raspberryturk | Middle of Nowhere, Gaia, Saturday Night Fandom Time

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Middle of Nowhere, Gaia, Saturday Night Fandom Time

Reno stared at the little sphere in his hand, squinting hard at it. It had almost killed him to get this damn thing, this stupid fucking piece of doomsday that AVALANCHE - the real AVALANCHE - had been so hell-bent on getting their mitts on. And he hadn't told Tseng yet. Hadn't really told anybody but the Rookie.

He had a little piece of the end of the world, the beginning of the end of the Turks, right there in his hand. Shit, he was still bleeding on the damn thing. Or maybe that blood belonged to the Ravens he'd taken down to get it.

AVALANCHE would notice it was missing before long. They'd send someone to investigate and they'd find blood and footprints and the telltale smoke and ozone smell of thundaga in the air. And he'd be long gone by the time that happened. He looked down at the corpse of the Raven on the ground. He spat on it as the body began to fade.

And then he picked up his phone and placed two calls. One to Portalocity, telling them to send a portal to a location that was a good ten minutes away on foot, if he ran like hell. And, as he was running like hell, he placed a second call.

Now the mission was out of his hands and over to Iris.

[OOC: For one!]

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Trust me, I don't plan on it, yo. Bleh.

Seriously. Absolutely siblings at most.

"Oh, come now, I hadn't had that many martinis," he laughed, tripping along after her.

"You say that, but I remember the surfboard incident," she chided, as they joined the group waiting for the tour. "I have photographic proof, darling."

"You said you'd deleted those photos!" He reached out to give her a playful shove of the shoulder, barely a tap, in all. "I can't trust anything you say now, can I?"

She laughed gaily.

"But it's so much fun!" she protested. "I deleted most of them--I only kept a few, truly, for... personal uses."

"I do hope you're not referring to blackmail, my love," Reno admonished. "I shall have to refrain from ever doing anything fun again."

A pause.

"Right after I'm finished this martini."

"And the tour," she said, giggling and leaning into him. "Look, is that the tour guide? My, he's handsome!"

Reno sniffed as he leaned back and inspected the tour guide.

"He's alright."

Jealous much?

Yes, but that's why she'd said it.

"Don't be like that, darling," Ino reassured him gaily. "He has nothing on you."

Careful, we'll have to kiss to soothe my hurt ego if we keep that one up, yo.

And that was weird. They'd established that.

"Well, good." He made a big production of looking the tour guide up and down, and then returned his attention to his martini. "I do set a rather high bar, don't I?"

The tour guide looked faintly uncomfortable.

The poor tour guide!

"Most of the time," Ino allowed, teasing just a little more. She couldn't help it. That much was pure Ino. "And even if you didn't, you'd still be my favourite."

That was... probably a lie, given 'Fleur's' personality.

Don't be ridiculous. The tour's starting and, ha, the guide looks so relieved.

I'd feel bad about it, but... I don't feel bad about it.

He really didn't. At all.

"Was there ever any doubt?"

The guide started talking, trying to get his voice to carry over their chatter, and before too long, the group was on the move.

Once they were on the move, their chatter faded into the small ooohs and ahhhs that the other guests were making as they were led around to gawk at the work of art that the casino was--and, really, it was.

From the chandeliers to the sculptures to the detail work on the panelling on the walls, everything was perfect, and ridiculously, opulent.

Ino was...

Rather bored.

I hope we get to the fireworks section soon. I'm tired of making impressed noises at pictures.

I just put all of my oohs and aaahs into the paintings that show tits. Ain't nobody paying enough attention to realize I'm a pervert, yo.

Really, they weren't. Otherwise he'd be acting far more careful.

We're headin' to the roof, at least. To take in the view. We can piss off and poke at the fireworks setup there.

Or if they do notice, they'll think you've just had too many drinks.

And it wasn't like she actually cared what he did, though 'Fleur' was just doing a good job being oblivious.

And we'll be oh so contrite if we get caught!

That was the nice part of playing stupid, it really was. People believed stupid.

That's my favorite part, yo.

Because, really. Rich folks on a casino tour. It wasn't a stretch from there.

Okay, we're comin' up on the roof. I'm sure I can distract 'em long enough for you to get that bauble tucked in there, yo. Ain't like you need more'n a second anyway.

A second's fine.

She was a ninja--and a Turk. She could outspeed anyone here except Reno effortlessly and be unnoticed.

They climbed the short flight of stairs with the group--the elevator took them to the top, but the roof was another six steps up, through another doorway, and then they all spilled out into the night.

Oh, wow, the view up here really is something impressive.

Ino took a deep breath of the cool, night air and smiled up at the moon. She always had loved nights like this.

Anytime.

Reno nodded, looking for all the world like he was just nodding his simple approval at the whole scenario. And, since they were outside...

He pulled a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of his inside jacket pocket, and was just fixing to light up when--

"Sir! Sir, I'm sorry sir, but there's no smoking on the roof. It's too dangerous up here."

Reno looked utterly scandalized as the tour guide rushed to kind of usher him away from the fireworks toward the edge of the building, which was slightly safer, at least. The rest of the tour group was staring agog, half of them wondering who this idiot was who was about to light an open flame near explosives, the other ones wondering who this upstart tour guide was to scold a man who was so obviously of good breeding.

It was Ino's chance in a big way while Reno put up an argument that had no basis in reality and very little basis in sanity, but every single possible bit of grounding in privilege.

And it was amazing, really, how little a woman in a hot pink dress with spectacular hair, could fade into the background just like... that.

Ino had done her research well--she was reckless, not stupid--and knew exactly what to look for and where to hide the materia so that it wouldn't be noticed before the fireworks were set off.

The only thing--the only thing she hadn't told Reno was that, rather than one piece of doomsday materia, they were sending off two pieces.

She'd thought long and hard about it and, in the end, out of love for Jono, hadn't been able to ask him if they could use his strange daughter as a guardian of a piece of materia.

It was better of destroyed. And no one needed to know that tonight was the night two pieces were eliminated instead of one.

Her job done, Ino wandered back to the group, joining it and fretting about her poor darling, he'd only wanted a smoke, surely that wasn't so much to ask? There was so much air out here, after all.

After a bit more arguing - he was being thoughtful waiting until they were outside, and this was a casino, people were smoking everywhere, - Reno grudgingly put out the cigarette and put his lighter away.

"Very well," he sighed. "I'm certain there are far more interesting places to see than a line of fancy rockets and a glorified amusement park, anyway."

The tour guide, clearly quite nettled, just took a moment to compose himself, and then the tour continued.

"This tour's no fun," Ino said quietly, pouting a little. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were perfectly in your rights, darling."

All we have to do now is wait for showtime.

Think we'll survive the time between now and when that happens?

Reno had his doubts. But then, knowing Tseng, things were about to get a whole hell of a lot more interesting as they made their way back downstairs anyway.

We're playing rich idiots who love to gamble. I think we'll survive just fine in a casino.

What? It was true.

As the tour wound down, and they re-entered the main floor, Ino caught a glimpse of the back of Tseng's head.

Assuming we're not caught by him first.

She... didn't sound too worried about it. What was he going to do? Break his own cover?

We'll be fine here, but we're sure as hell gonna hear about this later.

Reno didn't sound too terribly concerned. After all, Tseng was a damn good shot, but he wasn't ever going to be quick enough to catch him.

I'm thinkin' we hit the tables while we wait for the show. Been a long time since I cheated some rich assholes outta their Gil, yo.

Think you've still got what it takes, old man?

She knew he did but Ino was nothing if not a brat.

As the tour broke up--the guide looking relieved to be done with the lot of them--Ino fluttered, "Did you want to go outside for a smoke now, darling?"

Hey, watch that mouth, there, Rookie.

Reno chose to pretend that 'nearly thirty' wasn't actually ancient, for a Turk.

"I have half a mind to light up right here," he groused aloud. "Thoughtfulness be damned. What utterly horrid service."

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