Though They Tell You I Have Lost....

[turks_reno]

Characters: Reno, Rufus, Cissnei and Tseng
Progress: In-progress
Summary: Their first target is down, and with one more to go, the Turks (and their President) are recovering - and preparing.
Location: On the border of the Soil Desert
Date: Backdated to June 15th

Comments

[nogoodpeople]

It might have been a stupid move. But it had helped, for better or worse and Reno wasn't the only one left with needles to be plucked out. He was simply the one who most resembled a porcupine at the moment. More to the point, he had a sneaking suspicion that all of them would be taking care of the pinprick holes that had been left behind in their suits for a while yet. But that was a prospect better saved until when they weren't out in the middle of a desert.

"It depends on the creature we'll be fighting," Tseng answered. "However, a decent supply of potions will no doubt be of use regardless. None of us is particularly gifted with the magic of this world."

[whitecladprince]

Rufus was in a terrible mood, as well. The majority of the spines fired his way embedded themselves in his forearms, so he was carefully pulling the needles out, his expression stony and unflinching as he worked.

He didn't respond to the conversation, lost in thought. How he missed Midgar, their Gaia, where magic was a simple materia away. Here, one had to have talent for it. Which Rufus did not, apparently, a fact which annoyed him more than anything.

Once he had gotten rid of the needles, he grabbed a potion for himself, pulling the cork out and drinking in a long swallow, then tossing the bottle aside to glare at nothing.

His mood wasn't helped by having witnessed Reno's little maneuver. He was used to reading about them, of course, in reports... but seeing one in action was a little different, particularly considering the circumstances now. He would give the redhead a lecture later. For now, he was brooding.

[shurikenfemale]

Cissnei had her own needles to get rid of at the moment. She had been plucking them out by the handful, gritting her teeth and wincing in pain as silently as possible. They went deep, but at least they were just needles and not something like bullets.

"I know the odds of finding some are small, but hi-potions would be good. And maybe a white mage." But the latter was probably in even shorter supply. Cissnei had tried to make more friends and alliances but which one was a white mage she didn't know. Besides, everyone was busy with rebuilding or finding their own drops of myrrh. She drank some of a potion, alternating drinking it and removing needles.

For the most part, she ignored Rufus' moodiness. She didn't have the energy or willpower to be upset about anything right now. She wanted to be healed and to get some sleep.

[turks_reno]

"Hi-potions. Well, perhaps a stopover at a town that isn't destroyed might be a good idea, then? Can we get to one? Maybe some decent armor, if we have enough gil for it." He winced, pulling the last of the needles that had imbedded into his leg out. Now to work on his... umm..

He glanced to Rufus, who looked beyond pissed off, if he could read Rufus here as well as he could back 'home'. Then glanced to Tseng, who was finishing removing the last of his own needles. So he shuffled over to the Wutaian, nudging him lightly. "Hey... you mind getting the ones that hit the back of my shoulder? I can't reach those..."

He quieted, hoping Tseng would help, and considered their options. "If we can get our hands on more of the explosive ingredients, I can make a few more. But that might not even work. What happens if we're up against something that uses magic? We need something more. Are there any items that can cast spells for us? I swore there was some items someone used a few months ago that could cast lightning spells..."

[Later that night....]

[turks_reno]

Reno wasn't sure if Tseng or Cissnei were actually asleep - while they were all trained to work with as little sleep as necessary, after a battle like that a good hard rest was called for. Hell, he could feel the pull of slumber on his own mind - but he had something else to do that was far more important.

He left Tseng's side, brushing the lightest of kisses to his leader's lips, then slid over to Rufus - who he knew was awake. Because he knew Rufus well enough to know the man was going to brood over things for hours more before sleep literally stole time from him. It was what Rufus often did, especially after Meteorfall. Constantly working, constantly trying to make ammends. To fix what Shinra Electric Company destroyed so thoroughly.

"Gil for your thoughts?" He knew what Rufus was thinking. He just wanted the blond to say it.

[whitecladprince]

Rufus didn't respond, though he knew that Reno knew he was awake. The man had an uncanny ability to read him... It was... disconcerting, to say the least.

Finally, his eyes slid over to the redhead sitting next to him, narrowed and suspicious, and then he grudgingly pushed himself up into a sitting position, glaring at the Turk.

It was a while until he snorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head slightly.

"That was incredibly stupid of you."

[turks_reno]

Ah

[whitecladprince]

Rufus snarled silently, swatting Reno's hand away from his face, but remained silent until the redhead stopped speaking.

"Reading a report written by Tseng, one of the most polite, politically correct people I have ever encountered, is far different from experiencing the actual madness that you like to call 'calculated risk,'" Rufus snapped, his voice low to avoid disturbing the others. "For all the short time I was president of ShinRa, I was also Vice-President for 7 years, a short portion of that being spent where I had nothing better to do than go over old mission reports and familiarize myself with Turks procedure."

"My problem is with that 'calculated risk' of yours was, if you are rendered unable to do battle, then we are down a great deal of our firepower. I may not be as highly trained in combat as you, but I know a thing or two about distribution of assets, and in combat, one of those assets is health. You cannot hope to take all of the damage yourself and expect for our little band to be able to continue on as before, you