milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Somewhere on the planet called Gaia, an unsuspecting but probably really friggin' deserving son of a bitch is getting killed and there might just be a lot of blood. Maybe even some guts spilling out, washing the landscape and scenery in dull red before the planet's guiding force rises up to call that sorry poor fuck back home. The Lifestream picks up around the bastard, engulfing him in a wash of green and blue and white light. Absorbing everything the guy is and was, taking all his memories with it to share, redistribute. It's a handy way of making sure no one who dies ain't ever gone for good and somewhere on the planet called Gaia, a family -- however small -- will come to know that one of its members won't ever be there any more. Somewhere else on Gaia a murderer's wiping blood and guts off his weapon, his hands, his suit, cleaning things up, congratulating himself on a job well done. Maybe even his partner's there patting him on the back, and then they go out for a drink and make a toast: To The Job.

It's happening somewhere, but today -- no matter how much he wishes he was -- Reno ain't involved with that kind of fun. Nope. As much as he yearns for the thrill of a good assignment, they don't really do that shit very much any more. All this planetary rebuilding and babysitting the boss for hours are fine for a friggin' moron, but he's a Turk. All his life, he's trained to do the shit Turks do. This nice-guy crap's a real disappointment.

Faced with all that, what's left for a guy but to head to a bar and drink? Shit, it sounded like a good idea to him, especially when he fingered that butter knife in his pocket and thought about this place at the next door he opened. That's how come his skinny butt's glued to a bar stool, his second bottle of Wutai Pale Ale in his hand and a third sitting there waiting. When he drinks, he doesn't waste time.

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Raising one eyebrow, he nods back in the direction of the first door he -- they -- walked out of. "So you just opened the door at the bar and found yourself here in Midgar. Ain't that convenient. Shit, you wanted to follow me out here, all you had to do is ask. I would've said sure."

He's real easy. How come she doesn't know that?

Still, he can't be mad. Sneaking around doing things is kind of a specialty of his. The only difference is he gets paid to do it, and he gets paid real well.

"And now you're out here: what are you gonna do? Can I at least give you a map of the city or something? A place to crash? I have a spare couch."

"Didn't have a chance to ask."

Maybe if she'd caught him before he left and had a chance to talk to him, but even as she watched him leave, she didn't plan to tag along.

Not until she saw that glimpse of sunlight -- it feels great out here, and part of that's the sheer rush that comes with getting away -- and then she knew she had to try. It wasn't somebody's home, and she's pretty sure that's helping Reno react more favorably here but maybe she's wrong.

"Wouldn't turn down a map." Her lips press together in a smile. "You in the habit of offering your couch to strange women?"

"The stranger the better." The words are out before he has a chance to think about them, but it ain't like that's new for him. "On second thought, I ain't so sure you make the grade." He gives her a little grin that's more real this time. "Just kidding. You want a map? Come on over to work with me. We'll get one from the man himself." It's Reeve's job to rebuild here and his office has all the latest information and shit.

"So really, though. You just wanted a trip away from the usual?" He nods her over in the direction of a pretty important-looking office building with flags on it. Yeah, it sure as fuck looks like the kind of place everyone wants to spend their friggin' vacation.

That's the kind of thing she could hear Sawyer saying, but she only rolls her eyes in passing before she answers with more of a smile.

He is helping her out.

"You could say that." Turning, she starts in the direction of the building he nodded to. "Been told I have trouble staying in one place for long." Not willing to end it on that, though, she goes on and gestures back toward the construction work being done on some of the buildings they've passed. "So what's going on around here? Looks like something pretty bad passed through."

He barely gives a passing glance to the square any more. "Oh, just Meteor. You know, doom and gloom, the destruction of life as we know it. This badass SOLDIER wants to be a god, decides to wreak a little bit of havoc on the Planet. The usual shit." It's over so he can be cavalier about it now and anyway, he made his own contribution to this city's destruction and he's not about to talk about that. "So that was a couple years ago, almost, and this" -- he waves to the city like it's his personal playground -- "is the rebuilding that's happened so far. Slow process." That there was a lot of damage is pretty friggin' obvious.

"You know. Same old shit."

Yeah, right.

"Come on. Get you your map. You got any gil?"

"A big meteor?"

She's not following him on the bit about the soldier wanting to be a god, but none of it seems like much of a big deal to him. It makes her wonder if he was out of town when it happened. If they're still working on it like this after a couple of years, the city must've been in horrible shape immediately after the meteor hit.

As they walk, she arches an eyebrow at him. "Can't breathe underwater, if that's what you mean."

She's pretty sure it's not.

That's right, most people don't know about the place. "No, Meteor. Capital M. It's a spell. He summoned a giant meteor to crash into the planet. It's... maybe what you'd call a form of magic. And Meteor... shit, that's big friggin' magic." He couldn't do it, wouldn't want to do it, despite his avowed love of pyrotechnics. Nope, regular bombs are good enough for him.

"And gil. G-I-L: it's the money here." He opens the door to Shin-Ra's Midgar headquarters, flashes his ID, makes up a name for Kate on the guest register like he did for Lara when she was here -- they'll waive asking her for an ID since she's with one of their own -- walks her past the potted plants and shiny floor and paintings on the walls toward an area with a big sign that says URBAN DEVELOPMENT on it.

Of course, the man in charge ain't in his office, but he knows the girl who runs shit for him here and it's a simple enough matter to sweet-talk her out of a copy of the city map. It ain't like anything on it's a secret or anything.

As soon as they get back out and into the city proper -- no one wants to talk about shit here at Corporate where the walls definitely have ears -- she can take a look at the map, figure out what she wants to do next. His offer of a couch is only good one time, and he won't be askin' her again. If she wants a place to crash now, she's going to have to let him know.

She didn't know this place had magic.

In retrospect, she doesn't doesn't think that would've stopped her from getting out while she could.

Once they're back outside, she partially unfolds the map -- just enough to find where they are on it -- and then looks over it at Reno.

"Tell you what. You let me borrow enough to get into the cheapest hotel around here, and you drink on my tab at the bar until we're even." He's being nice enough, but she's not so sure she wants to sleep on his couch. If her suggestion doesn't work, she'll just have to rethink that offer. "And that way you don't even have to make your place presentable."

She's got a friggin' point with that last one. He had advance notice when Lara was here, but now his place is back to its usual comfortable mess.

This is a risk, lending her money. And it ain't like he minds gambling, 'cause he doesn't. It's just he won't expect ever to see it again, and he ain't gonna expect to drink on her tab either.

"Tell you what. Give me that map for a second." When she does, he grabs a pen out of his pocket and circles a spot on the map, writes the address next to it. "So this is where I live. You get in any trouble or anything, come on over." Then he hands her one of his business cards; that's got his phone number on it. She's covered for getting in touch with him, at least. "Now, how long are you planning on staying in Midgar?" The amount of gil he might lend her will go up based on how many nights she stays, of course. "And how were you planning on getting back to the bar?"

If she was planning on that and he knows he's right: she didn't think this through at all.

"I'm planning to avoid trouble, but thanks." Folding the map up, she stuffs it in her pocket and crosses her arms. "If I find out your trick doesn't get me back on my own, I was planning to stay until I saw you again. I followed you so I'd know where to look for you later."

She tips her head slightly.

"If I'm here longer than a night, it won't be on your dime." She hesitates. "Gil."

If she's here any longer, she'll earn her own keep. She's only willing to borrow the money because it seems preferable to sleeping on his couch. The less he feels she owes him the better.

"Suit yourself." From the little he knows about Kate, that's what she's gonna do with or without his permission. What she doesn't know is there ain't too many people on this or any other world who've ever accused him of being a good or decent guy. Handing out money without more immediate payback ain't his M.O. and he talks big about investments now paying off in the future, but he's sure if he gives her anything at all, he can kiss it goodbye.

He figures money's only as good as the shit it buys a guy, though, so he draws out his wallet and counts out a decent amount, hands it to her. She'll be able to stay a night at an okay place and even get herself something to eat. Hey, he can be nice when he sets his mind to it.

"Just one word of advice. If you see any monsters, do yourself a favor and run the other way." The smile on his face ain't nothing but smug now.

"Have fun in Midgar. If you need help getting back, you know where to find me."

If he's there, that is.

She almost doesn't expect him to pull out a wallet and hand her some folded bills that don't look like any kind of money she's ever seen before. But true to her word, when she gets back to the bar she'll ask the bar itself (herself?) to put Reno's drinks on her tab until the score's even.

For now, she carefully pockets the cash and blinks in surprise at the word monsters.

"Monsters attack your city often?"

She sure knows hot to pick them, doesn't she?

Too late to worry about it now. If she's survived about a month on the island despite the black smoke and the Others, she can survive a day here.

"I'm not bad at running." She grins, and it goes lopsided instantly. "But I'll call you if I need you."

"Monsters? Shit, they like traveling in packs. Twos and threes and fours. You'll recognize 'em when you see 'em."

Call it a little parting gift for her, but she'll figure it out. "Mostly they stay on the outskirts unless someone summons 'em in." But a look around doesn't show anything real bad. "Heart of the city's pretty safe. Have fun, and whatever you do, stay away from guys like me."

Smirking, he stuffs his right hand into his pocket and saunters off. Nope, she ain't his responsibility.

Not even a little.

But he does hold his hand up to his ear in that universal sign for call me as he walks off.

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