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— city at night meme

You've got the world around you yawning with potential, possibilities fanning out before your very eyes—after all, they say the city doesn't sleep at night. The skyline's illuminated with glittering lights, and even now, the streets are bustling with activity. So here's the real question: where are you at this hour?

— scenario prompts

1) WORKING.
You're still caught up at the office or wherever it is you're holed up. It's getting late, but there's work to be done.

2) RELAXING.
You're warm and comfortable someplace indoors, whether it's in a cozy nook of a café or maybe just in your own apartment. There's no other place you really need to be, is there?

3) MEET-UP/DATE.
Is there someone you're seeing for dinner? A date? Maybe you're going bar-hopping together with some friends, or your attendance is expected at some special event. Alternatively, there's someone you're meeting with to make a deal of some kind, whether it's perfectly legitimate or something that might invite trouble with local enforcement.

4) OUT FOR A WALK.
Sometimes, it's nice to get out for some fresh air—or, well, as fresh as it gets with all the air pollution around you. The park's not too far away; it might be nice and quiet at this hour, if you don't run into any...

5) TROUBLE.
It's getting late and it's dark outside, but someone has been tailing you for a while. Walking faster only makes them speed up; they're doggedly persistent. What to do now? Is there a busy street you can turn on to for help? Or maybe it's time to confront your pursuer... On the flip side, you're the one tracking someone. For what reason? Well, only you would know, right?

6) OTHER.
Anything else you can think of!

— setting prompts

A) STREETS/ALLEYS.
Are you visiting a busy district teeming with people? Or are you out on a quieter street? It can be dark out there, especially if you turn onto a smaller one without many streetlamps. Watch your step. Some of the alleyways might make good shortcuts if you're trying to get somewhere fast, but there's also trouble to be found sometimes. Don't get cornered anywhere, and especially don't get too curious if you see something suspicious in one of the dumpsters...

B) IN TRANSIT.
You're between locations right now, just trying to get on with your evening. You have some options, like public transportation: the bus, the train, the subway. Alternatively, you're a fancier kind of person: you've got your own car that you're driving, or better yet, you have a chauffeur and a private car. Or, you know, you're just taking a taxi or using a ride-share app. There are also transitional spaces like parking lots or garages.

C) DINING.
Some cities are melting pots of different cultures; you're bound to find countless spots at which to eat. There are small cafés if you want a quick bite, or fancier restaurants where you can wine and dine. You could support a small family business by dropping by at a local hole in the wall—sometimes the most authentic spots with the best food are nondescript locations. Or if you're really trying to impress, go for some famous Michelin three-star.

D) NIGHT LIFE.
Bars, clubs, lounges—all of it's fair game. Remember to drink responsibly—or don't, if you're looking to really forget about your troubles for a while. Just know that you'll only have yourself to blame for that raging hangover in the morning.

E) CORPORATE BUILDING.
In a larger city, major corporations might be headquartered in the glittering skyscrapers that line the most expensive districts. There are all kinds of businesses—banks, law firms, finance companies, tech groups, to state just a few. Some places might keep their lights on pretty late at night for the white-collar workers burning the midnight oil; others, perhaps not. Do you fit somewhere in this equation? Or if you're here for something more exciting, there's always corporate espionage...

F) SHOPS.
A lot of shops could be closed by now, but maybe it's that final hour before that mall or outlet you wanted to visit locks their doors for the evening. Time for some last-second shopping! Snatch up that deal before it's gone, or be sure to buy a gift for your date before it's too late!

G) HOME.
You're at home, wherever that is—an apartment, a condo, a house somewhere, or maybe something more extravagant. Real estate can get expensive in the city, especially in popular locations. Do you have a tiny apartment that covers all your basic needs? Or something much nicer, like the type of penthouse people usually only see in movies, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows?

H) CITY SQUARE.
Some city squares are hubs of activity, filled with street performers, pop-up stores, or food stalls. There's a lot you could do, especially when it's nighttime and the little lights strung around the place look so pretty.

I) ABANDONED SPACE.
Every city has its fair share of abandoned warehouses or other buildings that are slated for demolition. Sometimes they attract certain types of crowds that would make your average person think twice before confronting. A lot of places are off-limits, but every so often, the no-trespassing sign is more of a suggestion than a real threat, right?

J) OTHER.
Anything else you can think of!

original by sockupo

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[ Tseng is old enough to remember when Midgar was Shinra's biggest promise. The streets had been so dazzling back then, a paradise paved in gold and framed with silver towers. It was like navigating through a sultan's trove in those days, and he rather likes to remember thinking that way, immersing himself in the mentality that would eventually launch him through the ranks and land him in the pilot seat of the most notorious security force on the Planet. Remembering the city that way keeps everything in perspective.

Most people forget the names of things, but Tseng does not. The fountain before him was once known as Les Demoiselles, a celebration of contemporary sculpture gifted to the city by Wutai's most revered artisans. Of course, after the war, all of her plaques were removed, her creators forcefully erased from the public mind. Now, she collects algae and pennies and makes a great spot to stop and take selfies before embarking on a grand tour through the offices.

Tseng doesn't feel sad. He just pauses and listens to the water whispering, remembering how it used to babble. He narrows his eyes at the twisted, murky maidens, recalling how they were once shining marble. He meditates on how fresh and cool her waters used to be as he dips the very edge of his sleeve into what has become a soft green bath. It's not sentimentality: it is a lifetime's worth of rituals, a meticulous man taking inventory of his surroundings.

But he's still glad that he's alone. ]

Edited 2020-04-30 06:38 (UTC)

Not interrupting anything, am I?

[Rude approaches without hesitation. He's officially off the clock, and taking the long way back to his apartment--the scenic route. Well, it used to be until the streets became crowded by salary men and women coming and going to their places of work. Most of which to the central Shinra building offices, he imagines. Back then the populations were largely of newcomers from far away towns and villages that came to see the sights in the city. Tourists. He knows because his family had been one of them. Everything was brand new and filled with splendor until gradually over time it wasn't.]

Sir? [He offers the sound of his clearing throat to call attention to himself in case Tseng was lost deeply in his thoughts.]

[ Though that primal sense in the back of Tseng's mind detects Rude's presence, it is not until he clears his throat that it actually registers. It is worrying, how comfortable and familiar Rude's company has become over these few short years. Not good. Something to file away for later, to ruminate upon and improve.

Turks, after all, are not ordinary men. ]

No. Of course not.

[ Tseng turns away from the fountain. He adjusts his gloves, impassive as ever. His black eyes betray nothing. Only those few falling droplets of fountain water remain of the reverie he'd been so lost in previously. ]

Did you need something?

[Rude's never minded being Tseng's second in command, not that he ever needed to take command for any reason. The man was just as much a professional as the rest of them, and the same age as he was, but he had certain gifts that made him a great leader, and Rude has no issues accepting the fact that he's far better at carrying out orders. Even orders he might not agree with. Such was the job, and he didn't trust anyone else to so it.

He might address him formally both inside and outside work hours, but as with Reno, he felt another sort of deeper connection to them outside of being Turks and working for Shinra. That kind of bond only came with time and trust.]

No. Seems like the streets are a little less crowded, so I thought I'd take advantage and walk home.

[As usual Tseng gives little away from his expression, and Rude has learned trying to read or predict him was always a waste of effort.]

Unless you wouldn't mind a little company. [Rude's companionship was a silent sort of thing, and he was so comfortable in silence that it was easy to forget he was even there. Or so Rufus had said once or twice.]

[ It isn't unusual for Tseng and his right hand to find themselves in the same mind. That is, after all, what makes the Turks so cohesive as a unit. Tseng's lips curl, amused regardless. ]

It is a rare pleasure, isn't it?

[ His fingers drag across the broken marble rim of the fountain as he leaves it behind to join Rude. The offer of companionship is simply quietly accepted. Quiet, in fact, is all that he offers Rude for a brief moment. It's difficult to not enjoy the presence of someone who becomes the atmosphere, rather than disrupting it. ]

I remember when these nights were not so few and far between.

[ With a nod, he gestures for Rude to lead the way. For once, he will be the one to follow. ]

[He's sure the dip in passersby is a sign of things gradually changing--most likely worsening-- but depending on who one asked, blame could placed on a number of groups or entities. One of those being Shinra.]

That was another time. People forget how wonderful they once found the city, and now take it all for granted.

[Even he slipped into that habit at times. He takes his time as they walk, looking around for places that had been there from the beginning and survived through the years. Those establishments were few and far between. Capitalism had its way with everyone who wanted in on the riches of Shinra's Midgar.]

How many stop to question how long it will last, I wonder.

Very few that are not summarily dealt with.

[ Tseng isn't exactly detached when he says these terrible things. Contrary to all the whisperings in Shinra's halls, he does grieve for the wayward few who open their eyes in the midst of the corporation's steel-and-mako lullaby. He's always had a soft spot for the type of person who sees beyond their station, for reasons more personal than he'd like to admit.

But you wouldn't know it from his tone. He seems far closer to despair—and even then, not really at all—when their stroll takes them past the boarded windows of a building slumped in disrepair. It's a blight upon the ritzy boutique and funky art deco dog salon that neighbor it, should have been dealt with by Tuesti and his glorified crew of interior decorators long ago.

But there is something special about this place. It bothers Tseng that he cannot quite put his finger on it—not until he glimpses the wide-set boarded window, the faded gilding and crushed lamps, a rush of sights and sounds illuminatated in some long-forgotten corner of his memory. ]

They sold candy here. [ he recalls, frowning from the effort it takes to sort as little as that from the endless inventory he's taken of the city in all the years he's walked these streets. ] A little old man and his wife.

[Rude takes a deep breath instead of voicing his issues with those very specific terms. They'd bothered Reno too, but he knows better than to bring it up with anyone outside their immediate circle. Shinra was constantly on the lookout for anyone who wasn't loyal. Thankfully disagreeing with tactics or orders had never stopped him from following through with them. He was a professional, after all.

His eyes dart back and forth to the different shops and stalls that look a lot less decorated to bring customers in, than years ago. These days a simple neon sign reading OPEN was all it took. Especially for the storefronts on more busy streets like this one. They had a few more blocks to pass before they got close to the residential district.]

Your memory is as infallible as ever. [He slows to observe the place in question. One would hardly be able to tell from the look of it now.] I wonder what became of them. [Hopefully they retired to some small town outside of Midgar where they wouldn't have to worry about falling plates or violence.]

[ 'Nothing good' is Tseng's immediate guess. Though he remembers the shopkeepers as hunched and venerable, there is too much dynasty in Midgar to ever drive what had been a bustling shop into foreclosure. And then there is the fact that it is still here, a brick-and-mortar tombstone oddly placed along the buzzing neon strip. Something isn't right about that.

But now Tseng remembers. He'd stare through this window in awe when he was young, so tiny then that he had to gather himself up on his tiptoes to see inside. Within there was a paradise of color and geometry, the sheets of chocolate buttons, the twisted rainbow pops, rows upon rows of dispensers brimming with flavors he could never imagine. Sometimes the man inside would see him looking and bring him out a treat. Tseng remembers never having tasted anything so delicious.

He starts to pick the lock before he's entirely aware of what he's doing, removing and disappearing the pointed edge of his hair clip into the keyhole. ]

I'd like to know.

[ His clip catches on an internal tooth and the lock relents with a satisfying click! The door groans open, revealing a whorl of ghostly dust and an uninviting darkness within. ]

You coming?

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