melodiesoflife | Everyone gets a shot

Who: Reno and You
Where: Around Aqures Ixen, etc.
When: March 1 to...
Summary: Reno reacts to the the loss of the Other Heroes, and Cid's Mognet Letter -- not to mention dealing with everyone else's reactions toward him.
Warnings: Language, surely. No others yet.

The Streets of Aqures Ixen

It had been awful. The death, the sharp pains all through his body, just like in the vision. Except it wasn't three months from now, it was yesterday. Heroes who had done their damnedest to help and do their part, had fought for six months and who had finally made it here -- gone. No warning, no nothing, just gone.

Badou was gone. They'd just found each other again, after all that time, a real face from Atia. And frankly, Reno was sick of the losing game.

He stopped walking, fists clenched. With a frustrated yell, he kicked the nearest wall.

"Cheating"

Reno had had quite a few choice words to write back to Cid after that accusation of rigging the Mognet election. Testimony? Hair? Cid was either a lying sack of shit, or someone had actually planted some very specific evidence to get Reno caught. And on his life as a Turk, Reno had been especially careful. The worst was Cid's threat to open his file on Palitutu's computer and use it against him. What kind of trial system let that sort of history in? Unrelated incidents, only meant to bias people against him, it was hardly just! Reno wasn't one to stomp his feet and whine "it's not fair," but in all honesty, this was ridiculous.

Reno could only think of one person -- or rather, one moogle -- who had had any inkling of his plans. Life was going to get a lot harder for that little four-eyed pipsqueak Reno was so lucky to call his own. In the meantime, it would seem that everyone and their mother was out to make Reno's life harder.

The Pub [Closed to Johnny]

It wasn't hard to understand the volatile feelings in Johnny's note. Reno just hoped the bigwigs got their own copies. Whether or not they could actually do something about it... well... it seemed like something more important to choke on than Mognet, or airships, or hunting T-Rex.

He didn't bother writing back. Johnny wouldn't answer that. He knew where to find the other man, and that was better. Sliding in across from the slumped over half-demon, he ordered another round. By the looks of the table, he had a lot of catching up to do.

Wildcard

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[Of course he catches the waiter's look, but there's not much he can do. Especially not when he'd be dealing with things the same way -- and was. What he could do, at least, for both himself and Johnny was take two of the shots and slide them to his side of the table.]

I'd say that's an accurate assessment a' the situation here.

[He slammed back one shot and shook his head, keeping his other hand firmly on the other glass. It certainly did seem hopeless. They were all here for a "reason," yet nobody knew what it was for sure -- if they were here to save the world, or if there presence was what was dooming it. And no one knew how to save the world anyway. They were just wandering in circles. Why not get wasted?]

[He took the other shot, only waving for the waiter to bring more. When they were safely alone again, he admitted quietly,] Yeah, I cheated. I wanted us t' have more of a connection here, information, and I wanted an actually decent candidate to make that happen. Like hell did I trust Mograma. And... if he was tryna' manipulate people t' get him into office with his promises, I was afraid more heroes would be cheating for the wrong reasons.

[He paused.] I guess I should have more faith in our comrades, if no one else cheated but Deadpool.

[Johnny listens, nodding when Reno finished. It still seemed a pointless thing to him for the most part, but he can see where Reno was coming from.]

A nobel move then, huh. Well, ya got your decent candidate anyway, I guess, so congrats.

[He lazily held up his last shot as a toast.]

That was the idea, at least.

[He motioned to Johnny's server again, who was looking more and more like he was having serious doubts about this. As far as Reno was concerned, they wouldn't have to cut Johnny off and escort him out if Reno did the rest of the drinking.]

Still kinda petty for Cid t' harp on that when we had an entire battalion of Heroes just drop dead at once.

[Or Crystallize. Or disappear. Or... nothing. Reno's eyes narrowed. He didn't understand it, and that just added to the anger and frustration of watching people die in the streets and being unable to do anything. Friends like Badou.]

[Johnny tries to suppress a pained expression at Reno mentioning that, and covers it up with drinking whatever was left he could grab.]

Yeah, fuck him too. Probably no one he knew died or disappeared.

[He folded his arms on the table and rest his head on them, but despite all the alcohol in him, Johnny couldn't seem to sit still. He was squirming uncomfortably, unable to cope with his anger and grief and confusion.]

Man, I just... Fuck this whole place. I'm so tired of each world bein' shittier than the last.

Yeah, probably not.

[It was easy to ignore even the potential of others' suffering when he was angry. He finished the last shot and slammed down the glass, frustrated that the waiter was apparently officially finished with them and had called a manager. Fine, whatever, fuck this place.]

Y'know, yer right. Fuck this place! Fuck this whole world. Why are we even here, why do we have to be the ones to "save" it or whatever anyway? I ain't a fuckin' hero.

[Johnny's lip curled into an aggravated grimace at the sight of the manager, which is never nothing but intimidating considering the teeth he's sporting. Reno's outburst and Johnny's look is earning them a one way ticket out the door. On their way out, Johnny rudely throws a wad of crumpled bills at the waiter, not caring if it was enough or not. Which it wasn't.

Once outside, in the cool air, he manages to stifle the urge to go back inside and start tearing the place up. But it clearly is taking some effort on his part.]

Yeah. Yeah, just... Fuck it. If all I'm gonna do is fight to save the entire world in whatever world I'm gonna be in, just to...

[He trails off, shoving his hands in his pockets, concentrating on trying to walk in a straight line.]

[Reno could have used a few more shots, but he felt at least partially responsible to make sure Johnny didn't walk into a ditch or something equivalent. Especially since it looked like the half-demon was holding himself back from doing something stupid... or violent... or both. Reno couldn't blame him, though.]

[He shook his head.]

Way too much, right? Like we weren't busy enough with our own shit back on our own worlds? Every other world needs us t' be miracle workers or whatever? We don't wanna be here, we dunno what the fuck we're even doing here, but we get shit on for not doing "it" right! Whatever the fuck "it" is!

[He threw up his hands and let them fall to his sides in exasperation.]

Y' can't win!

[Johnny almost let something slip out a moment ago, and he rubs his face with his hands, trying to get his thoughts back into line.]

Yeah, fuck. Why do we even bother? What's it matter? Work my ass off to help these people, and they're still scared 'a me cuz of how I look. The hell with these people. No wonder I drink so damn much.

[He stops to finally let out some frustration by punching a lamppost. It leaves a nice dent, but once upon a time, he would have been able to knock it down with that.

His shoulders slump after that, and he leans against the pole.]

I can't even say I wanna go home. I just... I just want all this shit to stop.

Everyone gets a shot

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