Edge, Friday Evening

[raspberryturk]

It was one of those rare nights that Reno had managed to score all to himself, off-duty, with not a single reason to worry about Tseng calling him in out of the blue to do some urgent mission or another. Why? Because Rude had the night off, too, and Tseng knew better than to try to call Reno in when Rude would do the job just as well, and without whining about it.

And so, there he was, sprawled backwards on the couch (and doing an admirable job of ignoring the busted springs in his back) and staring up at the ceiling, contemplating where in the world he was supposed to go from here and the obstacles on his way to wherever that turned out to be.

"Winter's coming, yo." He paused, and then, with a faint smirk on his lips, he added, "Fehdan'c lusehk."

At the very least, it wasn't as though he'd be making the trip alone.

[For that girl who speaks the funny language. And sure, open for phone calls or whatever, if you'd like.]

Comments

[withoutverona]

"Ah, but that would be details," Romeo said, half-playful. "The question is if I can convince my father he wants to support the training of teachers in a developing country, purely to feed his hungry ego. I would wager I could."

[raspberryturk]

Reno was now tapping his foot against the wall, eyebrows raised, thinking over the possibilities, there.

"... Think we could set your old man up in negotiations with Reeve Tuesti, the brains behind the World Regenesis Organization? I mean, if you figure ego'd be enough to figure into it, Reeve would be the guy to talk to, yo. He's sorta... the one in charge of damn near everything, so long as it involves puttin' the world back together, zoto."

Even if Reeve did have a weird fetish for anthropomorphic cat dolls.

[withoutverona]

"We could try," Romeo said. "Can Reeve talk around religious differences?"

Charity was Godly, but charity that helped Catholics, or Catholics to be, would be a lot easier to sell.

[raspberryturk]

Reno frowned a little at that.

"Religious differences how? I mean, I got no doubt the guy can use tact, if that's what you mean. He was head of city planning for ShinRa back when Midgar was still standin', yo."

It was more that, well, Reno didn't have the slightest clue where to start figuring out religion. It hadn't exactly done him any favors, over the years. And religions on other planets weren't likely to be anything similar to the ones on his own.

[withoutverona]

"Tact will help," Romeo reassured him. "My father will want to talk about priests. If he can nod and sound reassuring, it would help."

He frowned into the phone. His father calling someone wasn't really what he had in mind. "Is there anything I can do while we wait on my father and Reeve?"

[raspberryturk]

Reno leaned his head back and wriggled around a bit, trying to dislodge a spring from his shoulder. Stupid couch, anyhow.

"The question is more, what isn't there to do?" He sighed. "Helps that people ain't sick in the streets of the stigma no more, at least. We probably need hospitals anyhow. Rikku managed to get the WRO to slap together a vehicle that runs on ethanol, but we can't afford to give up food here for the sake of gettin' 'em to run, and I ain't no politician, so I gotta figure out if there's anyone who can set up decent trade routes with someplace that can..."

Reno could go on all day about the things that needed doing.

The things that he was actually capable of, on the other hand, were somewhat on the limited side.

[withoutverona]

"Limit thyself to things I might do in Tokyo," Romeo suggested, as the things he was capable of were even more limited. "I can send things, I can buy things, I could ... possibly get people in Midgar to do my classwork..."

[raspberryturk]

Reno gave a little snort, at that.

"I think they'd appreciate things bein' bought more'n gettin' the unique opportunity to do your homework for you," he pointed out. "But if you feel like you gotta buy things... Books. How-to manuals, for... I dunno. Construction, maybe. Or books on law. Edge needs laws that are totally different from the shit that ShinRa came up with. American laws might be a good place to start."

Not that they'd grab on and take off with a gusto, but the least he could do would be leave it on Reeve's desk and hope that it would be flipped through, at least once.

[withoutverona]

"My homework is a growth industry," Romeo said, mock self-importantly. "I'll put law books and books on the trades into my next box for you, though."

[raspberryturk]

"I appreciate it," Reno chuckled. "Mechanics, too, stuff like that. Any sorta shit that'll come in handy if you toss it at a bunch'a guys who went from sittin' at a desk for a livin' to watchin' the world fall down."

A pause.

"I think about the only guy in Edge who can get away with sittin' at a friggin' desk now is Tseng."

Reno did not envy Tseng his job in the least.

[withoutverona]

Nor did Romeo. "I wouldn't want to sit at a desk, if it meant being Tseng."

[raspberryturk]

"I gotta say, man, I hope Tseng lives forever. Because I'm the next in line for his job."

Do. Not. Want.

[withoutverona]

"I'll pray for his health each night," Romeo promised. "Rude couldn't take it...?"

[raspberryturk]

"That'd make me the shittiest partner ever, man, fobbin' that off on Rude."

And anyhow, it would be difficult for Rude to give orders, if Rude refused to speak in order to do so. Which wouldn't be a problem for Reno, but Elena wasn't a mind-reader, right? Right.

"Nah. If I get it, I got it. I just got no clue what I'd do with it, yo."

[withoutverona]

"He'd be just as bad a partner for fobbing it off on you," Romeo said. "If it came, I would have faith in you. You would do what you had to. You would do your best."

[raspberryturk]

"Eh, I couldn't hold it against Rude, anyhow. I got the rank, yo. Bein' Tseng's second-in-command kinda means it's on my head, anyhow." Reno shrugged, even if that gesture wasn't audible over the phone. "Whatever the case might be, I guess I'd do the job. Done it before when we thought the Director was dead, after all."

Twice, now. Tseng did that 'probably dead' thing entirely too often.

"There's somethin' else to add to the list, man. 'Runnin' a Trio of Misplaced Almost-Mercs. For Dummies.'"

They totally had that book out there somewhere, right?

[withoutverona]

"I might have to order that from the Internet," Romeo said.

[raspberryturk]

"If you can find a copy, get two," Reno chuckled. "I might have to give one to Tseng just because, yo."

He was really, really hoping that 'take the stick out of your ass' was somewhere on page one.