Yamanaka Ino (Iris)

...Maybe.

Ino had no idea, in all honesty.

"I was told to report here," she said, doing her best to not make that sound feeble and pathetic. Perhaps there was an appointment in that computer of hers? "Iris."

And if the woman couldn't figure out that that was her name... well.

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puppy_fair

Please. The woman had been dealing with confused new Turks for ShinRa for the past five years.

The turnover rate was pretty terrible. It wasn't exactly a career choice that was known for its longevity. And besides, she recognized the girl from elsewhere, didn't she? Wasn't she sweet on Zack Fair?

Idly, she wondered if maybe this girl could give her some information about him. She had this idea for a fan club...

"Iris." She pursed her lips thoughtfully, and then turned to rummage through her files. Eventually, she came up with the proper one, opened it up, and took a moment to read the notes. Yes, she was expected. "Have you got your identification, Iris?"

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"Yes," she said, offering it to the woman.

And immediately wondering if she wasn't supposed to. Was this a test?

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puppy_fair

Nope, no test. The woman just wanted to make certain that she wasn't letting more Wutai terrorists loose in the building. ShinRa's security had been jacked up a bit, and it was one thing to let a SOLDIER's girlfriend up to the SOLDIER floor... It was another matter entirely, letting her go up to the Turks floor.

She studied the ID card for a moment, turned and typed a few things in on her computer, and then handed the card back to Ino.

"Tseng is waiting for you in his office with orders. I assume you know the way?"

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Treat this like a test, Ino decided, because that let her be calm even as she let out a light, trilling, laugh. "I can't remember," she said, wide-eyed and earnest. "I don't suppose you could remind me?"

See? See? She was just an idiot, truly.

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puppy_fair

The woman behind the counter just smiled sweetly in turn.

"I don't have clearance past the SOLDIER floor, myself," she replied, shaking her head. "I can tell you what floor he's on and let you wander about from there, oooor..." She continued to smile and made a reach for the phone. "I could call Tseng down to meet you, if you'd like."

She'd been bluffed by so many Turks in her career here, she rarely hesitated to use the 'tattle to the boss' card, these days. And wouldn't Tseng be thrilled to be called down 60 stories just to point his rookie in the right direction?

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That was a very long elevator ride.

"Just the floor number would be lovely," Ino said, not missing a beat and not wanting the woman to call. "I'm sure I'll remember it then."

No, she'd probably really would wander around. Ino really didn't know.

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puppy_fair

The receptionist smiled and put the phone back down on the hook, and then nodded toward the elevator.

"Just keep going up the floors until you get to the one you'll actually need clearance for. There's a scanner in the elevator to swipe your card. It's not far past the SOLDIER floor at all."

So the trip should only really take a small eternity.

Thank goodness she wasn't telling Ino to take the stairs.

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"Thank you," Ino said, with a bob of her head and a light, fluttery wave. Silly made a chirping noise as she spun and headed for the elevators.

Ino smiled slightly, reaching up to rub Silly's head as she pressed the up button on the elevator.

It would be a long, long ride, she was sure.

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Tseng was, of course, in his office by the time Ino finally figured out where she was going, and he was possibly looking somewhat amused... as much as Tseng ever managed to look amused.

He was also not alone. But he was going to at least save introductions until Ino knocked.

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Hey, now! Ino had accomplished some very important wandering around... while being lost.

At least she'd managed to keep from looking like she was lost? Exploratory expeditions were never amiss after all.

Just... ignore the fact that Ino had also taken a detour to Zack's room on the SOLDIER floor to pick up a few hair elastics of hers, to tuck into a pocket. She didn't think she'd need them, but all the same...

Eventually however, she'd found the right floor, and the right room, and after a moment to straighten her shoulders and shake off the feeling of being super dumb, she knocked. Once, then twice.

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From the other side of the door, she might have been able to barely make out a mumble, low and lazy and maybe just a little nasal, something to the effect of how the owner of that voice was starting to wonder if she was going to ever find her way.

That voice was silenced with a word, the name of the one who had spoken.

"Reno."

A pause.

"Come in, Iris."

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Ino grit her teeth, just slightly, at the sound of a voice she knew very well beyond the door.

Her face as she entered, though, was cool and composed, deliberately so.

She shut the door behind her, and then approached the desk, stopping a few feet from it. "Sir."

Even if it was tempting to stare at younger Reno.gy

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Younger Reno was wee and adorable and hadn't yet thought to do something crazy like grow out his hair, or blame himself for the state of the world as they saw it, and he certainly wasn't going to hesitate to leer at the rookie as she stepped into Tseng's office.

"Gonna have to get this one a map of the building," he mused, earning himself another look from Tseng before shrugging lazily and settling back to lean against the wall.

Tseng pressed onward. Reno would be Reno, there was no sense in fighting with him over that.

"Ready for your first assignment?"

He was, of course, not actually asking. She was a Turk. She would be ready for her first assignment when he said so. Or when any other Turk did, really, as well. She was, after all, the rookie.

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Ino hadn't heard a question that was so very much not a question in a goodly while. It was peculiar how that, too, was comforting. She only had to do her best, within the restrictions and rules that were placed around her, and she would be fine.

That was soothing.

She supposed it wouldn't be for everyone, some people chafed at being under the control of others, but for her, in this professional situation, it was something she enjoyed.

The way her eyes brightened, with minor irritation at Reno--who was, she reminded herself, an ass in any any universe--Ino simply nodded, resisted the urge to bow properly to Tseng.

"Yes, sir."

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"Excellent." And Tseng actually did appear to be somewhat pleased. Of course he would still have to introduce her to Verdot, and give her a proper briefing on the activities of AVALANCHE as of late, but for the time being, simply having new blood on the team was a refreshing change of pace.

And, he hoped, it would be one that would prove to be beneficial. At least to the Turks. Possibly to more than that.

"Before you leave, Reno will give you a proper tour of the building. Don't let him get to you."

He was, after all, Reno.

"He knows the assignment already. He'll fill you in on the details as you go."

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Reno (who was young and adorable and a bit of a brat and who was not the one that this account was made for, the username liiiies) shot Ino a lazy smirk, before pushing himself off the wall and making his way to the door.

"Get movin', Rookie. We ain't got all day. I wanna get down to the streets soon, and I ain't gonna waste more time than I gotta, showin' you where the bathrooms and your new livin' quarters are, yo."

As Reno headed out into the hallway, Tseng simply sighed and shook his head. Reno was impossible. And he wouldn't dream of trusting any new blood to anybody but.

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She bobbed her head to Tseng, not quite a bow in Wutaian style, but definitely a compromise in that direction (she couldn't help it, some things were ingrained) and then stepped after Reno on silent feet.

And wrestling with her emotions where Reno was concerned.

This one was not that one and, she thought, it was going to be hard to remember that.

Silence, for the moment, was the best response she decided, while following him.

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"Bathroom," Reno reported, pointing down one hallway. "Livin' space," he added, pointing in the other direction. "You can ask at reception what room number's yours. Or just keep crashin' with your SOLDIER, if you have problems findin' your way around, yo. You're a big girl. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out, zoto."

Reno was such a caring individual. He always had been.

"That ain't all that important anyhow, since you won't be livin' around here for a few months yet. You armed yet?"

That was really the important part, here.

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"What sort of idiot would come to work without being armed?" she demanded, resisting narrowly the urge to put her hands on her hips.

Of course she was armed.

And she'd find her room later, if only to spite Reno, because yes, she was most likely to live with Zack.

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"You'd be surprised," Reno mused, shooting Ino that lazy grin of his before heading toward the...

Stairs.

There was no way in hell he was setting foot on an elevator ever again. Ino didn't mind a workout, right?

"So, what kinda weapon you got on you? An' Materia? Knowin' what we got to work with'll be helpful, here."

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"Giant shuriken," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. The Crystal Cross was a good weapon. "Wire, knives," kunai, "poisoned needles."

Why were they heading this way? Stairs? He had to be kidding.

"Thundara, Fire, Blizzaga, Wall," she rattled off, and really, she thought she had the basics pretty well covered in that.

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Hey, Reno wasn't going to knock a person with a huge throwing star, or anything. After all, Cissnei was one of his favorite Rookies, and she swore by hers.

"Just Fire, huh? We'll see if we can't get that levelled up for you today, then. Fire ain't gonna do shit against what we've been up against lately, yo."

He actually held the door open to the staircase for her. Apparently, he was totally not kidding.

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