Reno's (& Elena's) place, Edge, Gaia, Wednesday Evening

[intraspective]

Ino would be lying if she claimed that she hadn't told Reno the wrong time to expect her.

So she had absolutely no plans to actually let anyone know about that tiny insignificant fact. Especially not Reno. Fully armed and wearing leggings and a turtleneck rather than anything like she fought in at home, but that she'd found more comfy for dealing with Midgar's weather, and so had figured the same would apply roughly to Edge's weather, Ino's gaze when she stepped through the portal was scrutinizing. (You try staying warm in the middle of winter in what basically amounts to a short skirt with slits clean up the sides, a tank top, and a bunch of bandages wrapped around your torso and see how long it takes you to find something warmer to wear.)

She had a bit of time to kill. A few hours before Reno would even think to wonder where she was.

Plenty of time to explore Edge on her own. Reno would… probably not approve. He didn't need to know. Making sure she knew which direction his apartment was in, Ino darted off on silent feet.

Edge was, she determined a few hours later, making her careful way to his place, a lot worse off than Reno had told her. Despite the fact that some of the areas she'd snooped through had made her, well, violently ill (Ino had not been prepared for the number of starving people, of homeless people, of hopeless dying people she'd seen living on the streets in conditions she'd only vaguely grasped before), Ino was tentatively calling her snooping a good idea.

Also, mints were amazing things. Shut up. She was a ninja and a Rookie. He absolutely didn't need to know she'd gotten sick over some of what she'd seen. Ino had no intentions of telling him anything at all about that. Need to know basis said he totally didn't need to know. She found the building he lived in and headed up the stairs exuding an air that said she totally belonged here no really.

So, it was a pale (but for the colour quickly pinched into her cheeks) and rather wide-eyed Rookie that rapped smartly on his door at exactly the time she'd told him she'd be there.

[For the Turk expecting her, zoto! NFB due to distance!]

Comments

[intraspective]

"There been much exploration of how much of Midgar's been mako'd," shut it, that was totally a real use of the word, "or anything?"

She started idly heading in the direction of Midgar. Streets, hey.

"'Round keeping everyone alive, I mean."

Because, wow, did Edge need more help in that quarter.

[raspberryturk]

"The WRO's been workin' on it," Reno allowed, shrugging. "The WRO's been workin' on a lotta things. For the most part, they're just hopin' that the 'no tresspassing' signs'll do the job, anyhow. Edge is safe as it's gonna get around here. Nobody but idiots and scavengers to into Midgar anymore."

Three guesses which category Reno stuck himself into.

[intraspective]

No guesses.

"Idiots and scavengers, huh?" Ino grinned over at him. "What category am I, then, if you're taken me 'round the edges of it?"

[raspberryturk]

"A Rookie," Reno sniffed indignantly. "Hittin' the edges ain't the same as wandering through the ruins, anyhow."

See? Totally different, that!

[intraspective]

"Hai hai," she said, rolling her eyes at that. "Totally different, absolutely."

Ino glanced at him for a moment, but left it at that.

[raspberryturk]

Well, to some degree, it really was different.

You were less likely to stumble across black stains on the ground that used to be human, before the stigma reduced them to pus and bile, in Edge, for one.

Not completely unlikely, but less likely. There was an important distinction to be made, there.

He glanced at her for a moment in turn, and then offered her a wry smile.

"How are them monsters in Midgar, anyhow?"

[intraspective]

Too bad Ino was unaware of that particular distinction, huh? And was rather blissful in her ignorance of that, yes.

Besides, she was busy giving him a dirty look.

Totally should've faked out the fight and lost.

[raspberryturk]

Losing the fight probably would have sucked more, because then Reno never would have let her live down getting her ass kicked by worms.

And yes, he totally would have let them kick her ass before stepping in to save the day. How else were Rookies going to learn?

Oh, and he was totally blowing her a raspberry right now.

[intraspective]

Pffft.

Ino tossed her hair and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

She was totally the mature one here. Honest!

"What gave it away?"

[raspberryturk]

"You ain't dead yet," Reno replied, waving a hand dismissively.

Okay, she deserved a better explanation that that.

"And them barrel rolls. Not many people use 'em like that, zoto."

[intraspective]

"Why not? They're useful that way."

Ino was sulking a bit, yeah. She'd have managed to live even if she hadn't been going with Zack to Midgar!

Really!

Honest!

... Well, she'd have tried?

[raspberryturk]

"If you're into tumbling acts," Reno allowed. "Did the trick for you, yo. Remind me to thank the SOLDIER kid for teachin' you that one, yeah?"

No, it wouldn't ever happen. But that was beside the point.

[intraspective]

"Like you'd thank him when you could just take the credit for it yourself," she scoffed. "And, hello, ninja. Tumbling acts are awesome."

[raspberryturk]

"Nah, I ain't some kinda Spiral," Reno laughed, shaking his head. "I get outta the way just fine by runnin' there, zoto. Zack the Puppy can keep the blame for you knowin' how to execute that manoeuvre like a pro, an' I won't even bitch about it, yo."

[intraspective]

"An' no bitching 'bout me and Midgar either?" Ino asked, mildly incredulous.

[raspberryturk]

"Well, if it don't kill you," Reno mused.

It was just making her stronger.

... And anyhow, he figured that if he bitched, she'd just chase after Midgar even harder out of morbid curiosity. He didn't exactly want to risk that, either.

"Do me a favor next time you're there," he mused. "Pick me up some decent booze from the old Seventh Heaven, yo."

Priorities!

[intraspective]

"It ain't killed me yet."

Must. Mostly. Look, she'd gotten over it. Clearly not dead.

"And booze." Amuuused. "If I remember. A bar isn't much like where we tend to hang out there, no."

Why hang out and drink when you could kill monsters and do missions for days on end? Really now. And shopping! Shooopping.

[raspberryturk]

Maybe someday, Ino would be interested to learn that the bar that Reno had just mentioned was an AVALANCHE base of operations.

Today was clearly not that day.

"You head out there often?"

[intraspective]

Someday that would be an absolutely fascinating piece of information. As it was right now, though? Definitely not that day.

Ino hitched one shoulder up. Debating honesty. "Few times a month or something like that? Depends on what missions Zack's got. Some he can't take me on 'cause I ain't with ShinRa, or 'cause they'd kill me dead."

[raspberryturk]

"That's how it works," Reno agreed, giving his shoulders a shrug. "He's off doin' the job. There's some shit you can take company with, an' there's some that's classified."

And Reno would prefer some of it remain that way.

[intraspective]

"I don't like not knowing," she admitted. As if that was a surprise to Reno, right? "But I'm not going to complain at him for keeping the secrets and stuff that he's got to for the job, you know?"

"Besides," Ino added, "I got plenty to amuse myself with in Midgar right now anyway."

Because, yes, trying to learn everything ever about a city while fighting monsters at the same time and not letting on to Zack exactly how much she wanted to know about everything ever was a complicated game for her. Yes, game.

In a few months, she'd start looking for more information. But Ino needed the basics first.

[raspberryturk]

"See, you keep talkin' like that, I'm gonna start assignin' you homework or some shit," Reno replied, smirking a little. "Get me photos of Sector Eight or somethin', yo. I miss the place."

Yes. He wanted photos for nostalgia's sake, and not at all so that he could try to figure out exactly where in Zack's timeline Ino was sitting right then.

[intraspective]

"You're demanding today," she complained, laughing softly. "Do this, get me that, don't forget this. Geez."

Well, Ino, he was trying to get you to detail things.

"Sector Eight is Turks turf, yeah? You said that before. How would they like it if I went 'round snapping photos?"

[raspberryturk]

Reno gave his shoulders a shrug, laughing some at that.

"Ain't unusual around there, yo. There's the fountain, an' Loveless Avenue is down that way. So long as you ain't doin' it all the time, you'd just be another tourist, yo."

[intraspective]

Ino was in fan clubs on Midgar. She slept in the ShinRa building when she was there.

She wasn't much of a tourist, really, all things considered.

"I make an adorable tourist," Ino informed him lightly. "All big blue eyes and tiny and wee and absolutely harmless."

And hung around with a SOLDIER who was a lot more harmless than she was when it came to tempers and fighting without orders.