(no subject)

[midgarhorizon]

Characters: Reno, and you
Setting: See prompts!
Format: Either/or
Summary: Going hunting, going tanning, infirmary hopping, letter writin', memory viewing
Warnings: Talk about tanning animal hides, sort of gross and if you're squeamish probably should skip the tanning prompt.


Early December, any day in the late afternoon, Tanning Leather, Workshop

---

Hunting was a laborious process even in the Tower, especially considering what was being hunted. Reno had a short list of the kind of monsters that were easily killed and harmless for tanning purposes. Most of the time, he's on Floor 32 however, being easier to hunt in with the cover it provided, and if he managed to run across an animal, that was just extra food for the family.

The chill was sharp now, every day he went out he was thankful for the leather cloak Xion had made as a prototype. He didn't have a thermometer or anything to measure the temperature except experience, but he could tell each day got a little colder, and if this was how things were going to keep going, they would see bad weather pretty shortly. That's just how Decembers went.

Still, the cold was enough to have him bringing someone along on these hunting trips now, for the extra help he needed getting the tanning afterward done or the bagged meat to the industrial kitchen. And he was enjoying the company after so many weeks of doing missions alone.

---

Early December, any day in the late afternoon, Tanning Leather, Industrial Kitchen

---

Tanning leather was gross. Really gross. Despite talking with Xion about it before, he decided to do it himself before handing the leather over to her because he found the quicker the hides got processed, the better they turned out. That meant hours instead of days, but at least the process wasn't as hard as he thought it'd be. A book on the subject taken from the library had taught him animals could be used to tan their own hides... if you didn't mind using the brains. The problem was instead of being able to use the Workshop, the industrial kitchen was way better suited to store the parts and other things necessary for the process. The brains had to be stored until he cooked them down to a soup for rubbing into the hide, and then the hide itself had to be stored for a few days, then smoked.

Hauling brains and hides around the Tower wasn't easy when you were trying to keep the gross off of your clothes, though.

Still, Reno was used to gore and even had a system to tan the damn things even after a really successful hunting trip that netted him three or four at a time. Making tanning racks hadn't been all that hard, and a flat bladed knife made a passable scraper. He had a section in the refrigerator set aside for the materials and even used the kitchen's smoker to full advantage. Any meat he managed to get went right into the Turk's stores in the freezer.

---

December 6th, Late Afternoon, 1-04, Roommate/Vistor Shenans?

---

Today, he really just needed a break. A rest from all the hunting and tanning and everything else. He'd never liked the cold. It seemed to sap his energy and drive from him, even way back when things had been normal and Midgar still existed and the Turks were in the good graces of Shinra. His bed had entirely new sheets and blankets on it, a welcome change to the bloody ones Gilles had created with his bullfairy surprise recipe. It was nice just laying in bed, thinking for once.

Vacations were rare and hard to come by, and it was sort of odd but he found himself wanting more to just sit and sleep than do something fun like go to the sauna or to the media room. Maybe it was just a reflection of getting older. He sure as hell wasn't twenty-three anymore, but being in your prime didn't mean recovering wasn't getting harder. Still, time was precious before the big End, and Reno used it to pen a couple of letters to his family on a piece of board sitting on his lap.

---

December 8th, Morning, Floor 100

---

On his way down to the kitchen for breakfast, Reno paused on this floor. He wasn't sure why, and even less sure why he stepped out on to this floor completely. The last time he had been here, it had shown him a world he didn't really want to see anymore. Something to taunt and mock him.

This time, it was different. The holograms had changed from Midgar to another city, one just as familiar, but held a note of nostalgia inside the walls and golden gleam. Junon stood proudly facing the ocean, taunting those who would try to destroy her with the immense cannon jutting out from her center. It wasn't the Junon of modern day, where the cannon had been removed and set up in Midgar, or even the Junon of recent day, when it had been complete.

Junon, as Reno remembered her when he lived there so long ago, the walls still incomplete and the cannon still only a shell of a dream. The red streamers hanging from every building bore the name of the company, a salute to Rufus's father. The ocean glittered with the sun overhead, and the breeze made the streamers flap and shimmer.

Awkward, Reno stood in the middle of the street, one hand on his hip and the other tugging at his mouth, wanting to leave, yet strangely compelled to stay. Was this... that day?

---

December 9th, Morning, Upper Levels, Mapping

---

The winter season meant there was less time for normal missions, but this was an important thing and Reno wasn't happy to find he actually had to go out of his way to find a day to go map the upper levels. This time, he wasn't alone, which he was just as glad for, because these floors he wasn't quite as familiar with, and if anything, the fox tales that still waved behind him reminded just how unfamiliar he was...

Standing on the staircase, Reno looked over some of the maps he had done already, trying to decide which one to do next. "So, whatcha think? Got any ideas what floor we should try next?"

---

December 10th, Early morning, Infirmary

---

It was his own damn fault he hadn't looked where he stepped, and he was pretty lucky it was just a flesh wound, but it was still enough to get him to hobble to the infirmary for a dressing. The little shadow blob seemed to laugh in his attempts to remove the blasted thing from the living, if it even was living, which made him more annoyed than anything. His foot was going to be sore for a few days.

That didn't really explain why he was covered in blood head to toe, however. The stains were going to be a pain in the ass to get out of his clothes...

Grumping to himself, he marched around the infirmary, ignoring whatever worker units that were there, grabbing up some supplies. Anti-biotics, bandages, and some tape. Plopping down in a chair, he examined the damage and made a face when he realized it wasn't so much his foot as it was his ankle. His shoe suffered some damage but nothing that couldn't be fixed or glued together. Annoying, definitely, and something of a setback while he waited for it to heal...

---

Comments

Hunting

[heartismyown]

Since seeing the strange vision in the cafeteria, Roxas was itching to explore the tower more. He wasn't too concerned about the dangers, after all he wasn't defenseless.

As he stepped off the staircase on the 32nd floor, he looked around. The first thing he noticed was the drop in temperature. It had been getting steadily colder, and it was because of this he couldn't abandon his clothing, despite the fact it looked like he'd been in a bloodbath.

He was about to see if he could find a warmer floor, absently rubbing his arms, when he spotted Reno. His eyes narrowed a bit as he thought. He looked familiar. Wasn't he the person with Xion when he arrived?

Roxas decided he was certain he was, and waved a bit, calling out to him. "Hi!"

[midgarhorizon]

It's definitely the same guy, since Reno recognized him immediately and smiled. "Hey, Roxas." Reno was just setting down some supplies near by, a bucket with a knife, rope, and other various things he used in hunting. His weapon was out and extended, and kept on a rope around his wrist just in case. "Ya down here for some hunting?"

[heartismyown]

"Hi um..." He paused. "I forgot your name."

Roxas rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish. He crossed the distance between them to check out what Reno was up to.

"Hunting? What's that?"

[THE BIG KITCHEN/let's say this is the 8th]

[bloodyashes]

[And there's no point in letting the meat from all those animals go to waste - Reno might have noticed the last few days that someone's been cleaning the meat he leaves behind, and even adding a bit more to the stockpile in the freezer, all neatly wrapped in wax paper. His own cloak hangs off a cupboard door a ways away from the work space - no need to risk getting that dirt if he doesn't have to, and the warmth of the various kitchen appliances is plenty for him.

If it does get too cold, he turns the oven on and leaves the door standing open for a while. That usually does plenty.

He's not particularly worried about getting blood and guts on his long gloves - unlike Reno's clothes, Asch's uniform was basically designed to deal with this, although it was (he observes morbidly) more intended for the blood of people than animals. Keeps his fingers warm when they're not elbow-deep in a deer, though, he can't ask for more than that.

He hefts a deer carcass onto a hook and leaves it to drip blood over a floor drain for a while, turning towards the sound of Reno coming in.]

Wondered who was leaving all those flanks in the freezer.

[He shakes a bit of the blood free from his fingers and goes over to close the oven - it's plenty warm in the kitchen for right now.]

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno's a bit late to the kitchen for breakfast, having gotten distracted on the way down. Having not had time to butcher the last kill of his, he's a bit shocked to walk in on Asch with his hands already inside it. Wait... was that his? He can't really tell, there's a lot of mess, well, everywhere...

It makes him almost forget the three or four bullfairies he caught coming down the stairs. He isn't sure because one was missing all of its legs when he put it out of its misery. What? Gilles did it, so they must be safe to eat.

And all the blood. Geez, Asch.]

Well, I did say we were doin' hunting missions, but the hell are ya doing, Asch?

[More curious than accusatory, really. He sets the bullfairies down on the counter near the bloody mess left over from the butchering.]

Not that I'm complainin'... man, you're a sight.

[bloodyashes]

If you're going to hunt it, you've still got to prepare it before you can eat it.

[This ought to be obvious, Reno - surely you're not going to try eating something of the Tower's straight out of the skin. Asch goes to the sink and turns the water on warm, grabbing one of the knives at his side to rinse the blood off.]

And it's a hell of a lot less messy if you drain things before trying to cut into them.

[The blood doesn't even seem to bother him, although Asch is careful to wash his fingers before pushing his bangs out of his face - they're starting to get long enough that he needs to either trim them or invest in hairpins. Probably the latter, given how stubborn he is.]

Floor 32, Dec. 12th

[rebelprince]

Really the most annoying part is the cold. Zuko had gone for long periods of time without bending before, but he'd always had that inner fire to keep him warm, at least to a point. Being brought down to 'normal' was jarring.

"What are we looking for?"

[midgarhorizon]

"Anything with a good hide, or looks like it'd be tasty. If ya spot anything that looks like a teal deer though, let me know so we can run." One encounter with those things had Reno firmly place the weird deer firmly in the "avoid" column.

"You got any skill with bows, Zuko? I got an extra one in my tools." He'd seen the kid's skill with the swords, it isn't that surprising if he had bows and other weapons under his belt, too. Education hardly ever meant one weapon only. "I brought an extra cloak, too, if ya need it."

Infirmary

[savedbyasong]

Shion had came for more supplies, now that he had something to carry them in thanks to Reno. He had just come to the mailroom, and was planning to go up to find Reno afterwards to get the reports. But it turned out he didn't need to look far for his adopted father. His eyes flashed panic when he saw Reno covered in blood.

"What did you do?" He practically squeaked as he went to his side, batting away any of Reno's attempts to help himself and grabbing some extra supplies from the shelves around him.

[midgarhorizon]

Surprised, he stared at Shion for a moment before bursting into laughter. The poor guy must have thought Reno went crazy...

[savedbyasong]

Pretty much. His face twisted in concern and he began to peer into Reno's eyes, checking for signs of awareness.

December 8th, Morning, Floor 100

[oathshackledbird]

To say that there has been a lot on Diarmuid's mind lately would be an understatement. That is why, no one who knows him would be surprised to find him spending his free time on Floor 100. The image of his homestead as always been comforting to him, a bastion of peace in all the chaos in the Tower. He tends to go early in the morning, since the floor is usually empty then. That is not the case today, though.

For a few moments, he considers leaving and coming back later so that Reno can be left in peace with his thoughts. After all, he still thinks it was a rare moment of luck that Reno hadn't decided to hate him after he pushed the other man so far that day on the bar floor. Still, despite that, Diarmuid finds himself walking forward to stand quietly at the red-head's side. He doesn't say anything, though, just stares out at floor, frowning slightly, when he notices a flicker.

It would be easy to dismiss the flicker as a glamour glitch, but Diarmuid knows it's not. Nothing else is being affected. Not his powers, not his bond to Waver, nothing. So what is the cause? And what might that slight flicker away from his homestead to something else be? It's not like Diarmuid has had the chance to find a new favorite place, after all. He's just been in the Tower.

What is going on?

[midgarhorizon]

For a second, it's almost like Reno hadn't noticed someone coming up to stand next to him, so absorbed in the scene and trying to place the exact day in his mind, that he doesn't comment on Diarmuid's presence at first. Until the next moment when he blinks.

"Dee?" That was a side effect of their conversation by letter. "What do ya see here?"

[oathshackledbird]

"I suppose that is better than Diar," Diarmuid turns to smile at Reno for a moment, before turning his gaze back out at the floor. "Most of the time, I see my homestead from back when I first lived. It is a very comforting sight. Not only does it remind me of the place where I raised my children and lived the closet I ever came to a normal life, but it also stretches back into the forest behind my home and gives me just enough so that I can pretend I am walking the forests of my homeland again. There is a reason I come here whenever I really need to try and sort things out in my mind. From what I have heard from others, I am lucky. Not everyone's favorite spot brings them such peace and comfort."

floor 32

[fionnuisce]

"I should point out you're essentially hunting with the equivalent of a college professor." Waver remarked dryly, pulling the cloak Enoch had made a little closer around his shoulders. Even as he offered that complaint, the lecturer was unfolding a short knife; the only non-magical weapon he had.

"That is to say, I'm not particularly skilled in this area even with magecraft."

[midgarhorizon]

"That's why you're down here, stop bein' so grumpy." Reno is nothing if not direct, though he tried to hide a grin at Waver's discomfort with the situation. "I won't make ya shoot things, but it ain't easy filling a walk in freezer with meat alone, y'know. If ya happen to pick up a few things along the way, that's just bonus." And as casual as you please, he pulled the bow off his arm, knocked it, and let the arrow fly into the forest. There was the sound of a thunk, and Reno mumbled a curse. "Tch, missed."

[fionnuisce]

"If I was 'grumpy', you'd be painfully aware of it." Waver remarked with an irritated roll of his eyes before looking off in the direction Reno's wayward arrow had gone.

"Also, if you're hoping I'll be impressed by your hunting skills? So far I find myself underwhelmed."

kitchen

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer coughs a few times as he steps on this floor. The fumes from the tanning are really irritating his nose.]

Whoa, never thought I'd see anyone take up tanning leather here.

[It's a simpler setup than what he's used to, but the Tower limited one's supplies to begin with. Still, he can recognize the process]

What's it for?

[midgarhorizon]

Xion's project. The sewing room didn't have any real leather, so I started makin' some for her.

[The kitchen is pretty warm by this time from all the boiling and the smokers that were finishing off the process on some larger pieces, so Reno isn't wearing his cloak. Looking around, he pulled it out from under an island counter, holding it up.]

She made this one.

Kitchen - 9th?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick is thankful that he's stopped having to stalk around as a cat to avoid his retrieval unit, because if he had to walk into here with as sensitive a nose as Rusty's he would have been sick. Why are there animal skins hanging around? What does Reno need him for in here? He doesn't expect him to cook these, does he?]

[Nose crinkled, Rick carefully navigates his way through the tanning racks, passing them very confused looks along the way.]

...R-Reno...?

[midgarhorizon]

[Reno's pretty cheerful, using a stick to make some sort of goopy soup in a pot.]

Hey Rick. How's your training?

[And riiight to the thing Rick probably most didn't want to hear.]

Floor 32

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias had been looking for Reno, but internally facepalmed when he realized he was on that floor. He didn't enter into the level itself - instead just watching from the stairs.

[midgarhorizon]

At least Reno is perceptive and looks around from time to time, otherwise he may not have noticed Tobias at first.

"Hey. How's things?"

Drawing closer, Reno figures the reason he's not actually on the floor yet is because of the powers thing.

Industrial Kitchen, Tanning Afternoon, uhmm...11th?

[seventhsong]

The smell of tanning is absolutely unholy. There was a reason tanneries were often put downwind of towns and as far away as possible without being inconvenient, and the stench was distinctive enough to grab Lorelei's attention as he passed.

And then stepped inside. The operation Reno has going on is pretty extensive for just one person. He doesn't say anything right away, just watching the entire setup with vague surprise. Maybe Reno was just exceptionally ambitious.

"..Do you want any of them to keep their fur on?" Leather was good, pelts could be warmer. It was a slightly different method, but each had benefits.

[midgarhorizon]

"Just the rabbits." Then Reno did a double take, realizing it was Asch's friend, the one that didn't know what death was. Knowing that the guy was pretty much equivalent to a Planet's consciousness made him slightly uncomfortable. It was like having Minerva suddenly appear on his floor. "...haven't really tested out the fur method yet."