(no subject)

[midgarhorizon]

Characters: Reno, (see prompts) and OPEN
Setting: Floor 38, a lounge floor
Format: Either
Summary: He'd been complacent for far too long. It was time to act, to prepare and plan and scope out opportunities.
Warnings: Language, character instability, intolerable levels of cuteness, also Reno being somewhat crude and a jackass.



Standing in front of the large windows that made up the walls of Floor 38, Reno adjusted one of the gloves that came with the uniform he had found in his trunk. The fit was perfect. The uniform, immaculate, and every snap, button, and zipper was in perfect military order. The only additions he made was the shell tied to a bright green ribbon, underneath the shirt. The familiar red and black headpiece covered his now extremely short hair- something he had taken care of at his first convenience-, masking his face in a way the bandanas alone hadn't managed. The sun was out, chasing away the dark week they had spent trapped in 5-14. For the first time in a long time, he felt like a Turk.

Waking up this morning, he could barely wait before the sleep paralysis lifted- lasting longer than he had ever endured before. It seemed to stretch on for another week before he got the feeling back in his limbs and sit up. It was like a breath of fresh air, being clean and uninjured, but instinctively he had scrambled around for the EMR on his belt and held it tightly before he could relax. There was some disorientation during those first few minutes, as well. The last thing he remembered had been intense, horrible pain, far beyond his threshold, then nothing. Dying had seemed almost a relief in retrospect, but the claustrophobia he had started feeling in 5-14 started to surge again, and he reached for his trunk to change his clothes and go somewhere a little more open.

That was when he found the uniform, stashed neatly as you please inside.

He almost yelled when he saw it, feeling the hair on the back of his head stand up. It was the mask of a Raven, one of Fuhito's own elite soldiers. Memories of pitched battles and blood flashed across his vision. Swearing creatively, mostly involving the various body parts of summoned deities, he wanted to tear it, to rip it to shreds, to burn it into ashes until there was nothing left. The Tower was playing another game on him. Reaching inside to tear the uniform up, he stretched the fabric between his palms.

Then he paused.

Staring at the uniform, he lowered it again.

An AVALANCHE uniform, huh?

The idea slowly made its way through his head, and a soft chuckle escaped. It wouldn't be the first time he went undercover... but, ironic, he would wear the uniform of the organization that had been his sworn enemies for over six years, for a sense of anonymity. It was strangely fitting, in a way. Here he was, about to initiate a rebellion of his own against those who caused so much pain and suffering; might as well look the part. He wasn't stupid enough to think the world only worked in black and white; good guys and bad guys.

A small part of him wondered what his fellow Turks would think of him now, wearing this thing. Rude would probably say he was either crazy, or a genius. It was no wonder Reno felt those two things were more hand in hand than it seemed. The line itself was very thin, and Minerva knew how many people had been in Shinra that fit the description. Including him.

He was going to settle for crazy.

Shortly after donning the black uniform, he had left notes on various name plates, leaving different times to meet him in the 38 lounge. It was going to be a busy day, he could already tell. That was why he had brought up some food from the cafeteria. He wasn't expecting to get back to the dorm room any time soon. The fuck if he let the Tower get him down. This was better than being caged. He needed to set out feelers, get a good sense of the Tower.

Reno tapped at the glass of the window, watching the reflection, feeling... strangely calm for the horror he had just gone through. The feeling wasn't unfamiliar. He'd had it many times; an after effect of similar situations he had been in. The last time... when was the last time? Oh yeah. Sector 7. It was that same calm feeling he had in the aftermath, as Midgar's entire horizon was changed forever. That time, it had ended in the deaths of thousands of innocents. This time, he hoped to save them.


Elena


This note is left fairly early in the morning, as soon as he leaves his room
E - @ 3
8
Any H
-R




Shion

This is a note stuck on either Shion, his trunk, or his bed. There's no name, but it should be pretty obvious because only Reno would leave a note on Shion himself.
S - @ 3
8
1100h


Reno figured it'd be best to give Shion some time to breathe, but he didn't expect the kid to wait to find him.



Xion

This one is stuck to Xion's name on the nameplate.
X - @ 3

8
1200h
-R




justabignobody

This note is attached to Riku's door.
Riku
Floor 38. Today. Any time you can.




Prompt 5 - Open

The other times, where he wasn't meeting with someone, Reno walked around the lounge, sometimes going to the floor above or below depending on where his feet took him, holding what looked to be a notepad (swiped from Shion, in fact), jotting down things from time to time. The headgear effectively masked his face, preventing most people from recognizing him. Should anyone walk by, though, he's more than willing to say "Hey" or otherwise engage them in conversation. Intelligence wasn't going to just come to him, after all. Good luck trying to get that visor off to see his face.

Comments

[provenworth]

Forget getting her shoe back, it wasn't going to grow a pair of legs and wander off, she was too focused on the mass of red that was drastically less of a mass than a few days ago. Fingers rubbed anxiously against the palms of her hands, wanting to feel what the new weight of his hair felt like now that it was so much shorter. But the opportunity was lost, hair disappearing beneath the headgear.

"...Sorry. Its not that big of a deal or anything, I guess." Hands reached up, fingers interlocking before resting atop her head. "I just...kinda liked it long. Just no dying your hair, okay. You lose that color and I'm going to have to punish you."

At his request that she sit down, a hand lowered from her hand, motioning for a minute. She really needed less time than that, jogging over to pick up her shoe and reinsert her foot, tapping the toe against the floor to ensure it was in right, before walking back over to him. It looked so odd, seeing him dressed in the Raven uniform; though a part of her was sure he felt the same way with her in academy dress.

"All right then..." Sliding back into the chair she'd previously been hiding behind, she crossed her left leg over her right knee, hands resting atop her thighs while eyes maintained contact with his. "What is it?"

[midgarhorizon]

Before answering her question, he looked around the lounge, stepping here and there to change his perspective. This lobby had a lot of memories in it. Sergei's II had been set up here before he had to close it down last winter. Conversations with Rusty, and Cloud. Elena's first date with him. The Tower itself held a year and a half, maybe a bit more, though he hadn't stayed in the Tower for all of it... When you really thought about it, but far too long when he remembered all the events, the gory details, and the harsh conditions.

Memories...

Memories had a funny way of popping when you least expect it. The conscious and unconscious mind churning flotsam up to the surface, repeating half buried truths behind blurred images of time. Bits and pieces of life were always with you, even when you were at peace.

A quirk stretched at one corner of his mouth, and he walked back to the window and stood in front of it. How could he even put what he felt, what his being had become, into words? The fog outside held a lot of memories, too. Secrets that it held and swirled and kept hidden from them. Terrors, and nightmares, and horrific phantoms.

"You've got a choice now. Either you take that card, change in to the clothes you'll find on your bed and take the elevator where it takes you, or I kill you."

Those phantoms were stirring. It started out small. Just a voice, really. A faint thing at the edge of his conscious that clawed and chewed and scrambled its way into his thoughts.

"A reactor in Midgar was just bombed. The devastation has left a section of the city without power and the causilties are reputed to be in the thousands. A terrorist organization calling themselves AVALANCHE is claiming responsibility. Damages are estimated to cost over ninety million gil. In related news..."

"P... please, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me! I g-got a wife! We're expectin' our first kid!"

"Sector 7 is an expendable loss. Your job is to get down there and blow the plate."

"If you ever disobey a direct order again, I will splatter your brains on the wall behind you."

There were too many voices crowding his thoughts now. Far too many images of the past, but they all seemed to be of Gaia. The horror stricken screams of the Tower's phantoms had faded away, replaced by familiar ones. True, he could get a little comtemplative when forming a plan, or mission, or something that could bring results into their favor, but this was... different. Reno was standing on the edge of another precipice.

"Get the fuck off of me! I ain't workin' for any stinkin' Turk!"

An edge again. It always came back to being on the edge of something.

"Reno, we can't! Innocent people are going to die if we do that!"


Closing his eyes against the light, he let the memories come. They weren't unpleasant.

"Zack's out there. Find him. It's better we get him, than the army."

They weren't raw.

"Sephiroth just burned down Nibelheim. We're being dispatched to clean up."

They were just there, bubbling to the surface. And now they were coming faster.

"I will rule the people with fear."

And faster.

"It's the spirit of the Turks!"

"This is the only way."

"Tseng! NO!"

"The giant orb that appeared in the sky seven days ago has been confirmed to be an meteor of proportions equivalent to a small moon. Scientists estimate the time of impact to be two weeks to a month, and to hit the planet with force enough to wipe out all current forms of life."

"See you when this is all through. If we both survive... If we can save our lives."

"I just broke both of his kneecaps. He's not going anywhere."

"Take these bodies to the basement? That's..."

"I will save this planet."

"Get out of here, Shinra dog!"

"These Turks are rebels and untrustworthy. It is only fitting that they should be executed for their treasonous activities."

"Father. Remember my terms."

"Avalanche is on the move. They're getting more organized by the day. We can hardly keep up with them... we need more recruits."

"We are just broken people who have managed to put ourselves back together. The pieces don't fit. Some are missing. But we're still people."

"Broken people... even broken people don't kill thousands of innocent civilians. Monsters do."

The voices stopped suddenly. Time seemed to slow down. There was absolute silence in Reno's thoughts for a heartbeat, then two. Everything seemed to come into focus. All of the things he had to do... all of the things done to him. Veld's voice, Rufus's, even his own had echoed from his past. He knew what he had to do. It was almost like all of his life had waited for this moment, when he became fully realized.

"It's D... because it's our job."

The Tower had a way of burning a person down until only the core remained, burned, ash covered, and probably a little bit uneven. His core was staring at him in the face. The reflection in the glass grinned at him, cocksure and framed by the headgear of one of his formidable enemies. Ironic... Ironic. He had called them inhuman, once. They were humans that had given up their humanity to be something different, something terrifying in battle. Mindless, controllable drones. Demons in human skin that had replaced the person inside.

It was all so clear. He laughed, a little too frantically, a tiny part of him terrified of what he was thinking, but was quickly silenced. He would settle for crazy.

He wasn't sure if he was crazy.

If they wanted a demon... he was going to give them one.

Turning away from the view the large, floor to ceiling windows offered, he looked toward Elena. It was his old, lopsided grin. The one that came too easily at a joke, or a tease. The one he wore when he teased Elena about her harrowing experience on Da Chao when they were back at Turtle's Paradise. He was back. The fire blazed behind his eyes, turning them into fine points of azure lightning. There was something different about that grin, a difference that was fundamental, that hinted at remorselessness. Someone more sensitive to the subtle ques of facial expressions might have said it was even cold-blooded.

It was the grin he wore just before he pushed the button. The lightning inside was burning.

"Elena, what are we?" He asked, standing in front of that window, and for once his normal drawl was gone. Despite the grin, he was all business. His stance firm and commanding, as before. His posture upright, confident. This wasn't her partner and husband. It was the Turk that stood there, silhouetted as a dark figure against the bright fog outside. "First and foremost, what are we?" Though he posed it as a question, it wasn't meant as one. He didn't wait for an answer because he didn't want one. "Just, listen a moment. I mean above the obvious 'we're human' crap." Reno shook his head, a slight sigh escaping. "Back home, a lot of people said your role in life defined you. Farmers, bakers, lawyers, they all had important purposes. Respected, even. Mercenaries. Fighters. Soldiers. Them, too. But what we do... what do we do?" A soft chuckle escaped his lips, almost as if involuntary this time.

"We fight. We protect. We burn. We torture. We bomb. We build. We kidnap. We rescue. We accomplish the mission any way possible. We were broken people before and now we're on borrowed time. We're not the heroes. We never were. We pay our dues to Hades." He punched the air in front of him to emphasize the word. "It's a contract we signed in our own blood, that expires with a body bag. Being what we are... to normal folk, we're monsters. Demons. Nightmares from out of the dark. We're the reason why nobody wants to go into an alley on the Plate. We got the rhythm of life and death down, and dancin' to our own tune." The EMR was in his left hand now, his dominant hand, swiping at one of the coffee tables to make his point. Stepping up to the surface, he walked along the length of it. His footing was sure, like a giant cat walking along a branch. Coming to the end, he stopped and laughed again. "That's why people feared us!"

Hopping off next to the couch, he tucked the EMR away again, and stood next to her. He folded his arms, one long finger sticking up to tap on the opposite arm. The grin shifted; it got wider, like he was sharing something amusing with her, but there was no amusement in his eyes. Just the cold lightning.

"This place is robbing us of who we are. It's got a different rhythm, a different beat. It makes us dance to what it wants. We got no choice being here. It's denying us our contract and the end. Death isn't an option here." The grin faded until only the fire remained. It was an expression that had been more common on the elder Turks. Veld, Tseng... it wouldn't have looked out of place on their faces. It said something that now Reno was wearing it. "Survival isn't enough. Not anymore. The Tower is running out of time. They are hiding something so big, they're terrified of letting us find out."

Arms dropped and shoved his hands in the pockets of his Raven disguise, and he returned to the window to look out at the fog swirling around the Tower. The silhouette and fog was a stark contrast of light and dark. Turks preferred the dark. They preferred blending into the background, watching and waiting for their moment. Why had he forgotten that? How could he have forgotten something so... integral? Survival was important, but a man couldn't live on it.

Learned helplessness? Yet more laughter made the silhouette bob against the light one last time. He shook his head, freeing it of all the patterns and habits he had gotten into. The complacency. Stability. Fuck stability. See what it'd gotten him. They were family. They stuck together throughout the worst. The Turks were family. They understood. They would do what needed to be done. Save it, or break it, the Turks weren't going to sit on their asses anymore.

"Despite popular belief... we don't need mako to be unstoppable. We don't need powers. We've got our hands, and they're covered in blood. We're Turks, Elena. Let's show Them what it fucking means."

[provenworth]

Something was off; she could sense it in the air. Had she been looking for it, she might have even picked it up the moment she arrived in the lounge. It wasn’t so much the new uniform he’d found but there was no denying how it certainly played a role in whatever was happening within Reno's mind. That constant concern about his mental stability, that very delicate line that he walked between madness and insanity, truly found a sense of purpose when he laughed. Had she sounded that way too, back when he told her that they were all dead and that their bodies were nothing but wire and steel?

Where he was drawing from his past, connecting to that inner ruthlessness that the Turks were so well known for, she was pulling from her present – perhaps her future. Her body is solid and form, possibly even confused for a mannequin by her stillness. While his back had turned her arms had moved, elbows pressed comfortably into the arms of the chair, fingertips pressed to one another in a loose steeple. It's a face of deep concentration and focus. The only sign that she was alive was the faint rising and falling of her chest.

Because, given the state in which he was speaking, the grin that was eerily familiar, a ghost of a man being brought back to light with thunder and lightning and conviction. It spread from his eyes, spreading down neck and shoulders, changing the usually languid posture to something firmer, sinister. Only people who had seen it before knew what it looked like, how to identify the very fine changes to the curve of the mouth, the gait of a man that could so easily be missed.

Eyes are the only thing that move, following him as he walked in front of her, stood next to her, her chin lowering just slightly, curving towards him to make it easier to look up at him as he talked. Listening intently to every single word, every single intonation. She wouldn't express it, but the coldness in his eyes was off-putting. Alarming. And yet the power in which he spoke, the ownership of who they were and what they stood for, what they had forgotten in this place – both of them – was alluring. It was a path she could – would? – following him down.

Except that there was a balance needed here. It was a very delicate one, but it was there. If she had been silent before, then she damn near moved by teleportation, so soundless in her approach that only those with the best of hearing would have heard her coming. Her reflection shows little change in her expression, standing to his right with arms at her sides, staring out over the sea of fog. Deep down, his words had struck a chord, so truthful it was like hitting the purest note on a piano that faded off into silence.

"Yeah. It's about time we show Ruana and Jason who they're fucking with." It's probably one of the few times she's ever spoken with a tenor of sinister ruthlessness in her voice, many usually under the belief that she couldn't muster such hostility even if she wanted. "However..."

That balance, which is so precious and so needed to keep them all as sane as they could.

"Smartly. We will do this smartly and carefully. This isn't Gaia, Reno, and we must utilize everything and everybody that is available and at our disposal. Death will come to those who help us, as will our own deaths. But understand me when I say this – I only want the blood of the guilty on my hands. Not the innocent."

[midgarhorizon]

It was like a bucket of cold water had been tossed in his face. Slowly, listening to her voice, feeling her presence come out of nowhere- the first time she had actually surprised him, moving so silently; he calmed down, taking a deep breath in, and nodded.

"It'd been a mistake..." His breath fogged up the window, a faint note of regret creeping in, turning the words slightly wistful. Reno would be a demon, if he needed to. Abandoning what he had found here in his friends, the people who cared for him and each other... without them, he would have been content to sit until the Tower rotted from the inside and crumbled to dust. "One I'm not willing to repeat. I'm already going to Hades."

Whatever he thought about the afterlife, or lifestream, or wherever they were going to go when he died had never passed his lips before. Reno never felt it was necessary to discuss it. Facts were facts, and when you died, that would be it. Still, a part of him expected to find itself in Hades's own chosen. His actions had guaranteed a place at the god's right hand many years ago. Sector 7 had sealed it beyond the point of redemption.

Looking down at her, he smiled. A sheepish looking one; the madness gone, as if he knew he'd scared her. Upset her. Made her worried for him? He was all right, he was just trying to remember who he was. "I just don't want them to get dirty, like we did. Xion and Shion... There's still hope for them."

[provenworth]

Whatever darkness she had called upon to help pull him back from the edge of that precipice that called out to him was gone, no longer needed, and replaced with her usual warm demeanor. A bit of lightheadedness came with the transition, a hand scratching at her forehead while fingers of her other hand reached out to curl around his hand.

The physical contact was not just for comfort, but to help ground her – them? – in the here and now. It was so easy to slip back into memory, of actions and deeded that had stained their hands crimson that would never come clean. His burden, she knew, was far greater. Thousands of dead souls from Sector 7 probably cried for vengeance for what he had done. The pressing of a single button.

"You and I both." Because, really, all Turks went to Hades. Not that she'd given much thought to what happened beyond death or the great beyond. She'd considered praying once – when times were dire – but couldn't quite figure out to whom. "But at least you'll have good company."

Where he might be looking sheepish about the whole ordeal, her grin is wholly warm and optimistic. Eyes crinkle at the edges, the honey color warmed by an inner fire that had been lit by his very dramatic speech. She nods, fingers tightening around his hand. "Neither do I. But I have a feeling that they won't. We'll see to it that they stay clean."

[midgarhorizon]

"Yeah." Shoulders relaxed slowly into his normal slouched position with the contact, the word a catchall for her comments. Good company, but somehow he thought she would go somewhere else. A nicer place for girls who just didn't know what kind of career to go into. For the kids... he hoped he was able to give them the benefit of the job, without the downsides.

Taking a step and pivoting to face her head on, he reached for her other hand and just held them for a while, the sheepishness gone, faded into a more neutral relaxed look. The warmth came through the gloves, muted though. She was his anchor and refuge, but he didn't want to put too much weight on her. Too much burden or strife. "Just hope I can keep clingin' on long enough to do the job."

Attempting to do what he was doing was risky at best and downright dangerous at worst. Who knew what the repercussions were, what unimaginable horrors They would create for them next as means of punishment? That was bad enough with just one person's, but to hold up someone else...

"Elena, I don't know if I'm sane anymore." Softly spoken, but with a serious edge cutting through it. Reno was many things, but a fool wasn't one of them. The feeling he could break off at any point, with the right pressure in the right place where he was weakest, kept coming back. Less so now that she was here again, a better place than he had been before when it was just him. So far in a month, he had already lost control twice and almost a third time, but each time someone had been near, someone who cared for him enough to do whatever it took to snap him out of it. But the next time might be the last, and he'd be permanently gone. "But I got to do this."

[provenworth]

"Would you be offended if I tell you that I never thought you were?"

Even though there's a hint of a smile on her lips when he turns to look at her, there's a sense of seriousness beneath it. First and foremost, each of the members of the Turks were hardly what one would call fully sane. Each had their own sense of insanity that could be properly utilized. Whether she was truly insane or not was always a question - maybe it was insane enough that she wanted to join the Turks after seeing what happened to them. What happened to her elder sister.

She'd also picked up on it during their interactions, hinted violence and instability. Hadn't he shown her some moves that were completely unnaturally possible for the human body? Elena knew well and good that he'd gone through a lot of painful and terrible things well before arriving into the Tower. He didn't have to tell her that he had - she could see it in the lines in his face. In his responses and twitches. She knew how to read him well enough to pick up those little nuances.

Whether he realized it or not, she was fully aware of that very thin thread that kept him whole. Which was why she had no problem being that protective coating around it, using her mind, her energy, her positivity to strengthen it when she could. Hands squeezed his, thumbs lightly rubbing against his skin.

"You do what you have to, Reno. Just...don't push yourself too hard. And don't forget, you can rely on me too. We'll get both our hands wet to keep the kids' clean."

[midgarhorizon]

At least it was out in the open, and the first step was to acknowledge it, focus and somehow manage the problem. He snickered at her, though he picked up her seriousness. "Heh... yeah, guess so. That day you showed up was kinda the worst of it, but... that explosion, bein' stuck in that room, I was thinking a lot. Guess it set me off a bit."

He was worried, too, about her. That laughter that verged on madness still echoed sometimes when it was quiet. Yeah, and there was guilt about that, too. It'd taken him a while but he decided he shouldn't have told her right away, not and have her go the same path he is.

"The Tower, the kids. Us. Even Rusty... I mean, I loved the guy, but he was just, kinda so broken tryin' to be noble. Tryin' to forget, that I... That's why I want to go back to what we were. If I can just do somethin' that'll stop this countdown, get revenge on Them for all the shit they pulled, it's helping just working on that."

Of course he relied on her, she had told him to tell her everything once, just before the wedding. Now that he'd gotten all this off his chest, he felt a little bit lighter. But now, would she feel the weight?

Eyes flicked up to hers, leaning forward slightly, smiling and full of mischief. "But don't you worry, Elena. If I tried pushing myself too hard, you'd be there to punish me, right?"

[provenworth]

"Perhaps then my timing was deliberate, hmmm?" Because the odds that she was brought back on the day of their first date a year ago was a bit of a coincidence. To return to the Tower when he was at his worst, so close to a breaking point. It started to feel like it really wasn't.

Her head nods in agreement as he talks, a ghost of a smile flickering across her features at the mention of Rusty. It had been so very weird, having two of him in the Tower and lets not forget to mention that doppelganger of his with that flying monster-thing. Releasing one of his hands, she arm raised, all fingers but the index curled into her palm. That finger wiggled just slightly as she talked.

"Not necessarily go back, but an adaptation of it. I remember how utterly ruthless you were, Reno, and I saw a bit of that just a second ago. If you go that far you risk scaring the kids. Only go that far when you are sure that it can be effective - and if they're around, I'll get them out of the way."

Because they were a team; partners in crime hell bent in returning the pain and agony triple fold. She would cover his back no matter the situation, just as she was sure he would cover hers. Her body mirrors his movement, though instead of leaning forward she's leaning back, mouth trying hard to not be as amused as he was and struggling.

"You're damn right I would. And it won't be the fun kind of punishment either. I will not tolerate you going out and doing things on your own anymore. Understood, mister?" Her finger pushes at his chest for extra emphasis, the struggle to keep from smiling finally won; she was in fact smirking despite the seriousness of her warning.

[midgarhorizon]

"Yeah, but so what. It's in the past, and we got a whole new world of problems here, literally." Not bothered by the fact he had let it slip through earlier, Reno just shook his head slightly. "I've been getting off my game in this shit hole. It's about time I scared people."

But when she made that threat, her little finger making a mark in the fabric of the shirt, he changed agian.

"Is that a fact?" A soundless snicker shook his chest, his voice suddenly cold and flat. He stepped just a tiny bit closer, pulling that visor down over his eyes again. This time, though, he was just faking it, acting out a part like he had so many times, just to troll her again. Though, internally, he agreed with her. The kids didn't need to see this side of him, the part that had been buried with the journal Shion now kept.

Grabbing at her finger, he held it still against his chest. "I'll make a promise not to, but only if you do." Because she had this bad habit of doing that, and getting herself into trouble when he wasn't looking. If they were going to pull together on this, he damn well wanted to be sure no unexpected side tracks were made. Even though he'd made her promise this last time, he wasn't about to let her get away without pledging it, too.

[provenworth]

"Which is exactly why we don't need to create more problems if we don't have to." Breathing an Exasperated sigh, eyes closed for a brief moment before reopening. "You can scare them all you want, Reno. I'm not trying to get in the way of that. Just be sure your focused on the right target."

She considered stepping backwards when he came towards her, her finger still pressed against his chest, causing the bend in her elbow to tighten. But there was that underlying level of defiance that demanded that she could not - would not - give in no matter who the aggressor was. It was also equally important to let him know that even if he were to turn against her - a very real risk in the Tower - that she had no problem standing up to him if needed.

"It is."

His hand around her finger earns a little shudder, not so much from the touch but the fact that his hands were still wrapped in leather. And, Odin's beard, she hated the touch of leather. But she doesn't move, doesn't push his hand away. Instead, she stares up at the red of the visor, her expression calm and serious.

"I want more than a promise, Reno. Give me your word - no secrets, no surprises, total disclosure - and I'll give you mine."

Because last time had been a total clusterfuck. Better to have a little more organization this time around.

[midgarhorizon]

The intensity suddenly became real at her condition. A quiet breath, barely audible escaped through his nose in a huff. She could be really a big pain in the ass at times, that hadn't changed a bit since she became a rookie. Only now, she was getting way too smart.

"All right." The tone mellowed out just a little bit, but just as quiet as it had been before, and even more serious. A touch of sarcasm edged right in when he added, "Total disclosure then, sweetheart."

That meant telling her everything, from his general idea to every single bit of plans he had made so far, and would make while he was camped out down here. The least of them were daunting to pull off, the worst probably impossible.

"I'll tell you all about my fun time hangin' out with three kooks and a madman in that room, but just not now. I get the feelin' you want me to tell ya more about my plans. I'm fine with that, but it's more than just showing Them who we are. I'm going to war, 'Laney. I'm going to take this place apart at the seams, piece by piece, with my bare hands if I got to. And I'm gonna fuckin' laugh when I do it. Details to follow. Remind me to give you the dirty low down on what happened with Ganondorf later."

Shifting his hand on her finger, he rubbed the leather against her skin, even though he knew it bothered it. A little attempt at getting her comfortable with it, because he'd be wearing this uniform for a while. His head tilted to the side, his eyes under the visor drifting to the fog outside, and he grinned in his usual lopsided manner.

"Your turn." As if she hadn't already gotten into trouble. He knew better.

[provenworth]

A pain in the ass who knows that's exactly what she's doing and is being so for that very purpose. Because being a Turk meant you were also a touch stubborn and sometimes you had to go for those low blows to get any sort of agreement when the other party was clearly not up for it. The grin that forms is pleased and a touch on the cocky side. She'd gotten him to agree and that was no easy victory. Hell, he'd even called her 'sweetheart'.

"I was wondering just what was going on over there. Granted, I had my own hands full trying to keep Shion calm but - well - that didn't end to well." Losing the ability to use one of her arms and then, later, her voice hadn't done anything to calm the boy. And then everything just went to hell after that. It was an incident she was more than willing to forget. "Only if you feel the details are important enough to share. It sounded like you all were going through hell."

Paying attention to what he was saying was a touch difficult, what with the feeling of leather rubbing along her skin. Elena's not an idiot and knows exactly what he was doing. She hated leather. Period. The thoughts and connections that came with it deeply imbedded. But if he was going to be in this getup, she ought to at least try and get through being touched by it. Hell, it might prove a useful resistance in the near future.

"Well...." She hasn't gotten into too much trouble, no. Just...made some interesting new friends. What are negative luck stats anyway? "I've not had too much happen on my end yet, save for two rather interesting encounters my first day. I ran into Ganon in the hallways; I don't think he totally believed my act, but who knows? We didn't say much to each other. Sephiroth, however..."

That had been the embarrassing elevator ride from hell.

"He didn't buy my teenage schoolgirl routine either. I noticed that he had a chemistry book in his hand. I'm inclined to think he's working on something; I'm just not sure what. And I don't think its wise that we tail him to find out either. That didn't work well last time and I'm not eager to get run through again."

[midgarhorizon]

Oh, it was easy getting him to agree to that. In fact, the last thing he wanted to do was piss her off right now, and 'sides, he didn't mind agreeing with her; he had already planned on sharing everything. It was part of his new policy. She meant everything to him, so he'd tell her everything.

But this is a terrifying expression, though, just thinking about that hell of 5-14. Just the set of his mouth spoke of bloodthirsty murderous intention, teeth slightly clenched. "Let's just say, one asshole is going to get working over of his life. Fucker got me injured by playing around with the phantoms, he got Xion injured by the phantoms. Then he opened his fat yap and got us all killed. Xion killed. You better believe I'm goin' to enjoy that."

Van had been easily the greatest agitator in that room, and it was with no small satisfaction he remembered clearly kicking Van where it hurt most; even savored it now after all that pain of being hauled through the air and smashed to a pulp against the other bodies. That would be one of the first things they did as a team; hunt that bastard down.

At the mention of Ganondorf and Sephiroth, the leather on skin rubbing stopped, releasing her finger and straightening his posture out into his normal slouch. Great, now he had a totally new reason to be upset. Not responding right away, he thought quickly before deciding to be slightly irritated. "Elena, up till now I've managed to keep a low profile, and I don't think either of 'em realize I'm back in the Tower. If Ganondorf sniffs around you, he's gonna pick up me. As for Sephiroth, he's more of a mixed bag. I don't like the idea he's up to something, but we don't have to follow him. Someone's got to know something, just got to go on reconnaisance. Long as he isn't building a megabomb."

Though, there was no way in hell he was going to trust her with a mission like that after that snafu with the record tapes. He hadn't much time getting over that when she told him, before he was catapulted back to the remains of Gaia and allowed to drift. He was still sure as hell sore over it, but kept telling himself it had been one of the whims of the Tower. It was better left to someone else, who Sephiroth didn't know had a connection to the Turks. Just who they'd send on that mission, he didn't know, but that would come with time and careful planning.

"You stay away from him." Even though he knew forbidding her was a lost cause. Some way or another she would get it in her head it was necessary for whatever reason, but... was that a jealous boyfriend speaking? He'd deny it forever that it bothered him. Sure, they were married, but it was starting to feel like something to be kept secret, hidden, only for those moments where they were utterly, completely alone. Out here on the other side, it was dangerous advertising that...

Turk parents are the best parents

[provenworth]

"WHAT?!" Death was a given in the Tower and the incident with the explosion has been a trial. Her room had been more or less relaxed, trying to find a way to get out. To hear that there was an instigator in the room next door - where part of her family was trapped - and had caused the unnecessary torture and killing of those trapped with him. "That son of a bitch..."

She wasn't going tell him not to go after him. In fact, the very idea of returning the favor sounded...oddly delightful. She did so much like the color red and it was a pretty color against her fair complexion. The movement of leather stopped, earning a raised eyebrow. When it became clear the cause, her jaw set itself firmly, teeth nearly biting into her tongue.

"I didn't seek them out, Reno." She almost sounds insulted, both hands withdrawing to wrap loosely around opposite biceps. As if he were saying that her actions - inadvertent and unavoidable - was putting him at risk. Which, on the list of things she had every intention of not doing, that was at the very top. "It was by accident that we crossed paths. For all I know maybe they did buy the getup. I'm not stupid enough to go chasing after either of them and I sure as hell don't want to get caught on the same floor as them. If it helps, both seemed pretty uninterested in me."

Tapping the toe of her shoe against the ground, eyes moved to the doorway into the lounge, body rocking back to put just a little extra space between them. The fact that he had been given this uniform meant there was a good opportunity available. It didn't look right for she - who was still identifiable to many - to be standing so close to him - who was hardly recognizable at all. But, even if it made sense, it still felt...weird. Like they were supposed to play strangers for the majority of the time with pockets of actually being able to be themselves in the safety and security behind locked doors.

That didn't sit too well with her, now that she thought about it. Surely there was going to be some sort of strain on their relationship - or was that the worried, insecure spouse talking in her ear? They came into this knowing there was going to be trials and struggles. This was surely going to be one of them. Feet kept her moving, turning slowly to face away from him, letting the gap grow. They'd been lucky to not be seen so far; luck that would surely run out soon.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Even if he hadn't all out ordered her to avoid the man, she had plenty of intentions to keep her distance. As curious as she was about just what Sephiroth was up to, what was in that book that he found so fascinating, she had no inclination to chase after him for the information. Not when he had given her that look. The one that promised a good deal of pain if she got in his way again. "But we do need somebody who can keep an eye on him, just in case."

[midgarhorizon]

"You leave that to me. I've got a plan. Or will have one soon." Frowning, he didn't move to stop her from drifting away, shoving both hands inside his pockets. " I don't give a shit what stands in my way. I'm going to recruit people, starting today. I already got someone in mind. But let me figure out what to do about Sephiroth. If ya want, I'll leave the task of finding out where that guy is staying to you, and make contact with Xion's friends. They weren't too pleased with the asshole either, so they might help ya out there."

It sucked being the leader. He hated having to pretend to know everything at every moment, and make plans instantly for every occasion. It made him wonder how the hell Veld and Tseng did it. Reno had never gotten that training... he had been up for it, and started it, but never had the time to finish it. All he could do was his best, and use them for his examples, but inside it felt like he was just mimicking the surface instead of operating the inside machinery.

Watching her slightly form in front of him drifting away though, just taking all of her in at once, it made his heart ache a little. If they weren't careful, their luck would run out when that countdown did. Either they would die, or they would return to their own universes. Places where they weren't quite the same, where his Elena would be two years younger than this one and more inexperienced. Where he felt guilty even glancing at her as more than a friend. Guilty for taking advantage of the mentor student relationship they had left off. His own universe. Hah. Just a place in which time and distance counted and they were kept apart by circumstance and practicality.

Sometimes, Reno wished he wasn't so damned practical.

"Elena... ...sorry. Sometimes I forget you aren't the rookie I left behind. ...guess I should trust in you more."

[provenworth]

"Its all yours. Consider my hands clean of the whole situation."

Each step that took her further seemed heavier, slower than the last. She turns slightly, looking at him over her shoulder. But it was important to maintain the images - though only one other person in the whole Tower might recognize Reno's uniform. And that person was certainly not in a position to want to dig too deeply - at least she hoped not.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll keep an eye out as well for any potential recruits. In the meantime, I'll be sure to get a bead on the idiot who dared to hurt you and Xion." For the briefest of seconds her expression was cruel, calculating; promising of very uncomfortable and painful things for her intended target. And then in a flash its gone, replaced with a look of indifference. "I'll find him quicker than it takes to finish a Chocobo race at the Golden Saucer."

Passing behind the back of a chair, she stopped and turned to face him, hands resting against the fabric of the seat. Hair brushed against her cheek when her head tilted, corner of her mouth pulled into a grin. He had been right, last time they'd become so wrapped up in just trying to survive and deal with the horrors the Tower threw their way that they both had forgotten who they were. What they could do, given the right resources. The challenges that lay ahead were numerous and ominous and she couldn't wait to get started.

"Yes you should, but its all right. I'll admit I've forgotten who I was as well. So just...give me a chance to show you what I can do. You'll see." The grin pulls a bit more. "But in the meantime, I think its best that I get moving and start my investigation. Since, you know, its not a very smart idea to be all alone with a big, bad stranger."

Have the most over-dramatic wink before she turns with just enough speed to cause the edge of her skirt to float an inch higher on the thigh. A hand stays at the small of her back, close to her weapon, the other giving a wave as she heads for the door. "Stay out of trouble, handsome. I'll be in contact."

o/

[midgarhorizon]

Reno watched her leave, eyes undecipherable underneath the red glass. Her grin gave him a thrill down his back, knowing exactly what sort of revenge she would want to take on the man. She was a huge tease, trying to get to him like that. Thankfully, he managed to look unflappable over top of the inner turmoil. No need to worry her.

"Good luck." Carefully neutral, already fitting into the parts they would play, he waited until she had left completely before a huge lopsided grin broke out. He meant it, too; they would all need good luck with them to survive the upcoming months, but there was no reason to focus solely on work.

Nobody else had a woman as fine as she, and damned if he wasn't going to enjoy it once in a while, for as long as it lasted.