Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

It didn't go amiss on Rinaa that Fia was now being extra careful in where she put her feet, actively checking for anything that could trip her up. She let out a very quiet "heh" but made no further remark on it.Tripping once in front of anybody was bad, but tripping twice in front of somebody who your relationship with could best be described as fragile? That was kind of humiliating. Especially when the other person was barefoot and navigating the terrain with soundless ease, even when walking through patches of dead leaves and long grasses Rinaa's feet didn't make a sound. It was one of the first skills both Rinaa and Leah had learned, as walking had been so difficult a task, Jay had decided that she might as well teach her daughter how to stealth-walk at the same time, not to have to go through the long and torturous process of teaching her to walk again.

"Good to hear... I guess." Rinaa replied, her insecurities once again bubbling to the surface. To prevent the conversation from dying out and the awkward silence from coming back Rinaa ended up giving a bit of running commentary on the various plants and their uses, which seemed to be a split between medicinal uses, poisons and survival foods (she really couldn't think of anything else to say). There were some small spice plants that grew on the island and by dialling up her senses Rinaa could easily find them by smell alone. Up until then, Rinaa hadn't really had the opportunity to try out her enhanced senses properly (they became more and more sensitive after each shift). The island had all kinds of exciting sights, smells and sounds, even for regular level senses there was plenty to play around with.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia didn't hear the low sound of amusement from Rinaa, and even if she had she probably would have refrained from remarking on it due to how fragile their relationship was with each other. She continued walking hoping that the chatter wouldn't die out completely as if it did die out, she would feel incredibly awkward. So when Rinaa decided to make conversation by talking about the plant life, giving her a break down and commentary on them all as they passed them, Fia was thankful for some kind of chat.

As Rinaa spoke, she looked around and took in the sights and smells once more, just like she did in the morning for the first dog walk she did on her own. She gave the odd reply here and there when she felt she could and fou d the medicinal plants some of the most interesting for some bizarre unknown reason to herself, though when they found some of the spice plants around she couldn't help but go up to them and smell them, finding them so satisfying to sniff. "they smell amazing" she smiled with a content sigh following her words.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of Fia making a beeline for the spice plants in order to sniff them. There was something about the sight of her sort-of cousin sniffing spices that made her want to smile fondly, but she had no idea what it was. Unlike Fia she didn't go right up to the plants, instead staying a metre or so away, leaning against a nearby tree, one bare foot pressed against the raggedy bark. From there she could easily smell the spices without having to ramp up her senses too high. Rinaa also didn't want to get too close to anything potent, she was still getting used to having these heightened senses and had no idea what her limits were. Having a sensory overload out here, with Fia around couldn't end well. Not only because it was humiliating, but if Fia had any kind of fire related smell in her natural scent Rinaa knew she'd go berserk, Sykes wouldn't even need to get involved for things to go to pot, Rinaa could do that all on her own whete fire scents were concerned.

At Fia's comment she gave a nod. "Agreed, their scent is INCREDIBLY distinctive, even amongst all the other plants here, I could pick it off from ages away. I believe that particular one, as well as being used in cooking, is also used in cosmetics, y'know perfumes, artificial scent hormones and scent markers, that sort of thing?" She shook her head slightly in disbelief. "It's mad this" and by 'this' she meant the enhanced senses "I TOTALLY understand why dogs run around sniffing everything now" she gestured over at the dogs, before saying something that really showed how her mind likes to try and link everything to her own scientific knowledge and experiences "and why synaesthesia is such a fascinating neurological condition to study. To experience the world like this, its something else altogether."

 

[MzHyde]

If Fia had turned round, she would have seen Rinaa smile fondly at her actions but she was too engrossed in wanting to smell all the plants. The spices were highly satisfying to sniff for her so she didn't even notice how Rinaa was looking at her or what she was doing. It was only when Rinaa replied to what she said, did she look over her shoulder to look at her cousin. Seeing the distance she was from the plants, she understood why she was being that far away, remembering about her enhanced senses. She listened to what Rinaa replied to her with, finding it interesting that it could be used for more than just mere cooking.

"interesting! It always kinda fascinates me how something for cooking could be also used in cosmetics and such." she began saying, before sniffing the spices yet again and deciding to walk back toward Rinaa once more. At her next remarks about suddenly understanding why dogs sniff everything, she had to smirk fondly at the remark. "I can imagine it must be so insane to be able to smell everything before possibly seeing it" she agreed, finding she could only ever imagine what it must be like for Rinaa. "I think any kind of subject like that is fascinating. It must open up how you see and experience the world so much more to someone. Like you say, it's truly something else" she smiled.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Fia wasn't the only one fascinated by the various uses plants could be put to. While Rinaa's true love and passion in life was mechanics and engineering, she also had an interest in plants and their uses. During her time spent planet hopping with the Isogrii Rinaa had gone out of her way to find information and local knowledge about the various plants there. "You're not the only one there, I guess you could call it a side interest for me." Rinaa ran a hand through her hair, raking it up into spikes, before pushing off the tree and falling back into step beside Fia again.

"Insane is definitely the correct word, I have all this data and information streaming at me from all angles, yet somehow it's not overwhelming or uncomfortable, it's just.... fascinating. There's all these background smells I'd never picked up on before, and even smells I thought I knew, like the cooking Jay was doing earlier? That used to be just one scent to me, but now I know it's actually a whole set of different scents all wrapped together. And I have no idea how sensitive it'll get either, I've already got wolf-like night and low-light vision." As she talked there was a sense of wonder and awe in her voice, for so long being bitten had been such a negative experience, but now, nearer to the end, there was some sort of good coming from it. "These senses have so much potential, they could make a real difference for things like search and rescue in the rubble and ruins." Her next sentence was said with a sad tinge. "But it seems I'll never get the chance to use them the that way."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia nodded when Rinaa said it was a bit of a side interest for her. She continued the walk with her and the dogs whilst enjoying the conversation she was now having with Rinaa. She honestly found how Rinaa's senses were changing fascinating, and enjoyed listening to her. She could hear the wonder and awe in her voice, she could see just from Rinaa's body language how amazed she was herself at what was happening to her, which made Fia smile fondly. She could hear how much more positively Rinaa was talking about the changes when shhe was aware not that long ago, she spoke with a tone that showed nothing but somber attitude toward it all.

Yet that positivity didn't seem to stay for long as she heard that sad tinge creep back into Rinaa's voice as she finished talking, the realisation she couldn't use these new heightened senses/abilities to their full potential. "I can't imagine what that must be like knowing that, but hopefully you can use them as much as possible whilst you still have the chance to. Even if it's not to quite that extent, but for something more than sniffing Jay's food from another room" she replied to her, trying to end the sentence on a slightly light hearted note, but unsure if it would even come across as that or would work.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa was all to aware that she was slumping back into annoyance and sadness, but couldn't really stop herself. She was utterly amazed at what the senses let her experience, the scent profile of food was just one of the many things she'd noticed back in the the house. While sniffing the air she could also smell the scent of seawater in the other's hair and the very faint whiff left from the leftover antibacterial sanitiser the'd used on her arm. One thing she'd picked up on, but not commented on was the way that both Jay and Elliott were covered in each other's scent when they emerged from the kitchen. Animal instinct told her that this wasn't because they'd simply been in the same room for the past twenty minutes, something more had happened. Rinaa knew she was just scratching the surface of these abilities, but what was really bringing her down was that she'd never be able to fully master them.

There was a very slight smirk when Fia gave the last line of her sort of pep talk, but it could just as easily be dismissed as some kind of facial tic. She let out another huffing sigh of annoyance."I really shouldn't be complaining about it, I know, there's bigger shit to deal with in my life. I should be grateful for even having them in the first place But it's SO bloody frustrating, I finally get these amazing abilities, abilities that actually WORK, unlike my barely-there MIndWalking skills, my non existent mage side and a second form who may be majestic and powerful and freeing, but comes with all the hallmarks of a psychopath or sociopath. I want to do MORE with these knew skills than just be able to know who has been snogging who in the kitchen cos they thought nobody would be able to find out. Scrap that, I just want to do MORE with my life anyway.... well what little of it there is still left. I can't make a difference when it comes to my own life problems, so I might as well take the skills I do have and put them somewhere where they'll make a difference. It's why I joined the Facility 53 crew and the vigilantes- to use my skills for something bigger than myself. I'm capable of SO much more, but I'll NEVER be able to do it, nobody will ever see just WHAT I could have achieved if the deck wasn't stacked against me. All the potential, all the things I could do- the ideas, the plans, the things that need saying, the songs that need writing, all the thought rushing around in my head? They'll be gone in a matter of weeks. And even if I did live, the world will end when I'm twenty four. Yet I'll still keep trying to do something with myself, to keep reaching and keep trying to use up a lifetime's worth of potential in such a short time. I'll still be trying to find a way to use these for something better, something bigger than myself. Do it or die trying, that's me in a nutshell really." Rinaa may have started off annoyed at herself for dragging down the mood (again), as she spoke her tone changed. The frustration and utter hopelessness she'd felt for so many days of her life were clearly visible in her words, as well a sense of futility about her life and how little she felt she'd done with it. There was an undeniable anger there too, lurking below the surface like some kind of monster, as well as a burning passion deep within her, that drove her to do what she did.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia didn't mind that Rinaa was bringing down the mood, or so Rinaa thought. She let the girl unleash what was on her mind whilst she could, knowing that she clearly had been holding too much inside for too long and needed it to be released. Fia actually felt quite impressed that Rinaa felt she could even talk about any of this to her considering their weird roller-coaster relationship. She let her continue to talk, hearing her tone change as she went on which made her slightly sad but she didn't say anything.

"well I think that's pretty admirable you still have the drive to want to do what you can whilst you can" she told her honestly. She then got a little idea in her head and wondered if it would be a good one tha Rinaa would be up for or not. "hey how about we do something fun before we make it back to the house. But try and find a way for you to use your abilities at the same time? Even if it's something ridiculously childish like hide and seek with the dogs or something?" she suggested, just wanting Rinaa to be able to have some fun.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa really hadn't meant to blurt out any of what she was saying or to get so riled up as she was saying it. Normally she would just have been able to keep her thoughts to herself and her emotions fully in control, only hinting at the turmoil behind her facade of being in control. But today wasn't a normal day, as Jay had suspected earlier, Rinaa was right on the brink of a mental breakdown, and, as a result the teenager was really just shooting her mouth off, Fia just happened to be around as the floodgates were breaking. She needed an outlet, somewhere to vent all the turbulent emotions, pent up energy and thoughts racing around her mind like a swarm of enraged bees. Rinaa knew that once she started properly venting she really wouldn't stop. And if somebody was to hug her, she would just breakdown there and then and cling to whoever it was that had the misfortune to touch her as if her life depended on it.

She let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand, as if, somehow, the pressure of her fingers on her nose would keep back the oncoming
(and inevitable) breakdown. It was going to be a bad one, Rinaa could just tell. Due to the sound of her own blood pounding in her ears, Rinaa completely missed Fia saying that she thought what Rinaa was doing was 'admirable. But she did hear what the other girl said next. It wasn't just the idea that surprised her, but the person it was coming from. This Fia seemed hellbent on constantly surprising her, not only by having a myriad of hidden talent and traits, but also by constantly trying to be there and to help (anybody with half an ounce of sense should have given up by now Rinaa though). "That could work.... but I really can't promise anything." "I'm really not in the greatest of minds now, it's taking a hell of a lot of effort not to have a full blown breakdown here and now." "But there's one thing I need to know first, before I consider using these full whack, it's kind of a deal breaker...... Does your natural scent have anything that smells like fire or ash or burning in it?"

 

[MzHyde]

If Rinaa had or does have a mental breakdown in front of Fia, Fia was well prepared to hold her cousin and let her vent it out without saying a single word. Like John told her, if anyone could help Rinaa feel like her old self again and remind her of that other teenager, it could be her. She was just determined to show Rinaa that it was okay to show any emotion that was being felt at the time. Yet she also wanted to show Rinaa that it was also okay to let go and have fun every once in a while and there was still time to put her new abilities to use. There was also that tiny selfish part of her wanting to constantly show Rinaa she wasn't the Fia she knew.

Glancing at Rinaa, she could see how her idea and the fact it was her that said it surprised the girl. She always wanted to be there for Rinaa, despite the fact Sykes was hellbent on ripping her throat out from the tiniest thing. She wanted to give Rinaa that feeling that her family outside of Jay did care about her, even if everyone else was close to giving up on her because of how she was treating everyone and Fia. At the mention of her natural scent she gave it a thought before shaking her head. "nope! I'd say its more...cinnamon at most. But I wash in so much peppermint based shower gel someone would think that's my natural scent" she explained whilst chuckling at her last comment about herself.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa's shoulders slumped very slightly in relief when Fia told her that her natural phoenix scent didn't have anything in it that was related to fire. However bad the thought of having a mental breakdown in front of her cousin would be, the idea of having a full blown panic attack accompanied by flashbacks in front of her was far, far worse. Maybe it was pride, but Rinaa really didn't want anybody to see what she was like when she fell apart, just how much of a pathetic wreck she'd become. At first people had said it was a natural reaction to the trauma and that it would just fade away, that hadn't happened, in fact it was almost the opposite, it seemed to get worse, especially when it was confirmed by John that the fire had indeed been phoenix flame. John hadn't believed her at first, hadn't believed it possible, but one trip to the ruins was all it took. The fact that it still lingered all these years later made Rinaa suspect she had some form of PTSD, but she couldn't be certain on that front.

"You have NO idea how relieving it is to hear that." A quick sniff in Fia's direction confirmed what the other girl was saying, an underlying scent of cinnamon and peppermint, some faint whiffs of mud and salt from earlier in the day with the dogs, and the spices from the meal Jay had cooked. "I'm more of a citrus person myself, mainly because that particular brand doesn't screw up my dye job. But if I had to describe my usual scent, as in, before y'know.... my psychotic roommate came along, it'd be motor oil, citrus, leather and an underlying sort of musk. But it changed a lot, one of the Isogrii things I learned was how to change my natural scent, or dampen it completely. It's why you never smell anything on Jay that wasn't put there because of something that she did during the day" she then gave a smirk thinking back to earlier"or someone."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia nodded smiling, hearing the relief in Rinaa's tone made her smile, glad that she could give the girl that at least. She didn't even mind when she clearly took a quick small sniff of her to check she was indeed telling the truth. She listened to what Rinaa said in reply and couldn't help but smirk at her say she was more of a citrus person herself. She thought it was interesting that there was even a way to change your natural scent, finding it was one thing she never learned was possible. Though it did make sense in the situation of Jay, even if she did find herself raising an eyebrow at her last remark, before guessing it was a reference to Elliott and Jay in the kitchen earlier. "guessing that has something to do with when they went so quiet earlier in the kitchen" she smirked.

"so whaddya say? Prat about for a bit and forget everything for a while?" she asked, stopping in front of her and turning to face her, smiling. "or we can head to the waterfall, sit at the edge of the river and continue to wallow" she added with a shrug, knowing what she would prefer to do but she also wanted to give Rinaa the feeling she wasn't being forced to do anything. If Rinaa felt like continuing her heart to heart and having a breakdown then she would let her, she just wanted always make Rinaa feel like she had options despite the impending doom that was looming over them all.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa nodded, then smirked slightly, glad Fia had picked up on what she was not so subtly implying."It has everything to do with why that happened. It was also why I volunteered to cook up the second batch of tarabree, to have a sniff around the kitchen,. I wanted to confirm what my nose was telling me, but in a way that they wouldn't expect or consider a breach of their privacy." Rinaa knew that Jay and Elliott were only at the very beginning stages of their relationship. They may have known each other for years before getting together, but the move to a physical relationship was a big one for them both and and currently they were still in the stage of figuring out everything. Rinaa didn't want to or say anything that could jeopardise that, which as why she'd kept her second mother a secret for so long. "Let's just say that the countertop, cupboard and the fridge reek of them both, and if I know her as well as I think I do, it was Jay that made the first move, though where it went from there is anybody's guess."

Rinaa stopped walking when Fia did, secretly glad that the other girl didn't get too into her personal space. She considered the options, before coming up with one of her own. The idea of just messing around and letting all her problems be kicked away for a while was very appealing. She didn't want to have a breakdown with Fia around, she'd rather wait until the middle of the night, sneak out of the boat and crawl to the hidey hole under the pier where she knew nobody would find her and break down there. But this was also her last time on the island, and her last chance to see the river, Fia might be able to visit there again, but Rinaa never would."I say let's try the best of both- pratting around in the river with the dogs. That's always fun and besides, I haven't spent NEARLY enough time in the river and we're leaving tomorrow after all." There was a smile on her face and in her tone, but it didn't fully reach her eyes, the idea had made her slightly happier, but she was still nowhere near alright.

 

[MzHyde]

When Rinaa confirmed it was totally why her parents went quiet in the kitchen earlier, Fia had to smirk and chuckle which only turned into a proper laugh when she was told that their scent was on pretty much everything in the kitchen. She had to think to herself 'at least there were no sex sounds coming from them'. It wasn't any surprise that it would have been Jay who made the first move to her, considering what she knew of her brother's personality. It was what she thought always made Jay and Kay similar, it was the girls who made the first move when they felt like it.

She never wanted to push Rinaa into anything or come across as she was trying to invade the girl's personal space. So when Rinaa decided to go for the best of both options, she smiled and nodded. "sounds good to me! I'm down for that and we're not that far from the river now, so makes sense" she agreed, remembering where abouts they were from previous walks. She then looked at the three dogs, "how does the river sound you three?!" she smirked, knowing it was a stupid questions because she knew the dogs would love it.

 

[_gallifrog_]

The dogs were of course delighted by the idea of going into the river for a swim and barked enthusiastically, tails wagging. "Right then you three, lead the way to the river." Rinaa commanded the dogs, switching flawlessly to the dogs' native tongue. The trio happily turned tail and made a beeline for the river, Koso leading the way, Rhys and Meyer behind him, forming a sort of arrow shape with Koso at the tip. Rinaa then turned to Fia, switching back to English to give an explanation, knowing the dogs couldn't understand her when she spoke English. "I know we both know where it is, but those three like to feel like they know more about how to get around their home than we do." Even when she wasn't in wolf form, Rinaa still retained a rough idea of how the mind of a canine worked.

It only took a few minutes to reach the river, Rinaa could of course hear it well before they could see it. She could also hear the three splashes made by the dogs jumping in, one after the other. She smiled slightly before remarking (more to herself than Fia) "they're wasting no time in going in for a dip." Leaving the house Rinaa had taken her backpack with her, on the minute off chance that something happened and they ended up needing supplies and tools Rinaa wanted to be prepared. This was a trait instilled in her by both her Isogrii training and her vigilante work. As soon as the river came into sight, Rinaa slipped the bag off her shoulders and threw it to one side. After a moments hesitation she pulled off her t-shirt then ran for the river with a cry of "geronimo!", jumping in cannonball-style and making an impressive splash.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia smiled as Rinaa commanded the dogs to lead the way to the river and seeing them fall into formation like they did when she took them for a walk on her own, bounding on ahead happily. She then looked at Rinaa when she turned to her to explain why let the dogs go on ahead and lead the way. "figured as much, it's why I let them lead the entire route this morning. Let them be in charge" she replied.

She followed them for a few minutes before arriving back at the river she once went to with Matteo, recognising the area instantly and chuckling when Rinaa made the remark about the dogs splashing into the water. When they got where they wanted to be, Fia pulled off her boots, jacket and vest as she watched Rinaa pull off her shirt and cannonball dive into the river with a yell. She had to laugh at what she saw before she decided to make a run for the river herself, diving in without a care in the world.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa's head popped above the water a few moments later, just in time to see Fia jump in. Her hair was plastered to her head, making it look like she had a sort of pixie cut and there was a wide grin on her face. She gave her arm a cursory glance to see if the bandage had come undone (it hadn't), knowing that keeping the stitches dry was important (hence the waterproof gauze and bandage). When Fia resurfaced, she called over "if you see this bandage" she gestured at the one on her forearm"coming off at any point, tell me, yeah? The stitches shouldn't get wet, and I don't want Cliff or Jay to be annoyed at me for getting them wet."

Rinaa spent the first while just swimming leisurely around, enjoying the feeling of being in the water, letting it run over her body, finding that the gentle flow of the river both relaxed and soothed her. To put it in poetic terms, Rinaa felt as if the water was washing away her troubles. Like Jay, Rinaa's swimming technique was flawless and elegant, her arms and legs cutting easily through the water. After warming up and loosening out her muscles Rinaa began experimenting with how far she could swim underwater on a single breath. She would take in one large, deep breath, then dive under and swim breaststroke underwater for as far as possible, only popping up when her lungs were screaming for air. The distance was nothing compared to what Cliff's siblings could do (though they had the added advantage of gills). Rinaa knew that in a pool she could do one 25 metre length without coming up for air, but in the river that figure varied, depending on whether she was swimming with the current or against it.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia saw Rinaa bop her head up to the surface just as she dived in, arriving back up to the surface seconds later, flipping her hair up and back like she did when she had the beach trip with her direct family. When Rinaa spoke to her and gestured to her bandage on her arm she listened, glanced down then back up to her face again. "sure thing" she replied, finding it not in the slightest bit if a problem to do for her. She then went onto just swimming above water for a while before she decided to dive under water to see how far down to the bottom of the river she could get.

She wanted to see what fish were in there and just wanted to generally be underwater. She could see just baout that Rinaa was doing laps under water to test how long she could be underwater for, and let her do do what she wanted before she swam back up to the surface and took a large exhale. She ran her hands through her hair to get out of her face then swam toward the waterfall and through it, wanting to be on the other side of it for a moment of serenity. She really did love this calming place and hoped she'd be able to come back at some point.

(sorry for delay was watching the legends of tomorrow love Q&A)

 

[_gallifrog_]

There were various fish in the water, but the quickly scarpered away when the dogs and humans came anywhere near them. Some were tiny little things that could hide under the pebbles of the riverbed, but others were larger, almost the same length as one of the girls' forearms. There was other aquatic life there too, plants, crabs, some bizarre looking crustaceans, small insects and Rinaa swore she caught a glimpse of an eel. The riverbed depth varied throughout it's course, but at this particular spot it was a couple of metres deep, the bottom could be reached, but the dogs tended not to swim that deep for fun preferring to stay near the surface so they could play easily. The riverbed had a sort of wide v-shape to it, shallow at the edges, gradually sloping deeper the closer you got to the middle.

It was when Rinaa surfaced for air, raking her hands through her hair with one of the broadest grins in a long time on her face that she was jumped on by not one, not two, but all three dogs. Rhys, Koso and Meyer had seen Fia go behind the waterfall and knew it wasn't worth trying to jump her, there was no way for them to sneak up on her easily. So instead they went for Rinaa, who was, by comparison, a much easier target. She was pushed below the surface with a shriek (which was quickly muffled by the water). Re-emerging above the surface she began to grappled and played with all dogs, rolling around in the shallows with them, acting as if she herself was just one of the pack. It was strangely endearing to see her acting in such a childish way, and something about how carefree and natural it was for her would tell Fia that this wasn't the first time Rinaa had rolled around playing with large dogs.

(ooh sounds cool! Is it part of virtual comic con or something?)

 

[MzHyde]

Fia found it interesting what sealife she saw underwater, the crustaceans and smaller shy fish caught her eyes the most. Being behind the waterfall she knew she was safe from the pouncing that the dogs would inevitably do, so she made the most of the time she had of peace whilst she had it, before she decided she would swim back out into the main part of the river. She saw Rinaa tussling with the dogs, making her smile and chuckle fondly. It was so clear to her that this wasn't Rinaa's first time wrestling with such large dogs, but she also could see just how happy Rinaa was being. The sheer joy radiating off of Rinaa was almost infectious to Fia as she watched on before swimming closer. "three on one? Now that's hardly fair!" she joked.

Fia then found herself staying put curious to what would happen to such a declaration that she made. She could feel her jeans sticking to her legs and getting heavy but didn't care. She was enjoying just messing about with the dogs and Rinaa. For this brief moment, it felt like there was no tension between the two of them and they were just two people that got on and were having nothing but fun with three large lovable dogs whom they both liked dearly.

(yeah, wizard world con's one. Also got a one on one video call on Wednesday with Matt Ryan through that same convention)

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa didn't mind being knocked around a bit by the dogs, they knew their own strength and were holding back so it was fun. With all three on top of her she was well aware that if they wanted to, they could push her right under and drown her, and there'd be very little she could do to stop them. She found wrestling with dogs strangely fun, even if she was getting mouthfuls of wet dog hair. At Fia's words she nodded, placing her feet on the riverbed so she could chat from a more stable position. "It mightn't be fair in a fight situation, I'm sure we've both dealt with worse odds before, but when it comes to dogs? The more dogs, the more fun really." She answered with a lighthearted grin."And I'm kinda used to three dogs at once anyway."

She reached over an arm to run it through the wet fur or the nearest dog, which happened to be Rhys. Rinaa had no problem with her clothes sticking to her, her shorts may have been made of a pseudo-denim material (which easily absorbed water), but they were already quite form fitting and cut off a good bit above her knees. She'd also thrown off her t-shirt before jumping in so there was no way that could drag her down or bag out of shape. "The real question is, are you?" Rinaa asked, before giving a hand signal, prompting all three dogs to fling themselves on top of Fia.

(Oooh, the Matt Ryan one on one sounds awesome! Enjoy! (I'd have no idea what to even say to him)
San Diego Comic Con did a virtual con a few weeks ago and there was a panel for the 15th anniversary of the Constantine movie with Keanu Reeves, and throughout the whole thing it's really obvious that he loved the character and the movie, like Matt Ryan he did a lot of research on the character before playing him)

 

[MzHyde]

Fia could tell that Rinaa was enjoying this moment so much, it made her even get a split second thought making her wonder if it brought a moment to Rinaa that made her feel like she was playing with her own dogs in her timeline or not. If she wasn't wet and in the river she would have been tempted to take some pictures for Rinaa, but she was also glad she didn't have her phone on her and kept it in her jacket pocket that was at a safe distance away. She smirked and chuckled at Rinaa's reply to her little statement, seeing Rinaa stabilise herself as the dogs kept playing with her, getting their fur everywhere.

"true we have both dealt with worse odds!" she chuckled, seeing just how truly happy this tussle was making her. It was so heartwarming to see Rinaa smile this much and without the need for Moya to be around to do so. She did however raise an eyebrow when Rinaa started talking again, making her go wide eyed as she heard the question 'are you?' before seeing the dogs come bounding toward her. "no no no n-ahhh!!" she started saying trying to wade herself away when she felt all three pounce on her, dunking her underwater briefly before bringing her back up again, making her wrestle with them whilst laughing. "cheap shot Rinaa!!" she said between giggles and a pile of fur, as she wrestled with them playfully.

(tbh I have no idea what to say to Matt either lol! I just hope I don't make a fool out of myself haha! And yeah, it's clear both actors love the character a great deal)

 

[_gallifrog_]

It did indeed feel to Rinaa like she was back with her own dogs, who were such a massive part of her life, not just because they provided company, affection and protection. In the privacy of her apartment or in the lab break room she'd quite happily tussle on the floor with them. Her dogs were actually a regular feature in the lab social areas, so much so that there were dog baskets for all three there and food kept in one of the cupboards for them. She'd even had them chipped and put in the lab security system so that they could access the social areas by themselves (they weren't allowed in the work areas for hygiene and safety reasons). The dogs were also a part of her vigilante moniker, they were highly trained as fighters and there was something about a masked figure with a sword and a whole pile of knives accompanied by three massive wolf-like dogs that made baddies less likely to fuck with her or try anything stupid. Being able to control the dogs allowed her to surround people without them knowing they were being surrounded, and the dogs also played a vital role in search and rescue in bombed out building.

Being around Cliff's family's dogs not only brightened her mood and gave Rinaa the opportunity to just kick back and mess around, but they also reminded her of the better things in her timeline. Getting them to jump Fia was just an added, bonus and too good an opportunity to miss. The expression on the other girl's face as she realised she was so utterly screwed was priceless and made Rinaa burst out laughing. Unlike her snorting laughter earlier this was a rounded mellow sound and when she laughed, she looked so uncannily like Elliott. Rinaa was half tempted to jump on top of the dogs and join in, but decided against it, watching it play out was far funnier. "Sure, sure" Rinaa waved a dismissive hand "this was a long time coming. Once you left the waterfall your fate was sealed y'know."

(I doubt you will! It'll probably really awesome when you actually do it
There's one moment where one of the other guys on the panel brings out the prop of the flamethrower shotgun and Keanu just yells "THE HOLY SHOTGUN!" with such genuine delight)

 

[MzHyde]

Fia could hear Rinaa laughing at her, but she didn't mind as she knew her current state was highly amusing to an onlooker. She managed to get a look at Rinaa laughing between the heaps of fur that was the dogs, and got taken off guard just briefly how much Rinaa looked like Elliott. Which left her unguarded for that split second, making her get dunked once again. She held her breath under the water before resurfacing once more exhaling gladly. When Rinaa said it was a long time coming and her fate was sealed the moment she left the waterfall, she tried to come out with a comeback, but she actually couldnt think of a single thing to say.

"... I actually can't say anything on the contrary to that" she chuckled. She knew Rinaa had her on that simple comment, as she purposely ducked under the water, swam under the dogs and resurface on the other side, wading to the edge to sit down on the ground. She grabbed her hair and rung it out so it wasn't dripping with so much water. It was times like this she was glad she just used her bikini top as an under piece whilst being on the island, as she flopped down on the ground laying down and staring up at the sky. A smile and sigh of content escaping her.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa smirked when Fia admitted there was nothing she could say in response. She'd been around this Fia enough to know that rendering her unable to give some kind of smart comment wasn't an easy feat. There was a slightly smug note in what she said next "just proves I'm right then." While Fia made her way to one edge, Rinaa made her way to the other, the side where her backpack was. She opened the front pocket and pulled out a set of three bright red tennis balls, they were slightly chewed up as they were the ones she used to play with her own dogs, but she figured Rhys, Koso and Meyer wouldn't mind.

She stuck two finger into her mouth, giving a piercing whistle to get the dogs' attention. "Right you three, fetch!" Rinaa then flung the balls as far as she could, one after the other. Rinaa threw better with her left hand (even though she was ambidextrous, her left hand was the dominant one), and intended to make the dogs really run for the balls, flinging two downriver and one upriver. The dogs wasted no time in streaking after them, crashing through the water, wet fur whipping in the wind. Rhys was the only one to catch a ball in mid air, and returning looking immensely pleased with himself. Rinaa continued to play fetch with them, racing up and down the banks, so the dogs had to chase her in order to return the ball. Sometimes there was a rile reversal and it was Rinaa who'd have to chase them. It was a strange sight, a tall longed limbed girl with shirt hair, dressed in denim shorts and sports bra, chasing and being chased by three large wet dogs.