him. His shoulders rise up a bit, sheepish as his hands spread out helplessly, and his wide blue eyes are quite expressive even from beneath crumpled brows. "C'mon, Angeal, don't be like that!" he protests, a hint of whine to his voice. Sephiroth tries to recall how similar it is to the one he made when he was kissing Angeal. "I couldn't help it! I got delayed!"
"Delayed doing what, exactly?"
Not only expressive eyes, but expressive hands, too, flailing all about as Zack gestures. "I was helping some people out! And, I know, I know that you told me that this was important, and I wasn't trying to ignore that on purpose. I just thought, hey, this will take just a second, right? Except then things might have kiiiiiiinda spiraled out of control, so..."
"Funny how things tend to spiral out of control with you," Angeal remarks dryly, before he shakes his head. No doubt he's shelving this for a later, when he can grill Zack a little more effectively in private. "Anyway... This is Sephiroth." He inclines his head in his direction, as though introductions ever really have to be made when it concerns him. Most people, if they have any idea of what they're doing when they come to this area of town or when they contact the market's many "offices", know well enough who he is. Introductions are really just a nicety at this point. "Don't forget him, since you'll be working with him at least a few times."
That could mean anything, really... but Sephiroth has some confidence in Angeal. Enough to imagine that, if he ever has to work 'alongside' Zack in any capacity, Angeal will talk with him about it first.
"I don't think I could ever forget him," Zack says immediately in response. It almost sounds like a line, honestly, and Sephiroth has heard more than his fair share of them since settling on Seven. But he looks in those wide starry eyes set in a fidgeting frame, and. Hm. This is 100% non-scripted and actually genuine, isn't it?
A rare occurrence, although not impossible. Sephiroth finds himself smiling slightly before he really thinks to stop himself.
This wouldn't really be a problem in any other situation, but Sephiroth can tell even without looking that Angeal is doing that little quirked up smile of his. The one that shows in his eyes more than anything. Honestly. He must have known that something like this was going to happen. Terrible. Sephiroth doesn't bother to wipe the smile from his lips regardless. "I'll look forward to working with you, Zack," is what he says in the end.