Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[_gallifrog_]

The girl's response was a single nod as she turned and led the way, plunging her hands deep into the pocket of her hoodie. She did, as Fia had theorised, have experience with how crabby John could get when somebody disturbed his first proper sleep after a long period of being utterly to get any kind of sleep due to insomnia. She'd had to master the art of getting in and out of John's apartment without anybody inside noticing, which meant learning how to avoid waking John if he'd crashed out on the couch (something that often happened after a long day/night spent tracking down demons). It had been made pretty clear bey her Kay and Fia that she wasn't welcome in the apartment, but John had other opinions and so long as the 'females' (the politest way in which Rina would collectively refer to the two) didn't find out, the mage had no problems with her sneaking in for a catch-up.

The walk was less than ten minutes, but aside from her initial 'no point in wasting time' comment, Rinaa didn't say anything else, having no idea where to even begin a conversation, there were many, many things she wanted to apologise for, not to mention a whole heap of secrets barrelling around in her head. She also made a firm point of not looking in Fia's direction as they walked, keeping her eyes fixed either on the pathway ahead or the skyline. At this time of night there were very people around, those on nightshifts had left long ago and everybody else who lived in the area was asleep or at the very least in their own apartments. Unlike the last time Fia had been in this apartment block Rinaa chose to enter through the back entrance, punching in the security code without even having to think of the digits. Outside the apartment door she pulled out a set of keys and began to unlock it. "I would apologise for the state of the place, but you've already seen it before." Once inside with the door firmly shut she added. "Yeah, this IS where I've been living this past while and I had been frequenting this place back when I was officially living with you and the others. And if you're thinking that 'Max' and I are the freelancers Zan shares this place with, you'd be right- I would agree to be a spook, that's a contract I'd never get out of. Thus being 'lancers was the only way for us to get access to Zan and work with him- he had files and access we needed, and we had skills and other information he could benefit from. The man wouldn't have believed us if we'd just rocked up at his door and asked for the files."

 

[MzHyde]

Rinaa's silence during the ten minute walk to the apartment in question and the lack of actually looking at her the entire time didn't go amiss on Fia. Usually she didn't mind the silent walks but she couldn't help this time round wonder what was going on in Rinaa's mind that meant she didn't dare open her mouth the entire time they walked together. Yet she also knew not to press Rinaa and if she wanted, truly wanted to talk to her she would do it in her own time. They'd have to talk about things at some point. To distract herself from the silence between her and Rinaa, she took in the quiet surroundings, finding how different the area felt when there was very very few people around, if any at all. She followed on round to the back of the apartment block, letting Rinaa do what she needed to gain access before following on to the apartment door.

At the first words about the apartment Fia couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on her face, not really being too surprised that the apartment would still be a mess, making it completely useless to give a warning about the clutter. Stepping inside behind Rinaa, she stepped a few steps more forward, allowing Rinaa to close and lock the door behind them both as she walked through to the main room. She turned on her heels to look at Rinaa as she explained that this whole time she had been hiding out in here, briefly raising her eyebrows in surprise before lowering them again as she continued to listen to everything else she was explaining. With her suspicions or theories about whether Rinaa and 'Max' were the freelancers Zan once spoke of being confirmed, she nodded with a small smile, "I did wonder that yeah, it certainly all makes sense that's for sure" she nodded. Bring back in the apartment after everything that had gone on felt a little weird to her, but she swallowed that feeling down and glanced around. "so, where do we start? What do we need to pick up in other words" she asked, wondering where everything was that she needed to grab.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa gave a slow nod when her 'cousin' confirmed she had indeed been questioning whether Rinaa and 'Max' were the freelancers. This Fia wasn't stupid, that much was obvious to Rinaa- she had a sharp mind and growing up with people like John and Jay in your life, it was pretty inevitable that she'd become good at reading between the lines and making up theories based on what had been inferred from between those lines. Aside from more papers hung on the walls and the some of the tech being in different places, nothing had changed in the apartment since the last time Fia had been there. The furniture was still pushed up and stacked at one side of the room. "There's not much to be honest, all the specialised equipment is in my time." Rinaa replied, pulling out one of her big leather hold-alls from a low sideboard.

Unzipping it she pulled out a selection of items and threw them over, one at a time to Fia. "But there's a few things you need to know and wear in order to fit in, not to mention some ground rules." The first item thrown over was a black mask, similar in style to a painter's respirator, it was followed by a bracelet with some kind of smart technology embedded in it, a small torch on a string and what seemed to be a whistle. "The chances of you being caught up in a bomb drop while on this op are extremely slim, but it's an ever present danger none the less. Earth isn't technically at war with Attil, but they are sporadically bombing each other- warning shots of sorts, and London HAS been hit before. I doubt there will be any bombs, the League, particularly the speedster division do an excellent job at stopping the interplanetary missile from entering the atmosphere- but I'd rather you be prepared. The mask is mandatory, as in mandatory by law, wear it around your neck at all times. It filters dirt, grime, dust and toxins. The bracelet is a locator, put it around your non dominant hand- it's only to be activated if you get trapped in ruins, it sends out a frequency that the rescue services can pick up on. The other stuff keep in a pocket or on your belt, they're useful again in a bombing. If there is a bomb, just copy me and everybody around you."

Rinaa looked up from her crouched position on the floor as she continued. "Some other general things, obviously avoid the alternates- my family'-" Rina didn't make the air quotes gesture, but they were very clearly implied in her tone of voice. "if you see them. Don't get tempted to sock any of them in the face, no mater how much you might wat to. That's one heck of a paradox we don't want to get into, not to mention that a five days before the day we travel to was my funeral and only Jay, Quin and a select group of friends and allies know I'm alive. For the appearance you'll have to disguise your hair and change your face shape, the eyes will be okay I think as this is a masked operation, and none of them have been close enough to John to see his. If anybody asks, you're a contact and I've cashed in a favour you owe me to make up the numbers. Obviously don't give away any personal details. It's a codenames only gig, mine is Artemis or Tem, so maybe think up of something that won't give your identity away- if you can't just pick a Greek letter that isn't any of the first four letters." She paused for a few moments, her hesitancy to say the next few points clearly visible on he face. "My ex, Cass, is working on this op too. Things are somewhat rocky between us still, but she has the contacts to get us the plane, pilot and HALO gear. I'm asking... no pleading with you, NOT to get involved if we do start fighting- this is between me and her. Also, don't flirt with her, or ANYBODY ELSE on the team for that matter, it's quite frankly weird and I don't want any of my friends getting their hopes up."

 

[MzHyde]

It wasn't too much of a surprise that most of what was needed would be in Rinaa's timeline but considering the girl said about needing some things from here, Fia figured it had to be relatively important if it was worth the stop over. She watched on as Rinaa walked to a big holdall and began throwing her item a from it one at a time which she caught easily enough. As she caught each item, she listened to what else Rinaa was telling her, having had a feeling that there'd be ground rules and dos and don'ts involved in going to her timeline to give her aid where she could. She put the bracelet on her right wrist, as she was left handed like her brother, the mask round her neck out of instinct as well as when Rinaa told her to, and then as the other items came at her, she did what Rinaa suggested about putting the items in her various pockets, at least for the time being. Being told to only use the bracelet if it's a case of needing aid in an emergency and if there was ever a bombing problem to just follow Rinaa, she nodded in understanding. "got it" she commented before letting Rinaa continue.

At the mention of avoiding the alternate versions of the family, she nodded whilst also giving her the look of 'naturally'. She had absolutely no plans on seeing alternate Jay again after the first meeting went less than politely, and she definitely want to see her alternate self, if for no other reason Nathan the one Rinaa gave. They both knew she would want to punch alternate Fia, but she would refrain from doing so if the worst came about. She continued listening to what exactly part of her Rinaa thought she should disguise, nodding already having in mind exactly the fake appearance she was going to use. At the comment of needing a codename, she nodded once more knowing she would need one which she would no doubt think up in no time. Yet it was the mention about Rinaa's ex being involved in the same heist that made her take extra note of whilst also smirking at the request not to flirt with anyone. "fine by me" she told her, "I'll activate the rune and do the spell to change my appearance when we get across to your timeline for obvious reasons. I swear I won't flirt with anyone, will stay out of the way of any fights with exes and will do anything you or anyone else tells me to" she clarified and agreed to.

 

[_gallifrog_]

The smirk that came over Fia's face made Rinaa almost regret saying that her ex was a part of the whole thing. Almost. She suspected that if they'd been closer (or from the same timeline) Fia might have seen it as her 'cousinly' duty to meddle in Rinaa's love life and there was no way she wanted that to happen. Rinaa didn't know exactly things would pan out between her and Cass, they'd broken up on extremely bad terms and last time they'd crossed paths the other woman had walked in while she, Jay, Quin and Kane were figuring out how exactly to mock up a body to look like Rinaa had committed suicide, with Rinaa doing some mock up poses over the room's coffee table. Needless to say Cass didn't take it well. There was also the added pressure of the knowledge that this was the last time they'd see each other before Rinaa actually died hanging over their heads the whole time.

"Good" Rinaa replied firmly, shifting around the contents of her tactical backpack, swapping things in and out until satisfied she had everything she needed. She straightened up, slung her own protective mask- which was black with narrow purple detail lines (clearly influenced by Black Panther's mask- around her neck, attached her own tracker to her left hand and twirled a multitool around her fingers for a few seconds before dropping it deep into her trouser pocket. "It's bad enough that some of you find your alternate good looking in an objective 'if she wasn't a sadistic borderline psychopath I probably would' sort of way. If you hooked up with my ex I'd probably murder you." Her last words were delivered with as the dead eyed threat they were meant to be. Cass may not be her girlfriend anymore, but she sure as hell wasn't going to lie back and take it like a doormat as her 'cousin' of all people got together with her ex. A woman had her limits, and this was one of them, regardless of whether it was the Fia from her timeline or another one.

"That's everything we need." Rinaa hefted the hold-all up and out of the way, placing it in the gap between the legs of the stack of chairs. She pulled up the sleeve of her hoodie revealing that first that unusually she was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and secondly the battered wrist time-travel device with it's almost mad scientist type wires. "Back To The Future I guess" she added with a wry smirk, as she set the coordinates. "Hold on tight, as when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit." Once Fia had a firm grip she activated the device and just like last time they were thrown into a swirling void of time, indistinct scenes, sounds and the odd emotion blurring past until they popped out the other end with a disorientating popping noise. They'd materialised in one of London's numerous back alleys.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia was many things to her family, no matter the timeline but there was one thing she wasn't, a betrayer. Despite the smirk she gave of amusement that Rinaa felt she had to give the warning, she would never ever go after Rinaa's ex, or if she had friends, a friend's ex. There were just some paths she did not cross and that was very much one of them. She also knew that even if she did find any of her friends on this heist attractive, there would be absolutely no point in flirting with them as she was just, like here and now in Attil, a visitor to do Rinaa a favour in helping her out, whilst also fulfilling that niggling feeling in her heart to do something productive. She looked back at her, noting the very firm look Rinaa was giving her whilst she also gave the look back that said 'I don't cross that line, trust me' as Rinaa got her backpack the way she wanted it whilst also giving her the head's up that some of Rinaa's friends did actually find her attractive in her timeline. "Trust me, I don't cross that kind of line. It's beyond low and whatever is left to deal with between you and Cass, that's for you to deal with and no one else. But if something happens and you need someone to rant to or just a hug when we're back here? I'll be here for you" she told her back wholeheartedly, whilst also taking fully on board the look she was being given.

As Rinaa confirmed they had everything they needed, she walked closer to Rinaa knowing that she had to be if she was to get to Rinaa's timeline safely. She couldn't help but take note of how Rinaa was wearing long sleeves, which she never seemed to remember her doing before, whilst also noticing the battered time travel watch on the girl's wrist. The pop culture reference made Fia also smirk and half snigger before very gladly holding onto Rinaa tightly but not so tight that she would hurt the girl. She let Rinaa do what she needed to, keeping ahold as she watched everyhing swirl around her, feeling like it was distinctly a void but nowhere near as scary and forboding as the void which she was very much thankful for. That was the last thing she needed to experience, and although this was technically the second time she had experienced this, it still felt the first time in a way and she couldn't quite figure out why that was the case. Arriving in London in a back alley, she took a second or two to just adjust, get her balance and bearings back together. With a couple of deep breaths taken, she stood up straight looking around as she got that familiar but strange feeling wash over her. Now in Rinaa's timeline, she pulled up her right sleeve to reveal the shifting rune, placed her fingertips on it and muttered under breath to activate it, to bring it up more vividly then spoke another incantantion before she brought her hands up her arms, to her face and over her hair and as she moved her hands, her appearance started to shift.

Her face shape changed slightly, only getting slightly fuller in her cheeks, her eyes naturally changed to a slightly brown shade, with only a little bit of her blue hue right in the middle of her irises, her red and blonde hair turned darker and darker until it was black and a full set of bangs appeared across her forehead. Her eyebrows also darkening to match her hair and just about showing from underneath her bangs. As she lowered her arms and hands, her transformation was completed and all signs of her being Fia Constantine-Hale were gone. Even some of her runes faded to a pale brown to be more disguised.

"Okay, which way now?" she asked Rinaa finally, looking at her, kinda curious to how Rinaa was reacting to her change in appearance.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Coming back to her earth from Attil was a physical shock to Rinaa's system. Going from the darkness of Attilian night to the brightness of the afternoon sun was like a slap and sent Rinaa reeling to one side with a muffled groan ad her body protested at the abuse. Time-travelling as much as she had with a degenerating body was from a wise idea and with her enhanced senses being back was incredibly overwhelming. After the sheer cacophony of noise that assaulted her ears, the most obvious difference was the air. On Attil it was astonishingly clean, as even in the industrial areas various scrubbing technologies stripped out dust as well as any noxious/greenhouse gases. Rinaa's London had no such thing, when the wind blew one way it brought with it the smog particles from the industrial hinterlands- the planet may not be officially at war but the government's stance was that it was better to be prepared so there'd been a mini industrial boom. Blowing the other way the wind would bring with it the gritty particles created by past bombs blasts. Despite the best efforts of clean-up teams the building dust persisted. Head spinning, she staggered against the alley wall for support, closing her eyes for a brief moment and taking a set of deep, slow breaths to try and steady herself.

Opening her eyes she cast a glance over at Fia to see how her 'cousin' was faring with the time-travel. Rinaa watched with undisguised interest as Fia activated the transformation rune and slowly began to morph into somebody else. She'd never seen this kind of disguising before, only the odd animal shifter or some carefully crafted Mission Impossible style wig and full facemask combo. The transformation was strangely gripping to watch, it was like watching her 'cousin' being erased and somebody else taking her place. The only thing Fia's fake and real forms had in common was height and build, but that was in no way a give-away of any kind in Rinaa's opinion- there were tens of thousands in the city with a similar size and build. The fact that there was no trace of her 'cousin' in the disguise was going to make things a hell of a lot easier for Rinaa. If she could pretend and compartmentalise enough to convince her brain that Fia was genuinely a completely different person inside and out then this whole mission was going to be one hell of a lot easier.

She blinked Fia's question, for a second visibly unnerved at the sound of Fia's voice coming from somebody else's body. It was too close to the times Sykes had taken over and had puppetted her body for Rinaa's liking, She gave her 'cousin' a thumbs up to indicate that the disguise was more than adequate. "Well.. I'll send on the gear specifications first, the others will need to get that together and bring it to the airfield. We're meeting the two others at the airfield and the main briefing is either before or during the flight depending on how smoothly things go. Usually we'd do the briefing in person with all three teams together at the main base facility but because of the time it will take the plane to get into position, the starting time of the gala event and the fact that team 1 need to go to a briefing with SWAT, Scotland Yard and the Meta-human related crimes division this way is easier. We'll need to pick up some wheels and probably some food as well." Now that her head had stopped spinning and pounding, she pushed herself away from the wall only to be overcome by a sudden, violent wave of nausea. One hand flailed out and managed to hit onto the wall for support and with little warning vomited onto the ground in front of her.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia figured that whilst the time travel effects tried to subside with Rinaa, that was as good a time as any to do her appearance switch. She also figured doing it here and now in the alley whilst only Rinaa was around was also the best time as they wouldn't risk anyone seeing it and then making the whole switch completely and utterly void. Seeing Rinaa's full reaction and interest in it happening made Fia actually feel a little bit proud of herself that for once, she actually seemed to press her 'cousin'. After she asked her question and noticing the slight unnerved reaction to hearing her voice come from a completely face was understandable to Fia. It was for herself when she first mastered the trick in front of the mirror and she would be lying of she said she didn't stumble backwards and fall onto her bed before bursting out laughing at her capability of freaking herself out for a split second.

She listened to Rinaa explained what was to be happening and what would usually happen but not this time round, nodding in understanding as she did so. She was also glad that Rinaa thought her disguise was more than adequate for what she needed her to do, making her smile happily. "right" she replied as she suddenly saw her 'cousin' get up, sway and proceed to vomit all over the floor. She stepped up to her from the side and placed a hand on her back, "you alright? Do you need another couple of minutes?" she asked her. She knew time was of the essence but she also wanted to check that her 'cohsin' was alright at the same time. She knew that these sorts of trips did a number on Rinaa, but this was the first time she saw it as bad as this. She also knew now that getting something to eat and some water for Rinaa was even more important if she was going to recover quickly. She felt a headache trying to brew up herself but shhe knew it would pass soon enough as she very rarely got bad ones, she also hadn't time travelled a soften as Rinaa so it didn't do as much damage to her as it was Rinaa, whose terminal condition could not be helping matters with this.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa noticeably stiffened when Fia placed a hand on her back, the girl's shoulders tensing upwards towards her ears. Had it been under any other circumstances she would have shrugged Fia's hand off, not wanting the other girl to be touching her during such a moment of weakness. Seven years on from being trapped in the burning building Rinaa had mostly moved on, making her peace with the fact she'd never be able to wear anything backless or particularly revealing in the shoulders and back (another reason why she'd gravitated towards black tie suits and biker/punk fashion was that she could be comfortable, while ensuring the scars were concealed). There was however a trauma that lingered and it was triggered every so often, though not as much as when she'd been a young teen, but it still happened.

She turned her head, and was just about to open her mouth to reply to Fia, only to feel another rising surge of nausea as the bile rose up in her throat. Turning her head back forwards she leaned back against the wall and heaved up another portion of vomit, managing by some miracle not to splatter her stomach contents on her or Fia's shoes. For Rinaa the vomiting felt like it went on for an eternity, though it was only a few minutes. At the very end she wasn't even bringing up partially digested food, only acidic bile streaked slightly pink with traces of blood. Satisfied that it was now finished Rinaa slumped against the wall, half lowering herself, half falling down to the ground (not the side with the vomit), breathing heavily, hands shaking ever so slightly. In an attempt to regulate her breathing she tipped her head forwards until her forehead was almost touching her bent knees and linking her fingers together and pressing them against the short shorn hair at the back of her neck. "Once more I'll do that, then never again! Not unless the bloody UNIVERSE is ending!" She mumbled angrily, speaking more to her legs than to her 'cousin'.

 

[MzHyde]

When Rinaa tensed up at Fia's touch on her back, she suddenly remembered about Rinaa's scarred back and let go, not wanting to trigger the girl anymore than she may have done. When she first put her hand in a reassuring manner on Rinaa's back, she thought it was just that, a reassuring act. The kind of act that someone would do before rubbing the back in the hopes it would relieve the nauseous feeling but she was sadly mistaken and very very wrong in this instance, so she wasted no time in removing her hand. She didn't want cause any tension between them in this moment before the heist or it would make things incredibly awkward for later.

Despite removing her hand however, she did stay close by incase she was needed for whatever reason, especially when Rinaa started to vomit yet again. The fact it was just bile by this stage was of a little relief as to her, it showed she must nearing the end of her vomiting session, but the essence of blood in it was not of a relief as it just rbought home all the more just how ill Rinna was and although vomiting wasn't the biggest worry of the century to some extent, the rest of her long term illness was. As Rinaa slumped against the wall and practically squatted on the floor, she leaned against the wall standing up, putting her hands in her jeans pockets. She couldn't help the small smirk that crept onto her lips when Rinaa declared she was not doing it anymore other one more time, unless the unvierse really hated her enough to cause her to do. "I don't blame you, that's gotta be so rough to go through that every single time." she replied to her, even though she was aware the comment wasn't necessarily aimed at her, but more like a thought out loud. "I think anyone would feel and think the same way if they were in your shoes" she then added, deciding to wait until Rinaa felt she was ready to move, not wanting to rush the girl in the slightest, just like she didn't want to her mother earlier on in the hospital. "We can go whenever you feel ready to. If we can though I definitely recommend getting somewhere you can eat or at least get a drink to take the bile taste out of your mouth" she then said after a few moments of silence.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa gave a nod of agreement at Fia's comments, finding she agreed with all of them, Rinaa certainly wouldn't wish this kind of pain and nausea on a normal person. "It didn't use to be THIS bad, sure there was side effects, they're unavoidable regardless of whether you're timeline sensitive. But they were only minor things- a bit of a headache, a dizzy spell maybe- but nothing I couldn't get over in a couple of minutes. Thankfully I'm nowhere near as timeline sensitive as Jay is, my abilities are very much diluted compared to hers, so it wouldn't screw me up to the extent it would Jay. But yeah, every time you jump through time the way I do, the more you expose yourself to the dimensional energy and fight the flow of time, the worse it gets.... I've zig-zagged back and forth through time A LOT, not quite being finished in either time." She gave a slight huff that could have been a laugh, though it would be a very dark laugh. "The less said about the general state of my body the better, but like I said, ONE more time and that's it, I'm DONE, all shit will be taken care of and the plan will be in it's last stages and it won't be stopped." She cast her eyes skywards for a brief second the words 'and then I'll be free' right on the tip of tongue.

She then shook her head to dislodge that particular train of thought from her mind. "But there's little point in sitting here blabbing, let's get this ball rolling." Removing her hands from the back of her neck she pulled out a phone from her backpack- a phone of different make and case to the one she'd been using on Attil. Unlocking it would reveal that the phone had little in the way of personalisation, something that would tell Fia right away that it was either a burner phone or a spare. Fingers flying across the screen, eyebrows furrowing slightly together in concentration as she typed a series of texts to various different numbers. Message sent Rinaa then pushed herself up from the ground, moving slowly just in case another wave of nausea would come over her (it didn't).

Now back on her feet on not fearing she was going to fall over she stretched her arms out and rolled her shoulders around to limber them out. Once again she reached into the backpack, this time pulling out a dark blue beanie type-hat. This hat was unusual in that it had been combined with a wig to make a rough disguise. Rinaa pulled it on, using her phone as a mirror to arrange the fake hair the right way. The wig was a blond and shoulder length with choppy ends. Apparently happy with her look Rinaa put her phone into her trouser pocket then turned to her 'cousin'. "Right then, any preferences on what to eat? I'm gonna go for something greasy, salty and fatty, cos fuck it why not."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia listened to Rinaa explain about it never having been this bad before. On the one hand it was concerning that it was now getting really bad for but on the other she thought it did make sense that the more one would time jump back and forth, the more the side effects are going to progress as well. She smiled slightly when Rinaa made what she could only translate as a dark chuckle at her own remarks before saying one more thing which Fia totally got why she would feel that way and nodded. She waited for the body language cue of Rinaa's before pushing herself off the wall to stand with her, then glancing sideways to see Rinaa fast typing on a phone that she had never seen before but did indeed assume it was either a spare that she saw no point in customising as it was either rarely used, or used strictly only for freelance vigilante purposes, or it was a burner phone. She figured it was pointless in asking about it as it was none of her business. She stayed close enough to catch her if Rinaa needed it but not so close that Rinaa would feel like Fia encroaching too close to her personal space.

Happy that her 'cousin' wasn't going to start projectile vomit everywhere again or stumble dizzily back into the wall, she let herself stand a lot more relaxed again as she rose an eyebrow seeing the beanie that was being pulled out and how it had a wig attached to it. She waited and watched Rinaa put it on and sort out the hair to make it believable as actual hair before her wondering why Rinaa would need some sort of disguise in her own timeline was disrupted by Rinaa asking about food. "Sounds good to me! So that's either burgers, pizza or some kind cheap carvery place if that's what you fancy. I'm pretty easy when it comes to food as you've probably guessed by now from being on Attil" she replied to her. "Also I gotta ask, how come you need a light disguise for your own timeline?" she couldn't help but ask after talking about where to go for food. It was a small curiosity that she knew if she didn't ask about it, it would just eat away at her until she blurted it out in a much more candid way or at a completely wrong moment in time. So she figured now was better than another time further down the line whilst they were alone.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Fia's suggested options all sounded good, pretty much what Rinaa herself had been thinking. "Pizza's out, I've eaten FAR too much of it these past few days. Since Zan got shot things have been flat out crazy, he was going to be our inside man on what was going on with the trial, in the government and he was gonna be helping us with Elliott and switch." She cast a sly, sideways glanced at Fia through the blond hair. "The strange irony of picking the person whose the least close to Elliott is not lost on us, believe me. But one of the major parts of the plan was his idea so it made sense. Based on where we are I was thinking either chippy or kebab place, there's a couple of good ones not far from here and we need to kill a little time until I get info on where out wheels are.... given that I've just thrown up the contents of my stomach there's a high change I'll get both."

Rinaa turned to look at Fia when her 'cousin' questioned the need for this rough disguise. "Ah yes.... did I not mention?" she asked, part rhetorically, part sheepishly. "At THIS time, in THIS timeline, I'm officially dead. Three weeks ago in this time I vanished, seemingly without a trace- that was when I initially set off on the first time-travel jump. Slightly less than a week ago my body was discovered in John's apartment, sprawled over the coffee table, wrists slashed, suicide note in one hand. Shortly after your family found the body a bunch of my trusted friends as well as Jay and Quin burst in and made a massive scene. The funeral was five days ago and from what I heard it was quite an event- a real way of sticking it and making a point. If the others figure out I'm alive then.... well I don't even want to know what the consequences will be. There's only a small, trusted group that know I'm still alive and I want to keep it that way, it's easier for things like this."

 

[MzHyde]

With Rinaa admitting she had been eating far too much pizza for her own good Fia couldn't help but smirk and half chuckle at the comment. She certainly understood that feeling all too well. She did indeed spot the irony of the choice of person to be the inside man but it seemed Rinaa knew Fia well enough to point it out before Fia could even mention anything and hearing that some of their plan was Zan's idea, she could see why they would then agree to share it all with him. She listened to what Rinaa's ideas were and figured they were even better than her initial suggestions. "Kebabs and chips it is then, I could easily go for both as well" she replied with a smile. It made sense to her that they'd have to wait for her to get the information she requested, things like that never came through quick enough in her eyes, so she couldn't imagine it ever be different in this timeline.

At the reply to her other question, even if it was half sheepishly, Fia looked at her and lightly slapped her forehead with her head before chuckling at her own stupidity and not the story that Rinaa was telling her. Of course it would be because she's technically officially dead in this timeline and Fia found herself wondering why it never clicked into her mind that would be the reason. It was so obvious now Rinaa had pointed it out that Fia felt well and truly thick as two planks of wood in that brief moment. "I can't believe I didn't think of that!" she said back to her. "Christ I can be so dumb sometimes" she laughed at herself. "Sorry, I should have figured that one out for myself" she added looking at Rinaa, as she thought about how badly everyone in her family, (even if her alternate self and mother were utter psychotic assholes) would have taken seeing her dead body on the coffee table, remembering the story of how that was the case before, then thinking how it would have only been made worse during the funeral as she just knew there would have been no way her alternate would have been invited. Which if she was Jay in this timeline, she wouldn't have let them anywhere the funeral either.

"So, this kebab and chippy, wanna lead the way to it?" she asked with a smile, trying to casually change the subject from her own moment of stupidity.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa's head snapped towards Fia at the sound of the girl's laughter. The suicide may have been an elaborate and extremely effective fake (going off accounts of the reactions of John's side of her 'family' at least), but given that this was a suicide attempt Rinaa had actually spent many dark days of her life contemplating, she felt the situation needed to be treated with some kind of dignity. It was when she saw the palm, Fia had slapped against her face she realised that the other girl meant not malice and let the hackles sink back down. "Yeah.. well.." the girl gave a vague shrug before hefting her backpack onto her back again "it's not exactly the NORMAL reason that would be on the tip of somebody's tongue, is it?"

Rinaa willingly accepted the subject change, somewhat surprised that her 'cousin' didn't want to question how they'd faked a suicide, or more precisely where they'd managed to acquire a dead teenagers body from. She led the way out of the alley out onto the street. At first glance that London of Rinaa's timeline wasn't that different from that of Fia's timeline, it was the same skyline (this particular district hadn't been bombed) and same large throngs of people, both tourists, office workers and general residents making their way around. But there were differences, the most noticeable being the protective masks and the current fashions. The clothing was far plainer and made out of more hard-wearing fabrics, and there was a noticeable lack of the brand logos that made people into walking billboards. The nearby underground station also a had a sign advertising informing the public that there was also a emergency bunker down there and there was the odd government poster in obnoxious bright yellow reminding people to wear masks and instructing people what to do if an alarm went off to indicate an incoming missile.

The chippy and kebab place in question were only a five minute walks away, located on opposite sides of the street. The closeness wasn't a coincidence, Rinaa had suspected she'd end up vomiting, and even if she didn't with her hyper-metabolism it was always advisable to fuel up before an adrenaline inducing heist. "I'll take the kebab place, you take the chippy." Rinaa told her 'cousin' giving Fia her usual order as well as enough money to more than cover the cost of two meals and drinks.

 

[MzHyde]

"true, but I should have put two and two together in your situation" Fia replied to Rinaa when she go told it wasn't a normal or obvious reason in any other situation. The girl hadn't long told her about how few people knew she was still alive before they time jumped but yet it still didn't clock to her that would be the reason. She was glad that Rinaa didn't take offence to her reaction as it really was at herself and not the faked suicide that Rinaa and her side of the family concocted. She also figured that changing the subject was a better choice than asking how she managed to fake such a death, sure she did want to know but she also didn't want to tredge up any bad feelings or stress Rinaa out even more than she may very well be due to the the heist. So changing the subject seemed like the most obvious and safest option to take in this moment.

As they walked out of the alley she glanced around and saw how it didn't seem all that different to her London and knew if she had to go her own way for whatever reason, she would no doubt be able to split up and reconnect with Rinaa easily enough if given a street to meet up in. Yet she also wished it was different to the point she wouldn't know her way to her home, not that she would fall to the temptation to go see how different her alternates were of herself, Kay and John but she knew just by looking around she could if she was easily tempted. Yet she did also notice the differences between her timeline and this one, especially the fashion choices on most people. She was sure though if it wasn't for the mandatory masks being worn round people's necks or on their faces, it would look relatively normal to her. She didn't doubt however how different some of the other parts of London would look that were bombed, remembering all too well the descriptions Rinaa used to give back on Attil of how her London looked. She took in the posters of warnings and instructions about what to do if a bombing alarm went off, making a mental note to remember it whilst in this timeline just incase. It was probably incredibly low in chances she would be caught up in something of the sort, but it didn't hurt to be aware of what to do incase anyway.

By the time they reached the kebab place and the chippy she noted how short amount of time it took and figured Rinaa picked these places for ease and quickness of getting something after her time travelling side effects. "got it, I'll take a chicken kebab by the way. What size chips and drink do you want?" she replied and asked her, as she took the cash that was handed to her and shoved it in her jeans back pocket.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa gave a sideways smirk "now what do you think?" She asked rhetorically, her tone almost bordering on teasing. "The biggest bloody size they got! Just get me water or whatever they have that's not fizzy." Before she'd been bitten by Sykes Rinaa had drank fizzy drinks and energy drinks a tad more than was good for her health, something Cliff would always give out about (in a manner that veered between 'I'm a doctor and these are bad for you' and 'I'm you're aunt and I want to see you happy, so I'll back down on this'). After being bit however, she'd had to stop. It ad never been figured out what exactly it was but both fizzy drinks and energy drinks wreaked havoc with Sykes' consciousness which meant in turn she'd lash out and give Rinaa relentless migraines and headaches. Eventually Rinaa had just stopped drinking them.

With Fia's full order memorised Rinaa crossed to the other side of the road. She made q quick stop n the corner shop next door to pick up some more sugary snacks (her blood sugar levels would thank her later) and two newspapers). She then making her way to the kebab place. It wasn't more than an hour after midday, so there was already a bit of a queue. Not that Rinaa minded waiting, her 'cousin' knew London, she could more than handle herself and it wasn't like anybody was going to try anything. The queuing gave Rinaa an opportunity to check her 'work phone' where there had already been replies to her messages. At some point she knew she'd have to ring Jay and explain a) that she was back (even though jay's timeline sensitivity would already have told her this Rinaa wanted to do it personally) and b) she'd brought the alternate Fia with her- something she knew her mother would be far from happy about. Her Jay was of the opinion that all Fias were the same, regardless of the timeline they all had the potential to become sadistic, psychopathic monsters. It was going to be one hell of an awkward conversation which was why she was procrastinating on having it.

Ten minutes later she walked out of the kebab shop with the food wrapped up and radiating heat into her arms and made her way over to her 'cousin'. "Got any preferences on where to sit and eat or will any old low wall slash bench slash bus shelter do?"

 

[MzHyde]

At Rinaa's smirk and reply Fia also smirked and nodded in that 'shoulda guessed' way. Truth was she did presume it would be the largest size she could possibly get ahold of but she thought she'd ask anyway as to her, it was the polite thing to do. "Sure thing, water and the largest bag of chips I can get" she reiterated before walking toward the chip shop nearby the kebab shop and joined the small queue inside. It was only a couple of people in front of her, three tops which she didn't think was too bad, it just turned out like at nearly every time she visited these places at least one of those in front of her had a big ass order that would easily feed a family of 10. She had to hand it to person for being able to even carry that much food when it was done, but she also betted the chip shop was ecstatic because it meant a lot of money in their till in one hit. As she waited she tapped her fingertips on her jeans to a ranom melody in her head that she had previously come up with and was working on making it work on her violin. Whilst she also kept her focus on the queue moving and noticing how a second staff member came out to take other people's orders that were smaller than the guy in front. As she got gestured at to come over, she glanced up at the menu above the counter to make sure she was definitely wanting the drink she did before back at the staff member again.

She ordered two large bags of chips, Rinaa's water and some lemonade for herself and waited for the order to be made up, seeing the sheer size of the large bag and knew it would be more than adequate for Rinaa and she almost wondered if she should have downsized to a medium but then she also knew she was more than capable of eating more than she probably should be able to and didn't regret the large in the end. Getting the bags and drinks put into a carrier bag to make things easier for carrying, she paid for it all, took the bag and exited the chippy, waiting for Rinaa for only a couple of minutes before they were reunited. "Anywhere will do, I'm not fussy at all. I've been known to sit on the edge of low walls, fountains, benches and even the odd roof once in a while, so I really don't mind" she replied with a soft smirk. As long as she wasn't interrupted when eating she really didn't care where she sat in London and she figured she would be safe enough in this timeline to be out in public a bit more compared to her timeline where it was always a risk, which was why she gravitated to the odd rooftop every now and then as she was alot more hidden in palin sight than on a public bench or in the nearest park under a tree.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Eating in the open in Rinaa's timeline wasn't without risk either, but it was different risks to those in Fia's timeline. There was still a danger from demons- that was one danger John suspected would never go away as long as phoenix kind was alive, it would lessened sure, but never go away- but it wasn't on the same level as in Fia's timeline. It was as if the demons could sense the oncoming destruction of Earth and were waiting for it to become a hellish apocalyptic landscape in which they could wreak havoc in full view of everybody and slaughter the survivors for sport. "Eating on roofs is a tad riskier in this time, most people know of somebody, even just through word of mouth who died because they were on a roof and couldn't get to a shelter in time. We've all experienced bombing raid to some extent. However" she gave a sly sideways look "that doesn't mean people don't do it. Occasionally myself and the other younger lab guys will go up and eat on the roof there- the view from up there is PHENOMENAL." A fond smile flickered over her face at the memory of those good times with her lab mates, as well as the times like the one she'd shown Kay from when she'd lived off world and had climbed up onto a roof with other teenagers and to spend the night drinking and talking trash.

The smile disappeared all too quickly, replaced by an expression of sadness, Rinaa knowing she'd never be able to have that kind of experience again in her life. She hefted the food bag around in her arms, adjusting how it lay in her arms to make sure it wouldn't burst from the weight of it's contents and send everything splattering all over the floor. "I know good a spot for eating not too far from here though. Should be pretty quiet this time of day" she said, somewhat abruptly, cutting short her train of nostalgia by beginning to walk. She headed initially in the direction of the alleyway they'd originally time-jumped into. Cutting through a few back alleys and side lanes brought them to a more deserted area. Rinaa made her way to an old wrought iron and wood bench overlooking one of the canals. This particular one had been widened significantly compared to the corresponding canal in Fia's timeline- a whole row of buildings must have been demolished in order to do so. Heading upriver were two low, wide vessels carrying a mixture of ores and containers and moored on the other side were some brightly coloured houseboats. Rinaa plopped herself down on the bench with a sigh. "The view's better at night." The teenager told Fia, an almost wistful edge to her tone.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia was also of the mindset that the fact she was under the guise of a black hair mostly brown eyed girl, any demons or downworld threat that would be after her alternate self (who could easily mistake her for her alternate self) wouldn't even blink an eye at her due to her current appearance. She had almost forgotten she was even in a disguise for a moment until she would catch a glimpse of the black hair over her shoulders, reminding her that yes, she was very much unrecognisable as her, if it weren't for her voice. She was just glad that Rinaa watched the transformation take place so she knew who to look for when they met back up with both halves of their meals. She didn't doubt for a second that there would be some kind of threat to her and her mother in this timeline but at least she didn't have to heighten it by walking around as herself and possibly getting her alternate family into some kind trouble because someone thought they saw them but they didn't. Not that she would particularly care too much as she almost had the opinion of any trouble they got, they no doubt deserved...all but John. She listened to Rinaa's reply about how eating on rooftops wasn't the smartest idea in this timeline, something she could easily understand why. She smirked back when Rinaa confirmed that people did still do it if they knew they could get away with it.

She did indeed remember the story Rinaa told her once about what her and her friends used to do, it also reminding her of that whole moment where they actually shared a few personal things that both felt comfortable with sharing. She remembered hoping that was the start of them ebing able to be more open with each other. Noting the fond smile of nostaglia on Rinaa's face, Fia said nothing, letting her just have that moment in her mind to herself before it quickly disappeared, she adjusted the weight of the food and she spoke of a good place she knew of. Walking beside her to the place, she couldn't help but take note of the route and all the back alleys whilst also trying to think if she had passed these alleyways in her timeline or not. By the time they got to the spot Rinaa hinted at at the canals, Fia recognised the area enough to know what was different in this timeline inc omparison and thinking how she barely ever came here but she did know of the area. She looked out at all the houseboats docked and what vessels were heading upstream before sitting beside Rinaa on the bench, placing the bag between them, opening it and pulling out Rinaa's water first, ahdning it to her, then her bag of chips before finally pulling out her own drink and chips. "Got the large as requested" she smiled.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa's face split into a broad grin at the sight of the large bag of chips (when that particular chippy said large, they meant large), plucking them out of Fia's hand almost violently, before placing the tinfoil-wrapped chicken kebab more gently in the other girl's hand. She then laid out the rest of her food along the middle of the bench between her and Fia, knowing from experience that balancing things on the narrow armrests was just asking for it to fall on the ground and become pigeon food. Amongst the items produced from Rinaa's bag was a a selection of various dips and sauces, figuring if they didn't go with the kebab meat they would most certainly go with the chips.

Before tucking in Rinaa popped the top of the bottle of water and took a large gulp, swilling it around in her mouth. She then cocked her head to one side and spat it out. The vomit and bile had tasted bad enough coming up, she wasn't going to swallow that taste down. She repeated this a further two times before she was satisfied that the acidic taste had been purged. At the first bite into the kebab an an honest to gods moan came out of her mouth, an expression of sheer, practically orgasmic bliss crossing her face. "OH! This is SO bloody GOOD!" She swallowed the first mouthful, slumping into the seat and wolfed down another bite. "Fatty, greasy and in no way good for me, but SO the right food choice right now." She'd missed cheap, greasy street corner food during her jaunts to various times and places, most planets had some variation of it, but it wasn't the same as what Earth (or more specifically London) had to offer her.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia couldn't help but snigger slightly at the almost violent way Rinaa snatched the large bag of chips from her whilst also swapping that for the chicken kebab that she asked Rinaa to order for her back. Like Rinaa, Fia laid her food partially out on the bench bewtween them as well on her lap whilst also noticing the various dips that Rinaa also got which she knew she would most definitely use on her chips if nothing else. She unwrapped her kebab, folding the foil out and down so it doubled in thickness for her to hold, exposing enough of it for her to take a good bite out of it as she couldn't wait and decided there was no way she was going to have a sip of her drink first whilst also noticing how Rinaa did the typical and known thing for washing out the acidic after taste from her mouth finally. She could easily know how thankful Rinaa must feel now she could finally rid herself of such a taste before being able to eat her lunch. Fia's first bite may not have been as dramatic as Rinaa's came to be, but it was obvious from the look in her eyes that she was enjoying her kebab wholeheartedly and was savouring each bite she took. She even did the whole brief closing of her eyes, satisfactory nod as she opened her eyes and looked at the kebab with that 'damn you're good!' gaze.

She found herself pausing however when Rinaa openly and loudly declared her approval of her own kebab, making Fia swallow her own mouthful before chuckling. "It's always the bad stuff that tastes the utter best" she replied matter of factly. "There really is nothing like London's junk food. Considering I only have now Attil's food to compare, but it really does seem like no one quite gets the level of unhealthiness and damn good taste ratio perfect like London. As much as I can complain about it, i do love their food outlets" she agreed. She was certain she wouldn't ever tire of it, even if she did absolutely fall in love with Attil's food, especially their burgers and pizzas. She paused her eating to open her bottle of lemonade and take a swig before going in for her chips and making a hum of happiness, "Is it just me that thinks chip shop chips taste the best? Like, literally...nowhere seems to match up quite the same." she remarked, wondering if she was alone in that thought or not. It was also a way of seeing what other mundane things she and Rinaa actually had in common. This whole casual eating outside with her felt so incredibly normal, like they never had their spats before which honestly reminded her of the times she had done this sort of thing with her Leah if either of them needed a break, some time with someone their own age or just to rant about family to each other.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa let out another muffled hum of sheer bliss as Fia explained her personal feelings on the junk food of London. "On that we can agree" she replied after swallowing. "Most places I've been have SOME variation of junk food, though in a lot of places the junk food is also their street food. Not that that's a bad thing mind you, it's INCREDIBLE, particularly in more multicultural and multi-racial settlements where there's a but of everything all together." She paused, taking another slug of water "but yeah, there's nothing out there I've found that's quite like this" she waved her kebab at the spread of food between them. "The junk food is one of the things I always liked about this place" whether she meant Earth, Britain or London was unclear, but the sentiment still stood"- except for the deep fried Mars bar, whoever invented that should be punished for crimes against humanity!"

Rinaa gave a firm nod of agreement, reaching for her own bag of chips and sticking her nose right into the paper bag to inhale the aroma. "Oh it's not just you. I agree entirely on that. Chips from chippies ALWAYS taste better, and chip shop chips by the sea... somehow they manage to be elevated to even more of a taste sensation!" A short pause and then in a more contemplative tone "I think it's like cinema popcorn. No matter how much you try at home, it's never the same as the popcorn from a cinema. I'm convinced they use some kind of either magic or drugs to make it THAT GOOD." Despite it all, Rinaa did find herself enjoying it. She'd never had this kind of moment with her own Fia- it had always been with her friends, an ex-girlfriend or some of Isogrii she'd grown up with. Maybe it was the fact that Fia was disguised and so, through a bit of roundabout thinking she could convince herself it was somebody else or maybe it was because there was no real pressure on either of them. Either way it was enjoyable for Rinaa and for a few moments her thoughts did turn to the 'what ifs' and thoughts of what kind of moments the replacement Leah would have with her Fia in the new timeline.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia smirked into her kebab as she took another bite of it as Rinaa made another hum of utter bliss at each mouthful she took of her own food. There was just something so.....innocent almost in the way Rinaa showed her delight at what she was eating which made it seem like a whole another girl being next to her. She heard her out when she agreed with what she was saying about the junk food in London, glad to know that she wasn't alone in her opinions, seeing her wave around the food between the two of them and even chuckled whilst nodding greatly at the deep fried Mars bar comment. "oh my god yes... I could not agree more on that one. It sounds and looks absolutely vile!" she replied, the grimace on her face at the thought of it only emphasising her opinion. She was so glad that her mother never got any pregnancy cravings that were weird like that and was always craving mint chocolate milkshakes. Which made her wonder if that's why she herself rather liked a mint aero milkshake now and again.

She continued to smirk and almost snigger as Rinaa grabbed her own bag of chips and shoved her nose in it to really breathe in the aroma that they always had when from a chip shop. She also agreed that there was just something about chips at a seaside or similar. Shhe still remembers vividly the times she got to go for a normal trip with Chas and Trish, just like the days the two of them convinced her parents to take her swimming, or with Elliott, Jay and her Leah. They were some of her fondest memories and they weren't even with her parents, which she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. At the mention of it being like cinema popcorn, she had to also agree, "oh I completely agree! The odd times I've gone to the cinema mum always insists on taking our own because of the sheer cost of popcorn and drinks at the cinema and it's never the same. Needless to say cinema popcorn does win out more times than not, especially if anyone else comes with like dad or Ell. If it's just myself and mum then we don't get it from the cinema... Guess who I prefer going with" she explained, ending her last comment with a smirk and snigger. Like Rinaa, she was enjoying this laid back fun moment with her, just chilling, eating amazing junk food by the canal and talking random crap about said food. It was refreshing and made them both just get to know each other without any outside pressures looming around them in the form of family.

 

[_gallifrog_]

It didn't surprise Rinaa in the slightest that both John and Elliott would deem cinema popcorn worth spending the money on. Elliott, she had to make an educated guess (not even Jay knew as she and Elliott had never actually been to the cinema together) on but with John she knew from personal experience. Rinaa and John had ended up going together more often than Fia might think, though it was still a rare enough occurrence. The two would watch a random trashy movie they knew would be shit together so they could rip it to shreds, heckle loudly from the back row and generally act obnoxiously. They got away with acting like this because they would deliberately chose a horror or action movie they knew to be trashy, cliche ridden and in later years, better watched when slightly drunk. More importantly the two of them together in a cinema watching a shitty movie was a situation the alternate Kay and Fia could never imagine happening, hence why they got away with it.

Rinaa gave a smirk and a knowing nod. "No competition there really. Jay would always fork out, saying something like 'it's not cinema without the popcorn' and as you know John cannot resist. Chas... well.... I never actually went to the cinema with him, for some strange reason." She gave a baffled shrug, Chas was arguably the person from the Earth group who behaved most consistently nice towards her and they met up on a semi-regular basis for coffee and a chat. The cabbie had been to Jay's flat and she and Jay had been to his house, and despite the other places they'd met up, they'd never actually managed to go to the cinema together. "In recent years it's been with mates, we try and make it a once a month thing- a break from the craziness of everyday life, but when we started spending more time on the music scene it morphed into being about once every two months. We'd always get a massive tub, practically a bath FULL of popcorn between us- it's a big group and my closest friend and sort of mentor in the lab, HIS boyfriend works in the cinema so as friends we get to take advantage of the employee perks that friends get lower prices on both food and tickets."