Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

"One sec, geez" Rinaa rolled her eyes at Fia's eagerness. "I've got to fix this first." She waved her phone in the direction of the other teenager. A quick bit of fast typing and one file located later she tucked the phone back into some invisible pocket on her trousers. "Right" she declared"if anything that comes in from Jay I've automatically routed to go to Elliott's phone instead. It'll be in code, but I've sent over a copy of that too, obviously don't let it fall into the wrong hands. And if anything goes sideways on Jay's end, call me. IMMEDIATELY." That part was said almost forcefully. Rinaa would have added 'or else', but she really wasn't sure what the consequence for not calling her could be. "I'd rather have a night out ruined and have to go on a rescue mission than be left in ignorance." As she'd been speaking Elliott had taken out his phone and, yes, Rinaa had indeed sent him a file. "Don't worry. I've got this, and if anything does go wrong, which it won't, we'll call you. Now go have fun." Elliott instructed her, he was impressed by her forward planning, and how she didn't forget about Jay, but he also wanted her to have a good time. (Fia too, but more so Rinaa, as there weren't going to be many more opportunities for her to do so).

Rinaa didn't need telling twice, she grabbed her keys and wallet, shoving them deep into her other pocket and was out the door in a shot with a wave. As was her habit, she made for the external staircase. It wasn't quite dark yet, but the sun had begun to drop and it was slowly getting dark, by the time they reached Rinaa's intended destination she suspected it would pretty much be dark. She rarely walked down the metal staircase like a normal person (even when laden with books she'd go down at speed) and this evening was no exception. Rinaa chose to half run, half vault down to ground level, moving with the ease of somebody who had done this many times before. Once Fia was down at the bottom of the stairs, she began to lead the way. "I'm not out to ruin your fun before it's even begun, but it's only fair to warn you, showing like that" she gestured at how low zipped Fia's vest was, it was far lower than was considered decent, she was well aware "is basically a like having a sign saying 'debauch me against the wall in the back alley'. If that's what you want to get out of tonight then fair enough, I really can't judge anybody who likes a bit a' rough ,all things considered. Just don't be stupid about it, despite what they'll say, it's my neck on the line. But if being debauched in a back alley isn't what you want out of tonight, I can black band you, and you'll get no hassle."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia waited for Rinaa as she did something on her phone before explaining exactly what it was she was doing. She could hear the urgency in Rinaa's voice when she said about calling her immediately if anything goes wrong from Jay's situation. Like Rinaa, if there was a need to go back n a rescue mission, she would stop her night of fun and drunkeness straight away. She smiled at Elliott telling Rinaa to go have some fun like a normal person before heading out with the other teenager. She let Rinaa go on ahead down the stairs as she jogged down the staircase behind her, before reaching the bottom, properly noting what light there was in the sky and roughly figuring out how long it's be before it was dark.

What she wasn't expecting however was Rinaa to comment on how low her vest zip was and what it was practically inviting at the place they were going to, sure she wanted fun but she didn't want to lose her virginity to some random person behind a club, maleout sessions? Sure, but not sex. She looked down at the zip before looking at Rinaa again before looking at her zip once more and zipping it up just a bit more but not fully, it still show cleavage but not to the extent it did before. She hated zips being right up to the neckline on her coats or vests, unless it was ridiculously cold outside and she needed to bundle up for warmth. "fair enough...malea a change you saying something rather than my time line's version of Kay I guess" she replied. "I really thought I was gonna get told to change for a moment back there, I'm not gonna lie" she added. "but anyway..how far is this place we're going to and what is it like?" she asked, wanting to know about where they were going as they walked.

She was ready to finally do something that was typical for her age, even if back home on Earth she was still considered underage to go to a proper club unless it was for a gig. It felt so refreshing to her to be out of the same four walls of her home (or in this case, Cal and Cliff's apartment) that wasn't for a secret hunt of hers.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Maybe they wanted to say something, but neither of them have raised a teenage girl before, must be COMPLETELY awkward to ask somebody who is essence a stranger to change their outfit to fit their specifics. This is supposed to be about having fun. Or maybe they were too busy trying to comprehend the fact that I totally rock the 'tall dark and handsome stereotype'." The way she used air quotes around the words 'tall dark and handsome' implied that she was referencing a time when somebody had said just that to her. "Who knows?" Rinaa finished with a shrug, relieved that Fia had followed her advice. She certainly couldn't make alternate Fia do anything in her own timeline, so it was a disconcerting change to have a Fia that actually listened to her advice. Rinaa never revealed anything of her chest, not because she was body conscious or prudish, but because any outfit that did so would also reveal a portion of the extensive burn scars on her back and explaining them was a rabbit hole she really didn't want to go down. She'd seen enough pitying and horrified looks to last a lifetime. Even now, a very tiny portion of the skin graft could be seen on the back of her neck.

"And as for the advice, well, I'm TECHNICALLY the responsible adult, no matter what your fake ID says" Rinaa passed over two pieces of ID to Fia as she spoke, one was a student card for the university and the other was a transport card (like an Oyster card of Earth) most people on Attil used. Deke had done up ID for everybody, not just her and Jay when they first arrived, but this was the first time they actually needed to use it (and the first time she'd actually felt like sharing this information with the other teenager). "Don't get TOO excited, I'm still older." Fia was technically the oldest if they went by birth dates, but Rinaa had spent nearly three years time travelling, so was actually nearer to twenty than she looked.

"It'd be a fair old trek if we were walking, but we're not. I'd usually suggest biking over, but Jay's left my bike ate the spaceport, so Attil's high-speed train system. There's really no night life in the military town for people our age, what with caddies being kept in at night, so the best place to go for music, booze and company if you're a student is unsurprisingly the area around the university. As for the place itself, not sure how you'd describe it really without using the words 'the kind of place I usually go to for fun and to play the occasional gig'. Dunno if your time has anything like it, but my London has developed a new underground scene catering to the alternate, the non-human be it aliens or Downworlders, anybody who is sick of life's shit and wants a good time. It's not the kind of place where they play whatever song is topping in the charts, but not a total skanky dive with people dealing drugs in the open either. Music's always live, various bands and there's no real theme, but generally darker or more dramatic pieces, with drums. You gotta have a good drum accompaniment for dancers. The kinda place younger John woulda played in and teenage Jay would have snuck out to. The atmosphere's pretty electric and the booze is on the cheap side, but surprisingly good. The people are from all kinds of places, but mainly those who are a little bit different, my kinda people really."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia listened to Rinaa being all but the devil's advocate when it came to talking about Fia's surprise at not being told anything a out her outfit choice. Hearing and seeing the quote she said about herself made her smirk, getting the distinct feeling Rinaa had been told that exact set of descriptions before and she didn't just pull it out of her head for shits and giggles. "nah, I get that. Just used to my mum or the rare occasion dad complaining about nearly anything I wear that isn't my day to day wear, so it was weird not hearing some kind of complaint" she explained, getting across that she got it was just as awkward for them as it was her, despite how confident she always wore her outfits. She also didn't mind that Rinaa gave her the advice as she wasn't completely criticising what Fia was wearing, just wanting to make sure she remained safe where they were going. For that she was greatful, even if she didn't outwardly say it to the other girl. She knew they were highly different when it came to the levels they'd go to for clothing and she understood why Rinaa was always preferring to cover up for the most part. If she was as scarred as Rinaa was, she wouldn't be nearly as confident about her clothing choices either.

She took the fake ID's that Rinaa handed her, looking them over and seeing that they both made out she was at least two years older than she actually was, deciding it was a good age to give her as it wasn't so far from her real age that it'd be unbelievable, but went with how old she looked when dressed the way she currently was. Seeing the quality of the fake id's, she guessed that it was Deke who made them and wondered when they got made and how they got her photos to even make such a thing in the first place, but accepted them without question. She smirked and nodded at Rinaa telling her she was still older, "only because of your time travelling. But I'll let you have the older family member tag" she joked.

She then listened to the answer she was given about where they were going, the equivalent of the oyster card now making a lot of sense to why she was given it. "hence the travel card" she clarified, holding it up casually as she put the other ID in her jacket pocket. She then went on to reply to a couple of the other points Rinaa described, "yeah, we have them in my timeline too, I just never get to go to them. Not the underground places anyway. Only times I've been anywhere near any kind of venue is when I once managed to talk dad into taking me to a gig just to stop me from getting cabin fever to worrying levels. Which in my opinion doesn't count at all. But sounds like a cool place, I'm looking forward to it" she smirked and explained, meaning every word she said. She was looking forward to seeing how the night would pan out as she walked with Rinaa to the train station they'd need. She was more than willing to just let go, have fun and see how the night goes.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Fia's smirk at the phrase 'tall dark and handsome' didn't go amiss on Rinaa. It was one of her favourite things a friend had said to her, and somewhere in the leatherbound notebook was a half formed song based on being tall, dark, handsome and owning it, giving the finger to anybody who doesn't accept your style. Had there been more free time in her life, she would have finished it. "It still counts, time travel's weird like that, but I'll damn well take it. I've gotta work with what I got these days." Rinaa shrugged. Being the older of the two wasn't all she had over the other teenager, but when she compared their lives, it really felt like that was all she had that was better than what Fia had. She then nodded at Fia's comment on the travel card. "Hence the travel card" she agreed, checking her wallet to ensure she had her own card, which she did.

Thankfully Fia understood what she was attempting to explain. It was a relief to hear that such places still existed in the other timeline, they had been a fairly big part of Rinaa's uni years. Had Fia not understood she would have shown the other teenager some of her memories as an explanation. "Good, so this all won't be a complete shock for you." It was still weird for her to hear that his Fia had basically been locked up her whole life, the version she knew was barely in the flat in her later teenage years, spending time with some very unsavoury types (two of them had bullied Rinaa's friends in secondary school). Rinaa herself had been given a lot of freedom from a young age, probably far too much if she was being honest, but Jay had wanted her to live and experience things off-world. It had often been a case of Jay pushing Rinaa to do something outlandish or unusual, and Rinaa actually really enjoying it once she got into it. After she'd nearly died in the fire, it had been Jay who forced her out of their place, saying she couldn't sit around moping and reliving it, would make the PTSD worse, so she should go and do something that made her actually feel alive. And that tactic had worked too, taking her mind off everything and building up her shattered confidence.

The walk to the station wasn't far, and they weren't the only ones heading that way. A number of the students who worked in the base town were also milling around the station. The building itself was unassuming as the lines and platforms were actually below ground for safety and to protect them from bombs. (They moved above ground again nearer to the university. "I would say come to one of my gigs for a good night out" Rinaa shrugged, drawing out the word 'but' "buuuuut the logic of that sentence is completely fucked. Not least because I don't know if you'd even like the kind of stuff we usually play, but also because it requires time travelling to my timeline which could only end badly. Also I'm pretty sure alternate you and Kay are blacklisted from any events after my 'death'."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia still weirdly found it strange that Rinaa was technically in a weird way older than her as she was so used to being the older one out of the two of them, but she was willing to let Rinaa have that to her name when it came to the two of them, knowing she didn't have much else, but that wasn't to say it was all she had over Fia, but it was all she knew about. She walked up into the station with Rinaa, noting how many others were milling about whilst taking in the appearance of the station and where it was similar to Earth and where it was different. It was a habit she had quickly picked up with everything on Attil, to point out the similarities and differences because she was curious about it all.

She could tell that Rinaa found it weird that she was pretty much locked up nearly all her life as it was clearly something that was one of the biggest differences between her and Rinaa's Fia. Even she herself was surprised just how much freedom she was getting on Attil in comparison, not that she would ever say that out loud. Now she was older she got why her parents were afraid to let her out too much, when she was very young the hunt for her and Kay did heighten, as the downworld did learn of her birth. It was like her birth sent out a magical burst into the world that only those of the downworld and magical realms would have felt and that created all kinds of chaos for them for a while. That fear of her being taken from them made her grow up in an closed off world, a closed off world that they couldn't even fully explain to Sam. She wished she could warn her parents that more difficulties would be coming their way when she was born but she knew she couldn't, she just hoped that spending time with her in the here and now would make them think differently about how they kept safe and try to keep her safe whilst not denying her her freedom.

Her thoughts were broken when Rinaa spoke up again about offering her to one of her gigs if it wasn't for the time travel and the fact her alternate self wasn't blacklisted. "it's not surprising our alternate selves would be blacklisted. I'd be more surprised if we weren't. And I like all kinds of music, all except classical. So if I ever did hear what you guys played I'm sure I'd like it. I may play the violin but I like punk, metal, and all kinds of other genres. I grew up to appreciate all forms of music and well... When your dad is a punk at heart, it's a bit difficult to not like the alternative genres" she smiled, as she decided to just wear her jacket instead of keeping it slung over shoulder.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa couldn't help but smirk at the comment about John and punk. His influence in her life had been nowhere as prominent (or consistent) as it had been on Fia's, but he had still somehow managed to play a role in getting her into towards punk music. Punk, protest and rock music all chimed with something inside her, but she also listened to a wide variety of other genres, mainly movie soundtracks and instrumentals as she found listening to something with words while working was distracting. "I'm the same, I'm pretty open and eclectic in my tastes. Punk, rock and protest music are my favourites to perform and write, but I love a good soundtrack or instrumental. And there's always pop song or indie-folk song I can relate to. Even the occasional historical ballad can take my interest. I'll give most things a chance, if it's not my thing, then so what?"

At that point their train arrived, so Rinaa stopped talking so they could swipe their cards and board. The inside of the carriages were very spartan in design, clearly it had been a military design originally and repurposed as public transport. There was plenty of seats available, but Rinaa didn't bother with a seat, choosing instead to stand."Well had we known how big we were gonna get, we would have made a blacklist from the start. None of us thought anything would really come from it, it was just a bit of fun, and a way of letting go." Rinaa explained. "And I'm not the only one who has people I don't want at our gigs, in case you were wondering. We all have somebody and it's always for legitimate reasons of course" she added with a smirk "we're not THAT petty that we'd blacklist anybody we've had even the slightest issue with." She then scrunched up her nose, tipping he head to one side, reconsidering her answer. "Well, maybe when it comes to exes or favoured siblings, we can be petty. There's always something great about seeing that moment of realisation for your ex or sibling when they see you on stage in complete control of the crowd. I should probably be more cut up about what happened at my last gig than I actually am."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia listened as Rinaa said she was very much the same when it came to music and giving anything a try at least to see if it's liked before judging it. The smirk she gave didn't go amiss either on Fia when she spoke about how her father had a large impact on what she liked and disliked, even though she felt like it couldn't have been much of a surprise as everyone knew how much she idolised her father. She nodded in agreement at how she had the opinion of if it turned out Rinaa didn't like something then it wasn't the end of the world so to speak, something that Fia agreed with completely. She was going to reply but then their train came and as Rinaa walked on and swipe the travel card, Fia did the same thing, making sure that she copied Rinaa in a way that didn't make her stand out even more as tourist than she already naturally did.

On the train, Fia also stood leaning against one of the poles instead of sitting, noting its interior design and guessing it was a converted military train. She then listened as Rinaa went on to explain about what it was like for her and her band when they played live and how every band member had people on the blacklist, not just Rinaa. She smirked back to match Rinaa's, nodding as she didn't judge at all. As the story went on she chuckled about the exes and siblings, easily imagining how that sort of thing would go down and how satisfying it must be openly show those people you were the bigger and better person. "I think it's admirable that you came out of those bad relationships, love or family, as the better person. You're badass so why let them take that from you? From what I've seen, they've taken enough from you, the least you can do is come out the most badass person and show them that it's their bloody loss" she commented wholeheartedly.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Compared to what her Fia and Rinaa were like, Rinaa knew she was most definitely a better person than them. And a stone cold badass too, but that kinda thing seemed to run in the family, not to mention that she'd been trained by a tribe of alien assassin-warriors. It would be a strange person who didn't end up as some kind of badass after being raised by the Isogrii. But when it came to how she was acting around this time's version of Fia and Kay (and everybody else for that matter) she most definitely wasn't the better person. If they knew what the true reason for her birth had been, the parts they'd all played, she doubted they'd be able to even look at her, let alone look at themselves in the mirror. "Correction, none of my romantic relationships were ever bad, I actually got very lucky there. It was just the way things ENDED with Cass that sent me off the deep end." Rinaa gave a shrug that said clearly 'but that's another story altogether', a slight edge of pain flashing in her eyes.

Rinaa could understand how, from an outsider's perspective, her resilience to whatever life threw at her and the stubbornness that kept her going seemed like a true triumph. But it hadn't come naturally to her, like all kids she'd just wanted to be loved and treated equally. And when that affection didn't come from those who were supposed to give it unconditionally, she'd blamed herself and tried to change herself to fit what she thought they wanted her to be. But after nearly dying in the phoenix fire fuelled inferno, she realised that there was nothing show could do to make them like her, and so began the slow process of rebuilding her life and her confidence off world. There had been a lot of knocks back and low points, but eventually she'd got there. Fia was right in thinking that the direct actions of alternate Fia and Kay and the indirect actions of Chas and John remaining bystanders had resulted in a hell of a lot being taken from her. "It would probably be MORE admirable if I'd figured that out earlier in my life instead. But I got there in the end it seems, extreme case of burn and learn."

"But yes, I got the badass part nailed. You know as well as I do that just because we're born into this family of baasses doesn't mean you're automatically one. Though racial memories and knowledge certainly help on that front." Rinaa was referring to how Fia could wear the plas-ball armour effortlessly without any of the discomfort that usually came for newbies. "And yes, in a way I already did show 'em all." Rinaa's expression was one of both predatory triumph and pride. "In glorious fucking style. My only regret is that I didn't know they were there at the time, I could have made it even more pointed. I just hope they read my obituary. That'll really show 'em all."

 

[MzHyde]

When Rinaa corrected her on the romantic side of her relationships, she just nodded accepting the correction. "I stand corrected then. I'm sorry to hear that" she simply replied, her tone showing Rinaa that she didn't have to do explaining or opening of old wounds to her if she didn't want to. Last thing Fia wanted to do was out a downer on their night out before it even began, so she was willing to close the topic if that's what Rinaa wanted. She just let Rinaa then continue talking, giving her opinion on the whole thing and just nodding, she didn't personally think it matter how long it took, as long as she got there in the end. Yet whether that would change if she knew there was a whole different reason for Rinaa being born was only Rinaa's guess.

When she referred to the time Fia wore the Plas-ball armour she had to smirk and nod once more at the comment. "so so true. We are born into a crazy arse family with who I think has given us both big shoes to fill, it's intimidating at times but it's also a welcome challenge. And I'm glad you showed them in spectacular style" she replied to her after hearing Rinaa out completely. "I hope they do too, I know they're my alternate family and me but I hope they read it and something clicks in them to change... Even a little bit to be on a road of redemption because if they don't? They'll hurt alternate dad more than they'll think imaginable." she told her. "but enough of this depressing shit, we're out to celebrate and have fun" she smiled.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Had Fia asked what exactly she had done to prove that she hadn't been broken and had risen above the cruelties Fia and Kay had inflicted on her Rinaa could not only have explained what had happened at her last gig, but had the footage to back it up. She'd found out about it when she went back to her timeline to clear out the container. She'd made a side trip to visit her friends one last time, say her final goodbyes and confirm that the plan pieces were falling into place and that they stood a real chance of saving their planet."You can have your opinion on the matter, but I'm with my Jay on this." Rinaa shrugged. "I'd rather they spent their whole immortal lives under the crushing weight of knowing how they ruined my life, and Jay's and her partner's all while letting down Elliott's memory. And as they watch the two worlds burn they can lose everything just like everybody else. But I'm pretty bitter on the whole thing." Rinaa's expression was downright terrifying as she spoke like that, she meant every word she said with a passion.

She resisted the urge to run a hand through her hair and mess up the job she'd done earlier. When she spoke again her tone was normal, as was her expression, as if the words of earlier hand't ever been said. "I should probably be feeling all morbid and weird about reading my own obituary. But honestly, it's one of the best piece of writing I've read in my life, as well as good promotion for the band and whoever replaces me as lead vocalist. I'm fucking DE-LIGHTED" Rinaa splitting the word 'delighted' was deliberate and the accompanying gesture made it clear just how much she'd enjoyed reading it"that my mates had it commissioned. It does all the typical stuff of an obituary, praising my life and saying how the good parts of my life should be remembered, not the bad, all that jazz. But it's also at the same time an incredibly pointed, underhandedly bitchy damning of those who let me down in life, written in such a way, that unless you're one of them or know who they are, you won't get the hidden message. First time I read it I laughed, cos even when I do kick it, I've still very much got the last laugh in that timeline."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia listened to Rinaa have her opinion on the whole matter of alternate Fia and Kay. She could understand where that bitterness came from and if she was honest with herself, if the roles were reversed she would probably be thinking and feeling the exact same way. Yet there was still a part of her that didn't want John in any timeline to get screwed over all over again by people he cared about or feeling like he possibly failed them to make them turn so disgusting. It was him she felt for, not her alternate self or Kay. The way Rinaa said the words was unnerving to say the least to Fia, and she wished she never opened her mouth on the subject, but now that she had said it, she couldn't really take it back or pretend she never said what she did.

When Rinaa's tone and demeanour changed at the next thing she spoke about involving her obituary, Fia almost had to do a double take mentally to see if she was talking to the same Rinaa still because it was like yet again Rinaa had done a complete 160° on her which was always difficult to keep up with. She smiled when Rinaa put a lot of emphasis on the word 'delighted' whilst stretching it out, turning it almost into two words in the process. "they sound like amazing friends" she commented softly, glancing down before up again, that surge of jealousy of having such a thing seeped it's way into her mind again just briefly. Sure, she made a friend out of Matteo and quite possibly Nat that time at Cliff's home, but she knew it was all just temporary and next time she saw her first and only real friend she'd have forgotten they'd already met, and would be seeing them so much older than her.

"so... How much longer until we reach the venue we're going to?" she asked, deciding to change the subject so not to put herself on a downer. She knew when she kept feeling strong emotions of one sort of the other for any length of time those feelings would overtake her, just as they proved the other evening with all the damning news that came out.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"That they are." Rinaa agreed, smiling fondly, choosing to focus on the happier side of that topic as opposed to the 'go I miss them so much it's like a physical injury'. She was well aware of her habit of veering off into darker, more depressing facets of her life when around this alternate version of her family and knew by saying too much she could put a real downer on what was supposed to be a night of fun and letting lose. Bu it's hadn't escaped her attention that this was yet another way in which they were complete opposites, Fia had a whole extended family that loved her unconditionally and would do pretty much anything for her (and she'd do the same for them). Rinaa on the other hand had a fairly large group of close friends and a network of other friends and colleagues who supported each other, accepted everybody for who they were, human, Downworlder, alien, people from an alternate Earth (in Munroe's case) and anything else in between. They had the same deep loyalty to one another as a family would. It went without saying that Rinaa would die for them.

"Not long, two... three minutes?" Rinaa estimated. They'd been travelling for no more than ten minutes. "It is about a forty minute drive to the campus town as you know, but these trains ARE high speed and extremely on time. That's one thing I always liked about Attil." As she spoke, she reached with her free hand into one of the pocket of her trousers (which seemed to be deceptively deep as well as invisible) and pulled out a carefully folded up black tie and a thick black wrist band which she slipped onto the arm free of bracelets. "And I should probably explain what Cal meant earlier when she said that Attil's club scene has rules. They operate of a coloured wristband system to signal if you're interested in having fun, or having FUN." The extra emphasis on the word fun the second time around, accompanied by the suggestive eyebrow wiggle made it quiet clear that by fun she didn't mean drinking, singing and dancing. "The history of how it came into being is pretty fascinating, it started off as an ace/aro thing absolute yonks ago. They started wearing black wristbands to indicate they weren't interested in being chatted up at bars and clubs. The system was adapted, black now means either not interested, or already taken by somebody else, hence why that's the colour I'll be wearing tonight. Blue says your partner is with you in the club somewhere and orange says you're single and interested. Striped ones are for staff." As she spoke she let the tie unwind between her fingers.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia saw how fondly Rinaa spike of her friends and she could just tell from her tone and look in her eyes that Rinaa found a family in those friends. To her, family didn't always end in blood, family was what you made of it as even blood family could be more a stranger or enemy to you than an actual stranger or enemy, something that was proven by Rinaa's words and actions. The fact they were utter opposites in quite a few ways never once escaped Fia, she could see it as clearly as everyone else could but that didn't stop her wanting to still make good with the girl and try and show Rinaa she did have a friend in an actual family member, even if they were timelines apart. She was very much happy go lucky, and for the most part very bubbly in comparison to Rinaa's darker side, but that just made Fia to want to like Rinaa, even if sometimes Rinaa's darker gallows humour or outlook did bring iut some emotions in Fia that she didn't want to focus on.

She nodded at the answer of how much longer they'd be, amazed at how much faster it was to get to the university district by train in comparison to when they rode the bikes there. She watched as Rinaa pulled out a black tie from her surprisingly deep invisible pockets, finding it reminded her of her dad's trench coat pockets, raising an eyebrow before Rinaa explained why she was doing it. She had to admit, she did wo der what Cal exactly meant by her earlier comments, so she was more than willing to learn what was being meant by them. Hearing that they had a band system for keeping people safe and stopping any unwanted attention she was highly was impressed. "damn, that's really simple but impressive" she commented. "so...say I wanted orange, but don't plan on going too far with anyone in the slightest, I'm still okay to have the orange band?" she questioned, her tone asking in a hypothetical manner, but there was genuine curiosity in her tone. She wanted to experience a proper night out properly but she didn't want to get herself out of a dangerous situation either as in her eyes it would just spoil the night. She was far too aware of how well she could look after herself, and would no doubt end up being kicked out or arrested rather than being just a victim on a floor if she had to defend herself.

She also didn't want to risk getting a lecture to end all lectures from anyone, because she did something wrong on another planet. "because I mean, you may not be interested or single, but I'm very much single and want to just see how things go, because let's face it I won't remember any of this when I go back to my timeline. Not that I plan on screwing anyone anywhere. But I'm not gonna rule harmless flirting or anything" she added.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"That it is" Rinaa agreed, having also been surprised by the simplicity of the system when she first found out about it. It was a cheap and easy solution, thick paper wristband were easy to make up, though regular patrons tended to have wristbands made of leather, or in Rinaa's case metal (made by Cal naturally). The colours were different enough that they could be told apart under club lights, and people with mild colour blindness could usually tell the band apart too. "And it helps club bouncers out a lot as they don't have to ask any awkward questions about people's intentions, just look at the band to see if anybody's band isn't matching what they're doing. Cos lets face it, that must SUCK big time to have to ask those questions, and it's gotta be damn humiliating if you get it wrong."

Rinaa had to keep the smirk out of her tone at Fia's hypothetical question. Clearly her 'cousin' wanted the full experience, and who could blame her. This would probably be her only chance as a teenager to visit clubs on another planet. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna judge. If it wasn't for Moya I'd probably have put neon orange glow-in-the-dark powder in my hair and spray painted my shoes that colour to get the message across that I'm VERY much single and up for a good time." It would be quite apparent by the look of mischief in her eyes and the casual confidence of her tone that Rinaa wasn't exaggerating, she really would go to such lengths to make sure people knew she was available. This was the girl who'd had a pride rainbow Mohawk after all. Loyalty was important to both Rinaa and Leah, hence why both were utterly faithful to whatever partner they did have.

As she spoke Rinaa looped the black tie around her forehead, bandanna-style, and tied it firmly. There was something reminiscent of a warrior about it, as well as being a subtle nod to the way Shaun tied his tie around his head as a bandage in the movie Shaun of The Dead. "And yes you'd be fine with an orange, the sort of unwritten rule is that two orange bands means up for anything, where as one means you have a limit, but unlike the band meaning, that one's not written down in law. But it's understood by everyone. Most people don't go to these kind of places to get laid anyway. Hooking up with somebody yes, but in my experience the 'university students are horny bastards who want to shag everything they move' stereotype is only applicable to a tint proportion of students. As I said, the places I go, people tend to go for the music, booze and atmosphere as opposed to cruising."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia nodded, imagining how much easier and less awkward it would be for club bouncers to intervene with the banding system. She listened as Rinaa replied to her 'hypothetical' question saying she's not going to judge at whatever Fia ended up doing during this night, though the effort to try and not smirk at said question didn't go amiss on Fia in the slightest. She could tell that Rinaa really wasn't joking about covering herself in neon orange if it wasn't for Moya and her loyalty to the girl really was admirable and something that Fia very much respected. Cheating in any manner and generally not staying faithful or loyal to someone you're with was one of the few things that really got under Fia's skin and she hadn't ever had a single relationship, to necessarily find it to be a pet peeve. "just like Leah, she's loyal to a T and it's something she knows I respect her for greatly. Just like Ell and Jay and mum and dad to name a few of our family. Everyone is loyal to everyone and I adore that. It's definitely a common trait in all of us and our weird ass family" she smiled, meaning the last statement in a fond manner.

She watched as Rinaa tied the tie round her forehead bandana style, smirking at the action. "very shaun of the dead and rambo" she joked before continuing properly after Rinaa explained that she would indeed be safe to wear an orange band and not get into a sticky situation in all manners of the description. "that's good to know, aat least I know what to sort of expect by wearing a single orange band. So...do I pick up my preferred band at the club or do you randomly have anything stashed in your magical invisible pockets?" she chuckled, deciding that making a joke out Rinaa's pockets was too tempting in that very moment. She has a feeling it'd be the former but she wasn't going to make the tease just slip on by without being said. "I swear your pockets in that outfit are trying to give dad's trench coat pockets a run for their money" she chuckled.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Loyalty had always been a trait Rinaa had seen in various family members and one she greatly admired in a person. She had always seen deep, strong loyalty in Cal, Cliff, Dan, Deke, Jay and Chas, and also in John (both because of the bond with Kay and Fia and towards those others he cared about). There was also a loyalty in the Fia and Kay in her timeline, but it was different to the kind of loyalty they showed in this timeline. "Agreed, it's pretty impressive just how loyal everybody is, given the shit that's happen and the betrayals they've been through, they STILL find people who are worth it and. Just goes to show, that if somebody's worth it to anybody in our crazy extended family, they will be there with them, fighting and being awesome right to the bitter end."

"I know, it's intentional." Rinaa smiled, glad Fia could pick up on the reference tying her tie like that. "It's a thing that the band do, we chose formal wear as our look when we started to get a reputation because we were inspired by a song called 'Black Tie' and the artist who wrote it. Tying the tie THIS way looks badass, and adds that punk edge to things." Rinaa explained, before looking down at her pockets and smirking. "Yeah, these pockets are bloody RIDICULOUS, I agree. I don't have an orange band on me, but I can easily get one at the door." She was wondering if Fia would make a comment on how they were kinda like John's pockets (which reminded her of the pockets of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which, like his TARDIS were bigger on the inside than the outside). "And they're somehow not even the slightest bit magic. I don't know HOW they work, they really shouldn't, but they do. My mate Emmett is an apprentice tailor y'see, he actually made these trousers for me, apparently since I have these long, lanky legs that aren't average proportions, it makes me an ideal subject to practice custom tailoring on. He refuses to tell me how the pockets work. Trade secret or something like that." She rolled her eyes fondly. "He's awesome though."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia agreed wholeheartedly that if their family could remain loyal through who knows what after the shit they had all gone through and the betrayals they had all experie ced in life at various times, it was quite the statement to uphold and be proud of and said a lot about their family. She also smiled when she saw Rinaa was clearly happy that she got the reference to the tie being tied like a bandana and made a comment on it. Listening to the story of how the choice to wear it in such a manner, she nodded and smiled before chuckling lightly at it. It was a lovely story in her mind and she could really see just how fondly Rinaa cherished the origins of it and her band.

With the mention about the band and her pockets, Fia had to smirk lightly at the response she got, figuring it would be the case that she would have one on her. Her smirk mostly at Rinaa agreeing at how ridiculously us the pockets were and the whole banter between them about the pockets whilst making the sly dig about how ridiculous John's pockets were in the process. She continued to listen to how it was a friend of hers who made her trousers and she instantly looked impressed whilst chuckling at the reason why Rinaa was such a good model for custom tailoring. "he's sounds it and very talented. I can do basic sewing when I need to alter something or fix something on a garment, but I cant make anything from scratch. In my timeline mum can make basic shit from scratch if she has to, but no idea if she can in this time. Yet I strangely learned most of my skills from dad because I spent way too much time watching him fix up rips in his shirts or coat" she laughed.

It was barely occurring to her that this was the second longest time her and Rinaa had been talking and getting along and how the time left for the journey on the train was just zipping by from them. She was already feeling so happy and excited to have a normal night out that to her, it was feeling like she was just having a normal night out with a friend and not just 'cousin'. She really had a feeling tonight was going to be a good night and she was welcoming it with both arms open.

 

[_gallifrog_]

The train drew up to the station just as Fia finished talking. Rinaa's chosen spot was close enough to the door that she could exit without getting caught up in the crowd of other studenty types who were disembarking. The station was above ground and right on the edge of the hub of campus accommodation. Rinaa's intended destination was only a short walk away from the train station. She resumed the conversation thread once they were out of station and out into the streets, the sky was fairly dark, but as the day had been so warm, the night was deceptively mild. "He really does love that bloody coat, even though it came from somebody who tried to kill him." Fia would have heard the origin story of John's coat many times before. It had belonged to a mage named Nick Necro, who John had been a sort of apprentice to while living in the states. It was also at that time John met Zatanna, who was Nick's girlfriend at the time. Nick was driven mad by the dark magic he was practicing and tried to kill the both of them. But in the end it was John who won and took the coat as a trophy. John later enchanted it to be self repairing for major damage or fabric loss. The origin of his sewing ability was similarly gruesome. He'd learned how to sew by stitching up the wounds inflicted by his father. It was only later in life that he used those stitching skills on fabric. "My own sewing ability is fairly minimal, but I suppose I make up for it by being able to repair my bike, and microwave, and the coffee machine at the lab or AJ's."

"Oh he is, believe me." Rinaa replied. Emmett was one of her favourite people, he was one of the more level headed people she knew and was perfectly happy to chat with her as he worked. "And he's always learning stuff too. It's the family business y'see, his dad's a tailor and has been grooming Emmett for the role since he was a nipper. Luckily Emmett's always been interested in continuing in the family business, he's got real talent for it, but he's not big headed about it either, always sayin' any one of us could do it if we'd been trained like he was." Rinaa pulled out her phone as she walked, scrolling through the gallery for her favourite picture of her and Emmett. She passed the phone over to Fia. The picture had been taken when both were unaware. Rinaa was sitting on the edge of a large workbench, on top of which was neatly arranged fabric cut-outs, a selection of threads, a pincushion full off pins and the occasional needle, and to one side a sort of pinboard with sketches and photos on it. Rinaa was gesturing about something or another. Seated at the work bench was a guy with short, sandy brown hair working at a sewing machine, he wasn't particularly good or bad looking, just normal, but the grin of amusement on his face was unmistakable.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia walked beside Rinaa as they disembarked the train and exited the train station with her before turning her attention back to their conversation at hand. She smirked and nodded at her words about John and the coat, "oh I've heard that story more times than I could probably count so to speak. He's told me it a ridiculous amount of times growing up." she agreed with the smirk very much still on her lips. As the conversation continued and Rinaa told her about her own level of sewing skills, she had to chuckle and nod at the idea of Rinaa makes up for lack of sewing in her engineering skills which Fia did think was a very valid and fair enough point indeed.

She continued to listen as Rinaa proudly spoke of her mate Emmett, finding it interesting to hear about her group of friends, even if it did always make her that little bit jealous. To her, Emmett really did sound like a sound bloke and when she got handed the phone to look at the photo, she took it and looked at it smiling. "looks like it's never a dull moment when you get together with your friends. He seems like a great bloke" she told her truthfully before handing her her phone back. "I would show you pics of my mate's but well...there aren't any of either" she commented in a tone that showed her comment was true but casual, like she would just brush off the fact she had no one outside of family like its no big deal, even though deep in her heart it was indeed a big deal. She tried not to think about it, deciding that she did not want to get into a downer before she got drunk as she would no doubt just ruin her own night. She didn't want to tarnish her first proper night out by sulking in a corner sad drunk.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"There's been a few dull moments, I think every group has that." Rinaa replied, taking the phone back and sliding it into her pocket. "But we've mastered the art of comfortable silence, so if a conversation DOES die, it doesn't really get that awkward." However nonchalantly Fia might talk about her lack of friends back at home in her timeline, Rinaa knew it was just that, just talk. She had no doubt that for Fia, the lack of friends was just as soul crushing and as great a source of despair and emotional turmoil to Fia as Rinaa's lack of family was to her. It wasn't something one ever made peace with or truly got used to, it'd always hurt, no matter what facade one put on. "Meh, you'll get 'em too. And besides, being here has consequences, something's gonna shift and I doubt that everything will be the same when you go back to your own timeline." Rinaa told her confidently and firmly, making it clear that she believed every word she was saying, that things would get better for her 'cousin' even if they wouldn't get better for Rinaa herself (as she'd be dead).

"Anyway, we're here." Rinaa declared, veering left towards one of the buildings. "Follow me and copy what I do until we get to the bar downstairs, I'll do the talking and paying for obvious reasons." This club was actually located in the spacious basement of the building, allowing for a sort of reception area on ground level where one could pay. It was decorated in dark colours with metal adornments, the occasional mirrored panels (to make the room appear larger than it was) with various strip lighting and high hanging light fixtures, casting all kinds of shadows and light patterns across the floor, a taste of what was lurking below. Every so often when the music reached a particularly frenzied level the vibrations could be felt through the floor. Rinaa paid for the entry as well as a single orange bracelet which she threw to Fia. Once the other girl put it on their hands were stamped with an ink stamp and they were let through.

A wide, spiral staircase led down to the basement, which was wide and spacious, clearly running under more than one building in the block. The centre of the room was dominated by a dance floor full of student-age types, most were Devra, tall, dark haired, golden eyed and tanned, but there were other races there too. Many dressed in some form of punk apparel like Rinaa's. Behind the dance floor was a stage where the band was performing a fast-paced song. There was an energy almost crackling in the air and the driving beat of the music was infectious and even as she moved towards the bar it was clear from the flowing way Rinaa walked that she was already moving with the beat. Rinaa spoke to the bartender in Attili, gesturing at Fia as she explained that anything she bought was to go on her tab as they were cousins and this was her treat for the other girl. At the same time she made sure to add not to make her any of the drinks with the really potent stuff. She had no idea about phoenix metabolism, but it would damn well floor a human. "Well pick your poison, and whatever you do, don't try and match me drink for drink, I have to compensate for hyper metabolism here." Rinaa called out, needing to raise her voice to be heard over the sound of the music.

 

[MzHyde]

When Rinaa spoke about the comfortable silences between her and her friends, it made Fia think about the comfortable silences she had experienced between herself and family which helped her to understand what Rinaa was getting at. She listened to Rinaa correct Fia more or less about her comment of lack of friends and she could tell from the tone and conviction in her voice, that Rinaa truly meant every word she was saying, which gave her hope that when she went back to her time, to her home, she would gain friends and acquaintances that would open up her whole world that much more. She just nodded at her words without the need to say that she believed the other teenager.

As they reached the entrance to the club, she looked at it, taking in the outside appearance as she followed on, letting Rinaa pay for both their entrances and an orange band which she grabbed effortlessly when thrown to her. She pulled it onto her wrist easily enough and found there was enough of a gap between it and her wrist that made it comfortable to wear and not in the least bit too tight. She let the doorman stamp her hand as did Rinaa, before walking in properly and looking all around her at the decor. The music pumping through the building was infectious and made Fia nod her head to the beat a bit, her fingers tapping her hip as they walked toward the actual bar. She looked around at all the students in the area, smiling to herself that she was finally amongst people of her own age range.

She let Rinaa talk with the barman, explaining the situation whilst guessing that she was saying something along the lines of whatever she ordered was to be paid by Rinaa. She had quickly learned whilst being on Attil to read the gestures of her family as they spoke to non English speaking Devra to gain some kind of insight to what was being said. She reminded herself to try and ask someone in her family, preferably Cal and Cliff or Elliott to teach her some basic Attili phrases so she could get by and because she wanted to learn. "duely noted. I won't try and match you tonight. Or ever for that matter." she chuckled before picking something to drink, "but uhh I'll have something like a JD and coke if they have it" she said, before leaning on the bar and looking out at everything around her. She was going to enjoy tonight, that much she knew, she just didn't realise how much she'd enjoy it or that she'd catch the eye of anyone.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Good" Rinaa was relieved that Fia wasn't going to try and match her, she honestly had no idea if Fia's metabolism was like a human's or whether her hybrid status meant alcohol affected her differently. She had no intention of spending the night in hospital while Fia had her stomach pumped (or a similar procedure performed) because she'd drunk unsafe levels of alcohol and her body was shutting down. She couldn't put the rest of the extended family through it either, but Rinaa's reasons were mainly selfish, she had some very bad memories associated with hospitals and with her enhanced senses, the chances of her getting some kind of traumatic flashback to when she was twelve years old and burnt within an inch of her life was pretty high. "I'm gonna go all out. I can bloody well afford it after all." She then turned towards the bar and placed the drinks order.

Service was prompt, Fia's drink was finished first and slid across the bar top to her by one of the bar staff. Rinaa had decided to go straight for the good stuff, which for her meant six shots of a pungent smelling, dark red-amber coloured liquid. It took her only ten seconds to down them all, making good use of her ambidextrous hands, no sooner was the current shot at her lips than her other hand was grabbing the next shot. She was all but throwing the booze down her throat. If it hadn't been explicitly stated multiple times by now it would have been damn clear to Fia now, she was out to get smashed. With that Rinaa set her shoulders and made straight for the dance floor, throwing herself right into the thick of the crowd. Up until now Fia had only seen her 'cousin' dance twice, the first time being the break dancing at Cal and Cliff's wedding, and the second time being the time Fia had caught her busting out some dance moves that were so bad they were almost good in the kitchen while cooking. But this was a very different kind of dancing, unstructured, free and wild, the only guide was the pounding beat of the music, to which Rinaa had already locked on to. Gone was the teenager who held herself rigidly in fear/annoyance or slumped her shoulders to make her lanky frame smaller when she didn't want anybody to see her and in her place was another teenager, out to have a good time, her whole body moving with the music. Her hair seemed to shimmer as she moved, throwing her whole body into the movements, the glitter fragments in her hair gel and the metal embellishments on her bracelets catching the light of the club. Her lips were moving and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was singing along to the song being performed on stage (which was actually one of her favourites, though Fia probably wouldn't know that).

 

[MzHyde]

Fia fully intended to get drunk but not to the levels that Rinaa was going and she knew even if she wanted to try and match Rinaa, there was no way she could. She had after all only properly got remotely near drunk for the first time at Cal and Cliff's wedding, having not really drunk before hand as she didn't ever have the opportunity to drink underage back on Earth. So the fact it wasn't illegal or she was considered underage here on Attil, she fully wanted to make the most of it and like John said once before to her, see exactly where where her alcohol limit was. If she had tried to match Rinaa and ended up needing serious help, the last thing she would want is to end up in hospital incase anything happened and she terrified everyone because of her reincarnation ability, or have John and Kay possibly annoyed at her for getting into the state.

With the drink being passed to her on the bar, she caught it, nodding her thanks to the bar staff before picking it up and taking a sip knowing that this was no doubt the strongest drink she had had, even compared to what Moya was giving her at the wedding. She smirked as Rinaa got her six shots and downed them all in rapid succession of each other seeing that she really wasn't joking about intending to get fully wasted. Her own drink she found she really liked, it was slightly bitter but the taste of the coke took the edge off making it very drinkable to her palette. She watched on as Rinaa headed straight for the dance floor and chuckled at her 'cousin' seeing just how much more free Rinaa was looking, as Fia drank her drink. She fou d herself nodding her head to the beat of the music, finding the beat catchy and impossible to not follow the beat of.

She fully intended to go on the dance floor as it was totally her thing but she also wanted to finish her drink first, giving it time to kick in which only took a few minutes before she was on the dance floor, weaving her way in between people as she danced, arms in the air as she did so, eyes closed at times and a broad smile upon her lips. Every few seconds her eyes reopened to smile at anyone who smiled at her, willing to dance with anyone when it didn't take her long to catch the eye of a dark haired male and vise versa.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa let herself become part of the crowd of people, dancing alone rather than with a partner. Her black band acted as a sort of deterrent on that front, (only those with black bands tended to approach one another during the dances) but Rinaa didn't mind, perfectly content to do her own thing, letting herself become just another face in the crowd of waving, dancing, gyrating teenagers and young adults. There was an anonymity to being in a crowd of club goers that she enjoyed. She knew nobody was judging her for how she danced (like her they were too busy enjoying themselves dancing to judge anybody else on what they were doing), she was far from the best dancer there, but like everybody else, she was dancing with the passion and wildness that came from spending all day holding your energy and true thoughts back and presenting a 'normal' face to the world.

She let the music take a hold of her, completely immersing herself in the rhythm and flow of the song. Every so often, when there was a suitable break in the music as the musicians swapped instruments or somebody else took over the singing, she'd make her way to the bar for another glass of something alcoholic, sometimes mixed with a fruit juice mixer, other times plain. She didn't bother to keep an eye on Fia, figuring the other girl could a) look after herself and b) could find Rinaa if she had some really urgent communication issue. With the booze running through her veins, a song on her lips, drumbeats pounding in her head, surrounded by sweaty teenagers/young adults and wildness in her heart she was happier than she'd been in a long time. She'd really needed something like this, and as great as hanging out with Moya and her mates was, she was still an outsider and there was a slight edge of awkwardness at the fact she was terminally ill. But here, nobody gave a fuck about any of that. There was a grin fixed on her face, and her eyes had changed back to grey. She was dancing purely on instinct, revelling in the feeling of being alive.