Everyone gets a shot

[shinra_dog]

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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Comments

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud gave Reno a half hearted shrug. He could guess at the second meaning behind the redhead's words. This world seemed to thrive on making misfortune rain when it came. Now and then he had to admit he'd rather leave this world to its own end as a petty revenge.

"It's not really a bother. And you've been there for me a few times now. If anything I owe you." He looked around at their surroundings and spoke up again before Reno could reply, "We could go somewhere else if you want."

[shinra_dog]

Reno hesitated a moment more before he finally gave in. Why not? This place had changed everyone. He couldn't really treat Cloud the same way as he might have on Gaia. They'd changed too much. He shrugged and nodded.

"Somewhere else... would be ideal," he agreed. "And I could use a drink."

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud simply gave Reno a nod in reply. It wasn't an unreasonable thing to want, especially given the current situation. The thought had crossed the younger Hero's own mind as well.

"Sure. Lead the way."

[shinra_dog]

Reno offered a smile, albeit a tired one. It briefly occurred to him that Cloud might not even be technically old enough to drink -- at least not legally. But it wasn't exactly Reno's priority right now.

"You want some?" he asked over his shoulder. Because screw it -- if Cloud wanted a beer, Reno would skip the bar scene altogether and just buy some damn beer. Take it home, get plastered there, bypass Mordecai's judgment entirely.

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud shrugged. He didn't really have the taste for liquor, but at the same time that bottle of whiskey that Tifa had that one night was pretty rough stuff. "Sure. I don't know if most of the bars around here will serve someone my age, but it's not like they ever followed that in the bars in Midgar."

He was young but he was also military, after all.

"I'm sure you know a place we can go."

[shinra_dog]

"Barkeep definitely wouldn't."

Reno thought about it. There were always seedier places in every city -- maybe not as many in Aqures Ixen as there were in Mysidia. Usually Reno would have been a little more reluctant to have someone underage go there. Shady places meant shady people. But since he'd be with Cloud, it was probably fine. No one was going to mess with them -- and if they did, they'd regret it.

"Yeah, there's one place... Follow me."

The change in building structure (and the kinds of people on the streets) was clear. The bar Reno took Cloud too was practically a hole in the wall. But no one asked them to leave, and no one looked at them too long. Definitely not after a return look from Reno.

[neverfirstclass]

With the jobs he'd been using, the result of Cloud getting into a barfight would be humorous indeed. He lacked the musculature of his older self, but it was possible that his strength at the moment rivaled that future version's. Of course if a fight did happen he'd probably feel bad about it afterwards.

Cloud followed along, and to his credit didn't seem that worried about heading into the shadier parts of town. It wasn't a far cry from Midgar, save for the fact that you could still see the sky above you. Taking a lesson from his time in the big city he kept his focus on his friand. "...and that's when Wayne pulled out the rocket launcher he was working on. The damn thing nearly blew up our own truck with all the enhancements he made to it."