MHA #1, Aka Reno _And_ Rikku-Land, Friday Evening

[the_merriest]

Reno had assured her that she didn't need to clean for Rude, that Rude was used to his messes, but Rikku liked cleaning. She hadn't seen Rude in ages! This was going to be fun!

The place was decidedly cozier than Rude would probably be expecting. What with all the cheery decor and the orange fluffy bathmat. There weren't even any empty beer bottles or porno mags on the coffee table.

Just an Al Bhed girl, puttering around while Reno ran out for more supplies. Which she hoped didn't mean more beer and pornos. But, well. It was Reno.

(This will be the site of an unholy sort of Turks Reunion, featuring several versions of some of the people involved, no less. But the very first thread is for Tseng alone, please, even though it's Rude she's expecting.)

Comments

[turk_mailman]

Tseng, of course, had a touch of unfinished business to settle. Unfinished business that had been temporarily tabled by a very small version of the woman that he'd taken out to dinner quite recently, and yes, he was still working on getting his head around that, but at least now he was finally on track.

On track, and rapping his knuckles against the door of Reno's apartment.

Work to do. There was always work to do.

[the_merriest]

Oooh! A knock meant maybe Rude had beat Reno here! Rikku swung the door open with a cheery smile, one that changed as her jaw dropped and she took in the face of her visitor.

"Tseng," she breathed. He was coming, too?! Nobody told her anything!

And a moment later, she was totally grinning again, except this time she was reaching out to hug him. "I'm so glad you came!"

The last she'd heard, they weren't even talking! Okay, she and Tseng had had their differences -- a lot of them -- but he was important to Reno. Very important. And he was here.

[turk_mailman]

... Tseng hadn't been anticipating two things. First, he hadn't been expecting Rikku. Leviathan only knew why he hadn't been. This Island and Rikku were Reno's two... things.

And, naturally, he hadn't been expecting the hug. What in the world was he supposed to do with a hug?

Stand there somewhat stiffly. That would do.

"Hello, Rikku." Yep. Still standing there. "Reno wouldn't happen to be in, would he?"

[politely-terse.livejournal.com]

When he knocked, Rude had a small overnight bag and a bottle of whiskey with a bow on it. He set the bag down and waited stoically for Reno to answer the door.

[the_merriest]

It wasn't Reno who answered the door, and her response was far from stoic.

"Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!"

Tackleglomp: INCOMING!

Oh, like Rude minded being hugged by a cute blonde.

[politely-terse.livejournal.com]

If Rude was surprised to see her there, he didn't show it. At least, not so you could tell while his shades were on. He stood there and took the hug, and patted her back gently.

"It's... good to see you, too."

[give-areason.livejournal.com]

Rosalind was... equal parts sure that this was a disastrous idea and would turn out to be a profitable, in some sense of the word, evening. If nothing else, it made Elena pleased to be included.

If if it was, in the words of the small girl holding her hand 'just stupid Turks stuff and would probably be boooooring'.

She supposed she ought to be glad enough that Elena hadn't kicked Tseng in the shins when she'd found him and informed him of the informal meet up of--all Turks on the island, plus little sister.

All of which brought her around to: knocking on the door, boss and sibling in tow, and feeling utterly awkward and vaguely wishing she could go and... read.

Yes. Read.

[ponytailedturk]

Tseng, of course, wasn't about to have any of it. He'd insisted, after all, that he should meet this alternate Reno, and he was still holding out some vague hope that the other 'Tseng' who had made arrangements with the hotel was not him.

And it had seemed that the most effective way to deal with both at least one of those goals was to accompany Rosalind to this 'Reno's apartment this evening.

He idly straightened out his tie as he waited for the door to be answered. And he was not at all anxious about this meeting in the least, thank you.

... Informal though it might be.

[wee-elena.livejournal.com]

Elena was booooooooored already. Which explained why she was swinging Rosalind's hand and idly kicking at the door frame.

Rosalind was her sister, and she had to share her with all these stupid Turks. They weren't even interesting.

Elena was going to be especially charming tonight, it would seem.

[the_merriest]

The door swung open, and Rikku smiled at the newcomers. Wow.Still not Reno. Three extra people. That one other blonde girl Turk, a little girl and Tseng.

Wait. Wasn't Tseng already here?

... whoa. Two Tsengs. This party was going to get interesting.

"Come in," she said quickly. "We've got snacks! It's turning into a regular party!"

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Apparently there was some kind of Turk party going down. Hey, this might be awkward, but it would still be interesting, right?

So Elena was here. She wasn't expecting Reno's hyper, bouncy girlfriend to open the door, but she should have. Naturally she'd be here.

Elena settled in, reminding herself not to swear in front of her younger self. Or talk about her sex life.

[raspberryturk]

Okay, so, there were some people that Reno had been expecting, easy. Rikku, for a start. Rikku lived there. And Rude, on account of his being Rude.

But when Reno walked through the door of his apartment to see seven people all chilling out in his living room, there were two thoughts that crossed his mind.

First: Hide the porn.

... What? He was a grown man. He was allowed to buy a few magazines now and again.

And second?

"What the shit?"

He was seeing double, here.

[politely-terse.livejournal.com]

Rude actually pulled down his shades so that his eyes could meet Reno's.

"Fandom the shit," he explained.

[raspberryturk]

Naturally, Reno swooned. Rude had such gorgeous eyes.

"Daaamn. I love this friggin' island," Reno whistled, shooting a grin Rude's way.

All other individuals in the room were going to be temporarily very thoroughly ignored while Reno stashed the magazines in a nearby closet, the bag full of groceries next to the kitchen doorway, and then made his way over to clap his partner on the back.

"How you been, Rude?"

[the_merriest]

"Looks like a party," Rikku said, slipping an arm around Reno's waist. Which had to amaze the crap out of one of the Tsengs. The other, not so much. "Good thing we have snacks?"

Oooh, right, Tseng. The next bit was low enough that nobody else could hear.

"Be nice to Tseng."

Words that she might never have imagined herself saying.

[raspberryturk]

Really, words that Reno had never imagined her saying. They were very nicely followed up with a shifty glance at the people in the living room, before Reno followed up with, "Which one of 'em?"

He didn't remember inviting any to this party, never mind two.

[wee-elena.livejournal.com]

Stupid party. Stupid Turks. Nobody was going to notice if she slipped away. Which was good, because then she could case the apartment and look for things she could play with. Even if those things were not, strictly speaking, toys.

[the_merriest]

"Hey, kiddo," Rikku said, noticing the girl crouching on the floor. "What are you up to?"

[ponytailedturk]

Tseng had been expecting a bit of an... eclectic mix when he'd decided that he was to accompany Rosalind to a bit of an unofficial gathering of Turks. He was already aware of the alternate Reno, of course. And of Elena, to a considerably different degree. He should have anticipated that wherever Reno went, there went Rude, though this one was, like Reno and Elena, older than he was used to, and seemed to have gotten it into his head to grow some facial hair.

He... Had no idea what to make of the blonde in the very colorful outfit, and found himself occasionally stealing baffled glances at her. Whenever he wasn't flat-out staring at the man who bore an unsettling resemblance to himself. For obvious reasons.

He was beginning to suspect what the other Tseng had known for a long time. This island was going to do terrible things to his sanity.

[turk_mailman]

The other Tseng, meanwhile, was very pointedly not looking at his younger counterpart. Because if he looked, then he would open his mouth, and words and warnings would come out that would almost certainly destroy the universe at large in a rain of fire delivered by... Gods only knew anymore. Sephiroth. Jenova. AVALANCHE. Pick an AVALANCHE.

No, no, this Tseng in particular was actually occupying himself with the very important task of giving Reno dirty looks, instead.

Because Reno was one of several people in this very room that he would not break reality by speaking his mind to.

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

While her sister was talking to the older Tseng, Elena found herself drawn to the younger one. He was wearing the ponytail! She really, really wanted to grab onto it and tug. Which would get her fired, by the other Tseng.

"Hi," she said, offering him a warm smile. Tsengs did wobbly things to her knees, okay?

[give-areason.livejournal.com]

Rosalind was... almost feeling sorry for her Tseng. She'd be feeling a great deal sorrier if he hadn't managed to get her professors names out of her and informed her that he was going to meet with them.

So, settling herself some place that wasn't too--in the center of things, she felt awkward enough about this--Rosalind contented herself with being a tiny bit amused, a tiny bit bemused, and more than a little awkward and trying not to stare.

Mmm. Socialization. What was that again?

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena had somehow gravitated to her sister's side.

"We should lay odds," she suggested, glancing from one Tseng to the other. "On which one of them starts lecturing Reno first."

[turk_mailman]

One the 'who gets to sleep in which room reserved for Tseng' issue had been dealt with, Tseng was quite content to fold his arms over his chest and simply remain silent. After all, there was very little information to be gleaned from a man who was simply a more youthful version of himself, and any long, carefully worded conversations that he needed to have with Reno would be... potentially dangerous to have while keeping such mixed company.

And so he would content himself to sit. Sit, and observe.

[give-areason.livejournal.com]

And be observed.

As there was a blonde Turk that he'd not had to deal with in sometime sneaking glances at him in-between studying the rest of the room with something almost amused, almost resigned, almost (and most peculiarly) lonely.

Saying something, however, was going to come in a bit.

Studying came first. The longer hair, the graver face, the way he'd changed and hadn't changed and she couldn't put her finger on what was different.

And wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Though, of course, a good Turk would always want to know.