[thread; closed]

[flyboy-red.livejournal.com]

Characters: Elena, Reno and later Tseng
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Elena and Reno have to go pick up the Director
Location: Dollet to Treno
Date: January, 1804
Warnings: Turks? Reno + Chocobo = badnewsbears?


Tugging at the reins of two chocobos, Reno held them steady as he checked their packs were strapped in place well enough. It was going to be a long trip to Dollet, possibly shorter than his and Rude's journey, however, as they'd stopped to play with the widlife...

Pushing that thought aside, Reno pulled himself onto his chocobo, wheezing slightly at the strain on his ribs. This wasn't going to be an easy journey on him.

"Hey, Elena, you ready?" he called out, keeping the reins of both birds in his healthy hand. "I wanna go get Tseng quick so we can head on to Lindblum with Rude and the President."

Of course, he was hoping to just get the trip done soon without any of the stress or damage that he suffered the first time, or like what he put up with when the building fell on him.

Comments

[flyboy-red.livejournal.com]

"Oh, she's just dealing with the chocobos," he replied, glancing at the door just as Elena stormed in. "Hey, there she is!"

His placid attitude vanished within seconds as Elena flung her arms around Tseng and Reno gave a snort before his hand flew up to clasp over his mouth and stifle his laughter. Okay, now that was funny! He was well aware of Elena's crush - she was kind of obvious sometimes - and seeing her react like that was absolutely brilliant.

"Smooth, Elena," Reno muttered, his gaze finding Tseng's for a moment, his lips pursed to withhold any extra laughter.

[te-dirige.livejournal.com]

Tseng hadn't quite expected Elena's exhubrent reaction - but he took it in stride, allowing her the few moments to cling without attempting to extricate himself. He gave Reno a glare that told him, wordlessly, to make no further comment - and didn't feel the need to embarass Elena any further himself. "Elena. It's good to see you as well - and healing, it seems."

It was, indeed, good to see them both. It had been an impressive change in his mood when he'd found his men were here, even better when they had a way to get him to the president. No matter how offbalance Tseng might have felt about this world, with the Turks on hand he knew it would be simply a matter of managing the situation properly.

It couldn't prove worse than Edge, after all.

"You both look exhausted." And in need of a bath - though he didn't point that out. "I have a room booked for us for the 'night' - whatever passes for it here - to rest yourselves. We can start out as soon as you've both had a brief respite." Tseng was firm- he knew full well that they'd both get back on their chocobos if he asked them to - but it wasn't necessary, and looking after his men was now even more of an importance. They lacked the security that Shinra's money and power once held.

[alwaysarookie.livejournal.com]

Elena did what was appropriate for the situation, and elbowed Reno in the ribs. A nice, solid jab. And then she smiled weakly at Tseng for letting the situation pass, and focused on what their boss was saying.

"It was a long ride here," Elena explained about their rather tired appearances. "And we had to ride hard a few times because of the creatures out there." She was pretty sure they could've killed them, but she was still injured (as the bandage on her head would indicate) and...really, why risk it?

"Are you alright, sir? I know it can be very...jarring...to arrive on Gaia. Especially in Treno...this was where I woke up also." Yes, Elena is looking him over a bit as she asks this. While she wasn't as 'motherly' about Tseng and injuries as she was when Reno or Rude did something stupid or foolish and hurt themselves, she still had the impulses. She just...surpressed them a little more with Tseng.

[flyboy-red.livejournal.com]

Reno winced as she elbowed him, surpressing the wheeze of pain that demanded escape. It was horrible, but he deserved it and he knew she didn't mean it maliciously.

Still, he gave her a glare for a moment before joining her band-waggon, looking Tseng over, leaning to get a closer look at the bruise on his temple. "I hope you fucked 'em up, Tseng. I mean whoever did that," he muttered, nodding towards the bruise before shoving both hands in his pockets.

"I gotta call the President and ask where we're going back to, anyway. Unless you wanna, Tseng? I mean, you're the boss, after all." Reno gave a beaming grin at that. He was so glad he wasn't the one at the top of the Turk ladder anymore.

[te-dirige.livejournal.com]

Tseng picked up the bag at his feet, hefting the duffel strap onto one shoulder. "The gentleman who attempted to show me the finer points of Treno hospitality will require medical care. Extensive medical care." Tseng agreed as an answer, pointing to the stairs that lead to the inn's second level and its cheap but tolerable rooms. "He is the man to thank for our lodgings tonight, however, as well as some of the basic supplies I've managed to pick up. And a few items of interest as well." The bag he'd taken from his assailant had held more than just weapons - it held what looked rather like small samples of drugs - if the brightly coloured powders labelled with words like 'euphoria' and 'fantasy' were any indication.

"I'll contact the president." Tseng promised, not missing just how much Reno perked up at the idea, and he turned his attention to Elena as they climbed the stairs. Her concern was kind, but not necessary. He was fine.

"You made good time, considering. I appreciate it." It was better than he would admit to no longer be alone - and to no longer doubt his sanity. "As for myself, I'm handling the situation well enough. It's good to have you both here, and I'm interested in what reports you can give me about this place and the state in which things are in. I can't imagine a situation where I have been less prepared, or informed." And how he hated to be at a loss for anything, to be so dependant on others. No wonder the attacker had fared so poorly - Tseng did not take to this sort of frustration well. It wasn't something that crept out at his men - but you could read it more in his actions.

[alwaysarookie.livejournal.com]

Elena couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Tseng wailing on some poor pickpocket who'd inadvertently chosen the wrong target. She'd seen Tseng fight, not often but he did, and it wasn't something she'd want to get on the wrong side of, ever. Reno's rather obvious attempts to ensure that he was no longer in charge just made the smirk grow into a real smile. It was fairly entertaining, watching him try to lead. He was good at it, but it was still pretty funny.

"It's not so bad here, once you get used to it. A little primative, except maybe in Lindblum where they build the machines and airships and such. Dollet, where we were, had a lot of them too. Wherever that city came from must have been a lot like home." Elena was mostly talking just to talk. It was easier than letting her mind dwell on the fact that Tseng was here.

[flyboy-red.livejournal.com]

Glad that Tseng would call their boss, Reno mentally took note of the chance to maybe give Rude a call. It'd have to be quick as Elena would likely be hanging around but it would work. Maybe if he went in the bathroom to talk. Either way, he felt a little bit bad for needing to check in on his partner but things had taken a change and he felt the need to just see if he was okay. It wasn't all that different from how they usually were, as he tended to call Rude more than necessary anyway, but it still felt different.

"Yeah, I heard there's a flying like... building thing. They call it a Garden or something." Reno gave a shrug, almost falling back down the stairs, grabbing the railing quick, managing to make it look pretty damn casual.

Once they were upstairs, Reno simply followed after Tseng, letting the man decide where they were going, vaguely wondering whether Tseng had gotten Elena a separate room because of her gender.

[te-dirige.livejournal.com]

Tseng led the pair to a room at the end of the hall, so chosen because of the window that opened above the chocobo shed. It meant the smell was a little stronger than in other rooms, but it also afforded an easy escape down to the street if necessary. There was also enough of a ledge to pull themselves up to the roof if needed - a third escape - but Tseng wondered if Reno's rubs were up for that sort of strain.

Tseng shut and bolted the door once Elena and Reno were inside, and instantly pointed to the bed. "Your bags on the floor. Reno, shirt off. I want to see your ribs; don't think I missed that slip on the stairs." But calling to a weakness in public was stupid and suicidal. Reno had held up well enough to this point - Tseng respected him to continue that illusion until they were in private.

"Elena, your bandages could use to be changed. Have either of you taken a potion? I've been informed that materia are non-existent here, and those brought are useless..." He gestured through the room - a bed large enough to sleep two comfortably, an overstuffed and ancient chair, a tube radio and small writing desk. The lodgings weren't bad, and he'd paid more for the few conveniences - such as: "This room has an attached bath, though we'll be paying for the privilege of hot water." His smirk told them what he thought about that, but they all knew they'd survived through worse.

As he waited for Reno to comply, he turned attention to their words, still trying to make sense fo this world that left him so very confused. "The level of technology in this world was limited, as far as I can tell - and the advent of new cities appearing as Wutai and Midgar have is acting to polarize the political situation, as well as providing advanced mechanics. Admittedly, outside of knowing that Wutai is here and under some sort fo threat, I'm still not much better informed. I'm hoping you both will be able to enlighten me."

[alwaysarookie.livejournal.com]

Elena looked around the room slowly, noting the single bed and raising an eyebrow as she considered it. Still, it was nicer than many of the places she had stayed.

"I took two potions, sir," Elena had discovered after her arrival that this world considered her a 'chemist'...which was a strange concept, but it meant people would sell her stuff to make potions. Which was somewhat cheaper. "And I can probably take this off completely, sir."

Elena set her back down next to the chair and sat down on the edge of it, starting to unwrap her bandage as she listened to Tseng talk. "There are other things to be worried about also, sir. People were apparently displaced throughout the world several months ago. After losing track of nearly three months of time. The whole world did." Elena wasn't really sure she believed that, but people had no reason to lie.

As she spoke she carefully finished unwrapping the bandage, shaking free her hair. There was a fairly nasty gash underneath it that was healing, but obviously wasn't done, though it wasn't bleeding or anything. Elena was just being touch when she said she probably didn't need the bandage anymore.

[flyboy-red.livejournal.com]

Reno tossed his bag down and pulled his jacket off, hooking it over the chair. "That's true. About the displacement thing. When Rude and me got here, everything was like... layered in dust and people were freaked out about the world shifting or something." Unbuttoning his shirt, Reno wrinkled his nose at how Tseng never missed a damn thing. Sure, it was good for the job but it made getting things by him a lot more difficult. He wasn't so sure he and Rude would be able to have any secrets.

"I took like... four or something? Rude kept an eye on me." He wouldn't mention the one-armed pushups or the fact that Rude had got him off the floor by using his hair.

Once his shirt was off, Reno looked down at his torso. The bandages were wound tightly and, more than anything, they were there to hold things in place, rather than cover any cuts. There were still a few bumps and scrapes in place but none as bad as those fractured and bruised ribs. What looked the worst under the bandages was the bruising on the surface.

Beginning to unwrap the bandages, his quirked an eyebrow slightly. "There ain't much from our world here. Still, Lindblum and Dollet are pretty tech savvy and I heard there's a place called Goug or something that's good. Midgar's just... not far from here and it's a wreck. Plants and trees everywhere, mossy all over... the moogles have took over there."

[te-dirige.livejournal.com]

"Three months?" That was... worrying, and also insane - and yet Elena wouldn't have reported it if she didn't find reason to, and that was another thing to consider. What could cause that? Would cause that? Could it be a normal phenomenon? But if it were, the local people would have liklely been less upset... he still didn't know enough to propely make any sort of judgements there. "Every time I think I've come to terms with the oddity of this world, I learn something new. We should ensure we have dedicated line of communication, and a designated location to meet up in again if this oddity re-occurs - and we are separated."

While Reno unwrapped his damaged torso, Tseng walked over to carefully inspect Elena's head, fingers light and careful as he peered at the wound. "This was deep; it looks uninfected, at least. You've kept it clean." Turks learned how to take care of injuries in case they were deprived of materia or potions on a mission (often when caught in situations where they'd been deprived of everything else...) but it was frustrating to see his men hurt and to be unable to offer a remedy. Tseng had kept them well provided for in that regard at least, even after METEOR. "I'll help you re-bandage it; you're a day or two away from leaving it open, especially if we're likely travelling - and sleep might reopen it, I'd think." He brushed hair still tinted brown away from Elena's face and gave her a smile, assuring her without platitudes that she'd done well; that being injured wasn't a matter to be embarrassed about - nor something to ignore.

Which was rather a problem Reno still hadn't come to terms with yet either. "Yes, Rude's informed me of your recuperation attempts." Tseng turned, and the look he gave Reno was far less concillatory. "Even I don't attempt pushups one armed while tending to broken ribs. I would hope at least that you know this." He inspected the bruising down Reno's side, and fingers lighter still felt carefully, Tseng's expression twisted into a worried frown. "I should seek out a healer, if a decent one can be found. Four potions and you're still this badly hurt - both of you - I dislike leaving things to heal on their own when we're so pressed for security and time."

They needed supplies, and this place was so... primitive. The consideration of more advanced cities was a good one, at least - though they'd still need to find their way there, and a means to pay for it all. "I'd considered returning to Midgar for supplies." Tseng admitted, uncharacteristically quiet. "But with materia useless, I can only expect the potions we'd left would be inert, now, and I didn't feel it was worth the... visitation." And if he'd walked through that overgrown mess of city streets he could recognize if he looked carefully.... well, he'd begun to doubt his own mind when he'd woken up for a reason.