Fandom Into the fire (1x1 MzHyde/Gallifrog)

[MzHyde]

Like with a lot of things, Fia didn't forget that she made a promise to the girl that she would prove she was different to the other Fia. She also made a promise to herself when Rinaa went that despite how she left and treated everyone, Fia wasn't going to hold a grudge against Rinaa at all. In a way, her hugging the other teenager was a way of making amends for herself as well as to Rinaa. She felt the girl lean into her and when she did she almost tightened the hug a bit to let her know it was okay to lena into her. That no matter what she truly was happy to see her, to see she wasn't dead yet. When she let go she did feel kinda bad for the barrage of questions but no matter what she couldn't stop them coming out her mouth.

She found herself looking between Rinaa and the blue haired boy as Rinaa agreed that her shock as very much valid all things considered and when Rinaa told him to stop staring at Fia, along with the following apology from him and Rinaa's next remark, all kinds of thoughts went through her head. Did he have a crush on her in Rinaa's timeline or something? She had to mentally shake the thought of her head to focus back on why she was here in the first place, "sorry I don't know who you are, you've got a bit of advantage on me in that instance" she told him honestly, whilst thinking if there was anything between them in another timeline her other self had rather good taste. There was something attractive about him. She also had to wonder about Rinaa's comment about her having a theory and it being proven right. It just made her all the more curious to what it was between herself and this blue haired boy in Rinaa's timeline and just how well this guy knew her. After all, she did only know of Rinaa saying about how her friends hated that other Fia as much as she did, she never heard of anyone liking her in that regard or having anyone in her life etcetera.

After the small pause, she turned back to Rinaa and listened to all the information Rinaa was giving her, raising an eyebrow when it began relatively vague but agreed that no matter what Elliott had to live, and not just because he was her half brother and she was incredibly biased. She kept listening whilst starting to think it was getting more intriguing and serious as it was said that Jay cannot know in the slightest and whatever she was needed for to do, she cannot let Jay in on it as she wouldn't approve at all. "what do you need me to do?" she asked simply, her body language having changed as she listened to Rinaa into a much more willing to help in any way she can upright stance, in comparison to her much more casual stance. She had no idea if this other person would know her little nuances in her changing body language, or if anything about her was remotely the same to the one he knew well or not but right now she needed to know what she had to do to help keep Elliott alive. She could ask this guy about the alluding comments to their acquaintance later if there was time.

 

[_gallifrog_]

While Fia may think Rinaa's words were quite vague, it was the first time the other girl had admitted out loud the real truth as to why she'd travelled back in time. Wanting to meet her father was certainly a major pull factor encouraging her to go back, but it had been planned before she was even born that Rinaa was the one who was going to be the one to save Elliott's life and thus set the timeline on a completely different path. It had to be somebody who wasn't alive at the time of the trial who went back as anybody else risked crossing paths with their past self and irreparably breaking time, and in Jay's case as she had guessed earlier it would kill her to go back and attempt to change such a defining moment in her life. Rinaa's Jay was far from thrilled about sending her daughter back, but with the Astras wolf killing her, she could see that the girl needed to feel like her life had been worth something, that more had been achieved in it that just being abused and treated like shit, so she'd reluctantly accepted Rinaa's decision. Unable to travel back Jay decided to focus her energy on making sure that the faked suicide went off without a hitch, decided that mentally scarring her timeline's Fia and Kay with the sight of Rinaa's cold body having bled out on John's coffee table was the best revenge she could get.

"You can give me your phone to start with, there's a whole pile of software I need to upload on it" Rinaa replied, holding out her hand palm-up for the phone. This software (and spyware) was the reason she'd specified in the note that Fia was to bring her phone with her. "And I think he" she indicated with her other hand in the direction the blue haired guy "wants to explain where he fits in in all this, before you start getting some seriously crazy wrong ideas." The blue haired guy nodded, setting his coffee back on the 'table' careful to avoid putting it on the documents where it could stain them. "You'd be right on that.... this...." he gestured between the three of them "is pretty dang weird. The reason you don't know me is.... well... I don't exist in your timeline, nor do I exist in hers." The blue haired guy gestured at Rinaa, leaving enough of a pause to let his words properly sink in. "I'm from another timeline entirely, the one Rinaa is trying to move us onto, or at least one close to the one she wants everybody to go on after the divergence point. In both your timeline and hers, my father dies, thus he never gets my other parent pregnant, thus I never exist."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone, handing it into Rinaa's palm as requested. "sure thing, here ya go" she replied as she handed it over to Rinaa, then glancing at the blue haired guy when the topic was diverted to him. When Rinaa said about getting crazy wrong ideas she couldn't help but smirk and raise an eyebrow again, thinking that it was entirely possible that Rinaa knew her a bit better than either of them thought. It wasn't hard for her to get some crazy wrong ideas considering how he was with her in the hospital. So she turned her head to face the blue haired guy properly and listened to him start of by saying it's weird. She continued to listen as he explained that he didn't exist in either hers or Rinaa's timelines and that if they succeed in moving things into an entirely different timeline, he won't exist at all. It was a lot to take in just on that small snippet information, but news that was sinking in quick enough, that she was ready for hearing the rest. "o..kay, so how do you know us in your timeline? If you don't mind me asking" she asked, as she curious how he came into it if he wasn't part of either of their timelines.

As she finished asking the question, a small yawn escaped her, making her quickly cover her mouth as she did so. She had no idea what kind of girl she was in the other's timelines but this was still incredibly early for her and she was not a morning person unless it was desperately required. Didn't help she took a two hour nap when it probably would have been easier to stay up, but then she ran the risk of someone walking passed her room and figuring it out that she was awake and wondering why. So going about her routine like normal was her only option. She didn't really know what else to say whilst she waited for a reply and for Rinaa to start uploading whatever software she needed to on her phone. She wasn't sure she particularly liked having such things on her phone but she was willing to do anything to try and help save Elliott's life. If that having something on her phone then so be it. She just hoped she wouldn't have John snooping on her phone again and coming across whatever it was. But right now she was far more intrigued by this guy, his choice of wording and just who he was to them in his timeline.

 

[_gallifrog_]

With the phone firmly in her palm Rinaa wasted no time in hooking it up to her laptop with a transfer cable. She didn't need to know the password, she'd uploaded some seriously powerful decryption software onto the external drive and a Fia's mobile phone password (no matter how secure it was) was no match for the near military grade programme Kane Labs had developed. She'd already grouped the necessary programmes together, with the intention of uploading them onto Zan's phone and all it took was a few tweaks to switch the default user language of the programmes back to English. Having pressed the upload button she leaned back in the chair and watched to the blue haired guy talk, she'd heard his story before (more than once as it had taken a number of attempts for her to believe him), interested to see what exactly he was going to leave in and, more importantly, omit.

"I don't mind you asking, it's the most obvious question, is it not?" he replied, his tone hinting that he expected this kind of answer from Fia. "We're family, though the links of blood and the more tenuous ones of adoption have never stopped us, by which I mean my Fia and Leah all from being friends." He paused "and I suppose you should know some kind of name.... call me...." long pause made it clear that name he was about to give was entirely fake, and the smirk afterwards, combined with the mischievous sparkle in his eyes made it clear the alias was chosen for exactly the reason Fia thought it was "Max." Another pause during which he held out one gloved hand for a firm handshake. "I'm obviously from Jay's side of the family- the hair and eyes no doubt give that much away. I guess you could call me the adopted brother, though technically it's the other way around- the Leah I know isn't a version of this girl here" he gestured at Rinaa "she's..." he trailed off, glancing at Rinaa who sighed and bit the bullet for him"my replacement. No point in sugar coating it. When you change a timeline as majorly as I'm about to there's always a cost and in this case, to save the people who MUST survive, the cost is me- or more precisely the biological chimera creation of Jay and Elliott's DNA."

 

[MzHyde]

With the blue haired guy agreeing to talk about who he was, Fia felt glad that there wasn't much secrecy and both of them were more than willing to give her a decent amount of information that wouldn't leave her wanting to know more or be be even more confused by it. She nodded at his remark about it being an obvious question, glad that he was expecting her to ask such a thing. Hearing that they were family in some way made her all the more interested deciding that it was by far the one reason that made the most sense, and one that she was actually glad about despite her other thoughts thinking up a million and one scenarios. With him saying she should know a name she nodded, giving him the look that said 'I was gonna ask about that' as she listened to him clearly trying to think up an alias name which she couldn't fully blame him for, for doing. Though when he got a sudden glint in his eye and told her to call him Max, she instantly gave him the look of surprise and 'really?', knowing there was absolutely no way she could let that go without making some kind of remark, "You want me to call you the name I named my secret dog? Well that's gonna screw with my mental image...but sure." she smirked at him, deciding to go with him on that choice of name, but it did make her wonder if she had the dog in his timeline as well or if he just knew through Rinaa about her dog in her timeline, after she admitted about the dog to Rinaa on Cliff's home planet.

She shook his hand when he held his out however, then continued to hear him out, as her mind kept computing everything he was telling her. Hearing he was related to Jay in some way also fit the pieces together a lot more and made everything else start to make a lot more sense as she nodded in agreement to his words. As the conversation continued and lead to Rinaa finishing the explanation, she looked at Rinaa to hear what she was saying and found it interesting and intriguing all at the same time. "Ah...I see" she simply replied. Hearing it put in the manner of 'replacement' when it came Rinaa was rather saddening to hear as it made her sound so obsolete when Rinaa was so much more than that in Fia's eyes. "That actually brings me to something that's been on my mind. The first letter that you gave to me, the last bit written in it. Saying about my existence is guaranteed but doesn't mean the other's are. Does that mean it's not only Elliott's life that's at risk here?" she asked, unsure if they would be able to give an answer but she had to ask anyway, "Because it felt a bit.....threatening, not gonna lie and lets just say John didn't take it too well" she added with a shrug. She felt she didn't say everyone didn't take too kindly to it, but it was her father's reaction that stood out the most to her because well, it was he rfather after all.

 

[_gallifrog_]

'Max' gave a broad smirk when his reference hit home, raising an eyebrow, almost daring her to challenge his choice of fake name. Rinaa meanwhile simply rolled her eyes, an amused smirk twitching at the corner of her lips as she reached for the second travel coffee mug, practically inhaling her mouthful. She'd made it extra strong, far stronger than she would have a few months earlier and far more pungent smelling than she'd like, but it was a necessary evil in order for the caffeine to actually have an affect on her. She'd never heard of Fia's secret dog before now, but kept her mouth shut and listened. She thought Fia was taking it very well, considering the massive implications behind 'Max's' words. "Well it's the best fake name I think up of that wasn't a name of a friend, enemy or an Isogrii name that sounded nothing like an English word. And it's not uncommon for people to call their pets after their favourite person."

At Fia's comment about the note and the ominous choice of phrasing 'Max' and Rinaa exchanged looks. The fact John hadn't taken it well was hardly surprising. It hadn't been their intent to hurt John, but for the greater good for keeping Elliott alive it was a necessary evil."The note was a spur of the minute thing, us adapting to the circumstances being thrown at us. Originally it was going to be that she'd wait in your room til you showed up, not a cloak and dagger delivery method. As Lee said, Zan getting shot like that really wasn't part of the plan and we were forced to adapt quickly. The whole dressing up as a Wraith thing came from us having to act quickly- that's not actually my job, though it would be pretttty badass if it was." He gave a wistful smirk before continuing. "Owyn knows there's a shitload at stake, he can feel the divergence and the pull of the various timelines, the man is far from stupid, so he let me masquerade as a Wraith, so long as I did a favour for him. But yeah... there is more at stake than just my uncle... if we fuck this up, we run the serious risk of killing Jay in the process, not to mention the whole thing about John needing to deal with some shit in Scotland before you're born." "I needed to make sure Jay would stay out of it, I damn well know she'd do something stupid like sacrifice herself, so by mentioning the fixed point and giving the threat of the demise of everybody... it's my way of making sure she stays out of it."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia casually folded her arms across her chest as 'Max' explained why he chose the name whilst clearly finding some kind of amusement in her reaction to the name chosen. She also noticed Rinaa's slight amusement which made her think it couldn't have been Rinaa that told him about Max the dog, which left the option that she possible did have the dog in his timeline and he knew all about it. Though it was his comment about it not being inocmmon to name their pets after their favourite people that made her properly raise an eyebrow. "right well I'm assuming then I have Max in your timeline and you somehow know about it. Though your last wording makes you sound like the pet" she smirked back with a teasing edge. "but anyway.." she then said, wanting to get back to the point in hand. Seeing Rinaa, or more precisely smelling Rinaa's coffee made her wish she could have found a way of bringing her own one with her, but knew if she had it would have woken at least one of the three in the living room.

Seeing the two of them exchange looks with each other after she asked them about the last part of the note, she wondered if she asked a question that was a bit too on the nose and she wasn't going to get an answer, so when 'Max' did start to give her an answer she welcomed it greatly. She made sure to study his features as he spoke just incase she would find a lie but she got nothing of the sort from him, believing every single word he was saying so far. Sure, it was a lot to take in and she had a feeling it would all hit her a lot harder when she left this secret meeting, but for now she was taking it well. She understood that neither of them would want to hurt John intentionally and she did think it made sense that it would be a necessary evil. That kind of thing she knew all too well and she did after all keep her own secrets from her time line's John. She smirked at his comment about wishing being a Wraith and hoe it would be amazing to be such a being. It also made more sense why Owyn seemed to not let anything slip about the plan, or how he seemed to studied her.

She did have to agree that if Jay knew any of this she would do all she could to try and fix things up, but in turn fucking things up even more. "I get that, I know just as well as you do how far Jay would go if she knew. Also if it means John doesn't leave Kay to deal with shit in Scotland before I'm born I'm even more on board. Kay fainting today made me realise how much more important it is to have him around. Shhe won't cope if John isn't around on my birthday.. Literally" she replied.

 

[_gallifrog_]

There was a real, deep sadness in Rinaa's eyes when she spoke of her Jay, her mother. She loved the woman, even with her flaws, and out of everybody, Jay had been the one figure continuously in her life (discounting those periods of a couple of weeks here and there while she was away on a job), even when Rinaa had been in university she'd made time to meet up in person with her mother, and as such her Jay had been the only one in the extended family to get to hang out inside Rinaa's student apartment. It was a real reversal of roles for Rinaa to be the one doing underhand things to protect her mother, but she knew in the grand scheme of things her mothers life was far more important than her own, especially when it came to Elliott living or not.

Rinaa and 'Max' could see it in Fia's eyes that she really did understand why somebody would employ such an elaborate and underhand method to make sure their parent(s) stayed in the dark. 'Max' knew the look, but for Rinaa, it was more disconcerting as it was one she'd only ever see on her own face. "Not sure my plan will stop John going to Scotland. The way I understand it, it's something John NEEDS to do. In my time somebody important dies there, and that guilt and loss, so close after losing Elliott, well...." Rinaa gave a broad shrug "it sends John into a place so dark and so full of guilt about not doing something when he could've that I don't think even I'VE been there, and I know a LOT about all consuming depression." 'Max' narrowed his eyes at Rinaa's completely unreassuring words before giving his own thoughts on the matter. "In my time he manages to both- tie up lose ends in Scotland AND be there both at the birth AND there for her in the days preceding it, so you don't need to worry about whether John'll be there or not, as he damn well is in mine and in yours which are the ones that are going to win out, of that it's certain." 'Max' spoke with the sureness of somebody who'd spent a serious amount of time analysing all the possible outcome and even an even longer amount of time verifying his opinions.

 

[MzHyde]

The deep sadness that Rinaa had in her eyes when speaking about her mother didn't go unnoticed by Fia. She understood it, in a round about way. It was a similar sadness she had in her own eyes before coming back in time when she was trying everything to find her own mother and trying to get through to her father. Like Rinaa, she would do absolutely anything whether it be honest or underhanded to save her parents and make sure that they survived whatever it was that threatened their lives. She was certain that anyone in their family that tried to help could see that sadness and desperation in her eyes in her time, yet at the time she didn't really think about their reactions. She barely even recalled how she was when she found herself running to Elliott's and Jay's place utterly distraught and throwing herself into Elliott's arms for comfort when Kay was first taken.

Looking at the two of them, something told her 'Max' recognised the look on her face all too well which made her wonder what could have happened to her in his timeline for him to know her changes of expression in her face. She listened to Rinaa's words at first and she did not like a single bit of what she was saying. She would never object to John going to Scotland for any reason, but it was the fact that she described the kind of depression of John's she knew all too well and that sent a cold feeling run right up her back. She had to hope it wasn't someone to do with Cheryl but that didn't stop her from thinking it could have been nonetheless. It was only when 'Max' spoke up did she shake those worrying thoughts from her mind and nodded slowly at his words. They were of some comfort to her as something told her she could believe this guy. "right..." she replied, trying to make her own voice come across with convincing sureness. "so what's the game plan then? Once you've done whatever it is on my phone that is" she asked, trying to refocus her mind.

She needed to be here to help make sure Elliott survives, not anything else about her parents.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa could see that Fia didn't like a word of what she was saying, but she felt that the other girl should know that this wasn't John getting cold feet and deciding to flake out on Kay in the final days of the final period of the pregnancy by fleeing to the highlands for a couple of days to get utterly smashed. The trip up north wasn't for drinking reasons, it was for a combination of personal and business reasons (i.e. demon related reasons). The trip to Scotland was a taboo subject in Rinaa's timeline, her John found it too painful to talk about it and alternate Kay was still feeling some form of anger that John had never explained to her just why this particular death was affecting him so badly. But Chas knew, John had trusted his best mate with the real truth and Jay had weaselled it out of him through what could only be called blackmail and emotional manipulation, using the fact that he'd betrayed Rinaa's trust and blabbed something he shouldn't have as a leverage point to get the full story out of the cabbie. Rinaa resisted the urge to sigh at just how effortlessly 'Max' managed to say something actually reassuring, after she'd been diagnosed as being terminal she'd stopped bothering with sugar coating things. Let it hurt, at least you'll still be living afterwards was her motto on the matter. A bit on the sadistic side, but it wasn't as if she was known for having the healthiest of coping mechanisms.

"I'm staying in the area for the rest of the night and until the divergence." 'Max' replied, while Rinaa chose to remain silent. "Normally we'd be flat out asleep having spent the main part of the day either working in the apartment going through whatever data Zan had managed to dig up, or pouring through the Astras research you no doubt saw littering the walls or sneaking into wherever was necessary to get the data. But tonight it's a little different, now that the data is out of our hands we can focus on the final stage of the plan. I'm to keep an eye on the forge. It's a completely remote possibility that Dakkon will realise he's been duped and figure out the real location, but we can't be too careful with that." "I'll drink to that." Rinaa replied, holding up her coffee mug as if for a toast. "Rinaa's got the fun job, she's running the heist." 'Max' gestured at the blueprints and documents on the table as if to say 'that's what all this is for'. Rinaa narrowed her eyes and glared at him, clearly not pleased that he'd decided to share this particular piece of information.

 

[MzHyde]

As 'Max' spoke, Fia listened intently to what he planned on doing for the rest of the night. The fact that he was staying until the divergence point was reassuring but also brought home even more just how important what they had to do was. She nodded as the covered walls of the Astras experiments pages, knowing exactly what he was meaning and to silently say that yes she had seen all that herself. She could understand why one of them would want to keep an eye on the forge just incase as the idea of Dakkon of figuring out he was fooled by their group never fully left her mind. It may have been right in the back of her mind, but it was there nonetheless. She gave a somber smirk at Rinaa mimicking a toast to 'Max' s' words before nodding with intrigue over what Rinaa was to be doing, glancing at the blueprints and documents on the makeshift table. "heist?" she asked, showing that his words had piqued her curiosity and if she figured if he truly knew her and her alternate self from his timeline was anything like herself, heists would always attract her and be one of her liked things.

"so what do you guys need me to actually do with whatever it is you need to put on my phone? Obviously keep this hush hush from the fam, that goes without saying, but what else? You couldn't have asked me here in shit o clock in the morning just to keep a secret. Also, I'd like to think you both know there isn't much I'd say no to" she told them, ending her comment with a slight smile that had the tiniest hint of smugness just like her father. It was probably something that she shouldn't necessarily be proud of but she wasn't exactly your normal teenager either. She also felt she desperately needed to move on from the idea of a reality where John went off the rails emotionally. Trying to get her father out of that sort of ruck once was enough for her and she did not want to go through it again.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"Yeah, heist." Rinaa replied, reluctantly confirming 'Max's' words. The next sentence was a barely there murmur into her coffee mug, in a tone that was angry, annoyed or insulted, just tired. "Contrary to popular belief I always don't spend my spare time looking at blueprints for fun." As Fia gave her spiel, 'Max's' smirk grew as his theory was confirmed. He could see the way Fia's word had lit up at the mere mention of the word 'heist' and knew that at the very least when it came to heists his Fia and this Fia were exactly the same. Meanwhile Rinaa's stomach was dropping as a look of realisation began to come over her face, her stomach well and truly metaphorically thudding into the basement of the apartment block as 'Max' gave her a pointed look. "No. No. No." the girl replied, punctuating each word with a firm shake of her head, narrowing her eyes eyes further and crossing her arms firmly across her chest. "ABSOLUTELY not."

'Max' fixed her with a gaze just as piercing as the one he'd used on Fia earlier. "That's NOT happening, don't even think about it." She crossed her arms tighter, hands balling into fists to emphasise her point. "But it makes complete sense and you know it." 'Max' argued back. "I can't go to your timeline, it would almost certainly trigger Jay... probably Quin too. And it was you who was saying just a few moments ago that having an extra person on your infiltration team would help." "It's out of the question" Rinaa repeated "the team won't work with her for starters." "That's only if you tell them who she is" 'Max' pointed out, refusing to back down under Rinaa's gaze. "Just slap on a full face mask, claim she's a mute or fit the helmet with a voice distorter or something- surely your tech guy has such a thing-, put her on your infiltration team and nobody will be any the wiser."

"You've planned this haven't you?" Rinaa swung herself off the deckchair, standing up and stabbing an accusatory finger in the direction of her sort-of brother. "Yeah, I have have." 'Max' replied, getting off his own perch so he could stab his own finger back at Rinaa in response. "You can't just end whatever the hell all this crazy shit between you two with an anticlimactic secret meeting on a rooftop! At least show the girl a good time, show her just what exactly is it that you do with yourself. It's not like she's going to remember you when she goes back to her own time anyway." "It would be bloody easier if I did end it like that!" was the barked reply. As the two squared off and glared at each other it would look for Fia quite similar to the times that John argued with Cheryl, neither sibling willing to back down and eat humble pie. It was Rinaa who backed down first, throwing her arms up in the air with some particularly colourful Attili words. "It's not all that bad, this girl lives for heists almost as much as you do. In my timeline her and Leah have worked on a few together." 'Max' omitted the fact that they'd only ended up working together because initially they'd caught the other in the act of breaking into the same place they were breaking into and had come to the realisation that it would be much easier to hide things from their respective parents if they could back each other with an alibi.

 

[MzHyde]

Seeing 'Max's' smirk just grow all the more when he saw how Fia's interest got piqued was very noticeable to her, not to mention the annoyance that Rinaa was showing over the fact that 'Max' had all but dumped her in it at the same time. She rose an eyebrow as Rinaa started saying 'no' repeatedly at 'Max' as it was becoming clear to Fia that 'Max' was insinuating that Rinaa should take Fia with her. Seeing how Rinaa was reacting, Fia couldn't stop the smile of amusement from appearing her face as she watched the two of them argue each other's points of view about taking Fia with her. She couldn't even bring herself to speak up or try and break it up, it was far too amusing and far too much like Cheryl and John arguing that she had to just witness this happily. At the suggestion Rinna just needed to either put a full face mask on her and she kept quiet or shhove a helmet with a voice distorter on her it got Fia thinking about her rune that she can use to change her appearance. "you guys know I have an appearance changing rune tattooed on me right?" she pointed out when the two of them had finished arguing.

"and Max is right, even in my timeline we've partnered up a few times and work well together. Heists are my utter jam. I've stolen from high up aristocratic wannabe demons before. I can do whatever this heist is with you." she then said, having not earlier intended to side with 'Max' but crazier things had happened in her life. Like 'Max' she too left out the part of it being due to accidentally ending up on the same case and just so happen to agree to team up, but in her eyes Rinaa didn't need to know that bit of information, especially if 'Max' thought the same thing. "whoever the others are don't have to know who I am." she finished with a look that said 'so... Am I in?' whilst showing a glint in her blue eyes. She did have to wonder though why he was so adamantly fighting her corner about letting her go into Rinaa's timeline to help out on the heist. Though she wasn't going to complain about it, even if she didn't plan on going much further than this roof and back to the apartment again before anyone noticed she was even gone. If she went with Rinaa, she knew it'd be even more vital that no one woke up and noticed her absence or she would be in deep shit.

 

[_gallifrog_]

At the mention of the appearance changing rune (which 'Max' had completely forgotten about) what could only be described as a shit-eating grin spread over his face, a grin that were eerily similar to the one Jay sported when she'd well and truly manipulated somebody so that the only option was for them to do exactly as she wanted. "Oh yeah..." He nodded in remembrance before spinning to face Rinaa "See!?!" he gestured in Fia's direction "it's perfect." Rinaa's response was a long, irritated sigh and a glare. She hadn't known about Fia's appearance changing rune (she only knew what the translation rune did, the rest neither her Fia or this Fia had deigned necessary to share with her). For the brief second before 'Max' confirmed that it existed in his time line she wondered if this was some higher power fucking around with her.

A slight scoff past her lips when Fia mentioned that in her timeline she'd actually teamed up with her Leah. It really felt like the two of them were ganging up on her and it was looking like there was less and less of a chance of being able to come up with reasonable reason to refuse permission. She let out another sigh, turning away from the two so she could pace slightly across the roof. "If... and I'm only saying IF you were to be involved, you do accept that you'd be travelling to MY timeline and therefore it's non-negotiable that Jay would have to be informed, as would Quin. And there would be other bloody conditions too." She didn't wait for any other form of reply or confirmation from Fia. "And this isn't a magical objects heist, this is from a state of the art scientific facility. You'd have to obey the EVERY command of the guy on the comms, you can't just go rogue and leave a mess behind you" the 'like your other self always does' was not said aloud, but very much implied in the tone. "But the real issue is the jump. I'm sure as Hells not putting you on the ground moving up team in case things go tits up and the gala team is FAR too risky and out of the question with the others on that team. You may be some mythical creature with flying in your veins but could you REALLY pull off a HALO jump?" The HALO she was referring to was a military acronym for 'High Altitude Low Opening', a classic was of ensuring parachutists came in under the radar.

 

[MzHyde]

The moment 'Max' remembered about her appearance changing rune (actual name was the shapeshifter rune but she could use it for changing her appearance in smaller ways), she knew she had triggered an unspoken bit of information that his version of her had exactly the same thing and it seemed that even in his timeline, she decorated her body with runes to help her be one step ahead of someone in a fight or a difficult situation, but only if it really warranted it. She had the whole 'there's a cost to using magic' chat far too many times for her own good with John to know when and when not to use her runes. She also just simply liked the look of them on her. She smiled as it seemed that Rinaa was caving to the pressure that was being put onto her and she wasn't entirely happy about the idea, even if 'Max's' previous points were actually highly valid. She also thought it was a good time to prove to Rinaa once again she wasn't like the other Fia and if she was told to do something in a particular way she would do it. The time with her mother in her time and going off plan was simply because it was her mother and she let her emotions get a little better than her, but it wasn't a regular occurance for her to disobey a plan.

She would have denyed that her and 'Max' were ganging up on her but then she would have been lying and in this moment lying was not part of the plan. If she wanted to gain Rinaa's permission to go along and trust to go along, then she needed to be truthful and yes, in a way she was partly teaming up with 'Max' and ganging up on the other teenager. She watched Rinaa begin to pace back and forth without looking at them as she thought about it seriously, before turning back to face her and she started giving out rules and conditions. This was the part she was expecting, a bunch of conditions that she couldn't weasel out of no matter what. Fia knew that there would be no way Rinaa would simply just say 'yes' to her going along and ehlping without some kind of counter that would put her mind at ease, and that was utterly fair enough in her eyes. So she did the only thing she could, listen to every single point, whilst waiting until she was done talking before deciding to reply. "That's fair enough. Every single point I agree with, it's your timeline so it's your rules, plain and simple. I won't go rogue, I'll follow every single rule given out. I understand this isn't just some mythical object heist, I wouldn't have thought it would be and lastly?" she started to reply, paused then started again before Rinaa could get a word in, "Yes I can. Done them before on my own" she finished saying, whilst casually folding her arms across her chest yet again with a bit of smirk on her lips. She glanced at 'Max' before darting her eyes back at Rinaa and gave her the look that said 'so do I pass?' in a serious but cheeky manner. Part of her was tempted to say 'or ya know..you could go on with it one man short and make it ore difficult for yourself' but she didn't and kept her mouth shut instead, just like when Rinaa kept ehr mouth shut on the point about FIa's alternate self always going rogue.

Spoiler: Rune on wrist

 

[_gallifrog_]

It was clear to Rinaa that Fia was actually listening and taking every single point on board, as opposed to just passively nodding with every intention of going off piste as soon as her back was turned. Had Fia refused to agree with any one of the conditions she'd laid out (which were the most basic- there was already a massive list of do and don'ts,- though mostly don'ts- brewing away in her head) Rinaa would not have hesitated to refuse to let Fia anywhere near her heist. But the other girl agreed. The fact that Fia had done a HAHO jump before was surprising and for a brief moment the girl was tempted to drop her guards and ask the when, the how, the why and the who behind her 'cousin' doing this kind of activity, bur decided that keeping a straight face was more important. She didn't need Fia knowing that she'd already managed to get under her skin again. She'd swore not to get close to the alternate, knowing it would only end in heartbreak for her, but Fia just had a knack for unknowingly weaselling under Rinaa's defences.

"Well that's a relief, but only if you're not bullshitting on this. If you are" she gave a look almost as piercing as the ones 'Max' could muster up. "I'd recommend stopping it now. This isn't some tame parachute jump, we'll be starting at roughly 10 kilometres up in the air- the proper military distance- so you should probably think on whether you need an oxygen pack for this or not. I'd rather you not splat into mincemeat on the ground when it could be easily avoided. Not only would it be be very awkward to explain to your parents and co back in the apartment" she indicated with her chin in the direction of Cal and Cliff's place. The use of 'your' made 'Max' wince slightly. The person he called Leah was somebody completely different biologically to Rinaa, but she too would refer to John's side of the family, and occasionally even her own adoptive parents as being Fia's and 'Max's' people as opposed to hers. It was heartbreaking to see this, but he knew it was better to let it slide, there were far, far bigger things at stake. "It would completely give the game away that we're trying to access from the roof and sides as opposed to the other, more conventional ways. But if you really can keep you mouth shut and obey orders, then yeah, I suppose you're in. As for you" she turned to 'Max' "you're infuriating." "I know, but I'm also right, this is the best way." "Tell me that only when things HAVEN't gone tits up."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia was convinced that Rinaa would question her about her replies, almost to try and figure out if she bullshitting her, but when she didn't that surprised her but didn't let it show, just as Rinaa didnt let her own surprise show. She smirked as Rinaa gave her an intense stare as she just outright gave her the threat of if she was bullshitting to stop it now, figuring it had to come out at some point. Hearing her say it wasn't some tame parachute jump she listened carefully, nodding once more at the warning. Sure it was bigger than she had done before, but she was used to dropping in to get access to a roof before, and she figured she wouldn't need an oxygen mask, judging by the sheer height she could get by flying normally. As for her experience in doing the drop, she mostly only had experience in doing them by using her wings to give her the height she needed and making them vanish to do the drop and using parachute or her magic to land softly on a roof. For her it was training in learning how to fly more accurately and discreetly as well as using other equipment that meant she didn't just rely on her phoenix genes or her magic. So granted, it wasn't entirely the same thing but she was used to doing drops from great heights and she figured it was similar enough to know what she had to walk into.

The use of 'your parents' didn't go amiss on her just as it didn't on 'Max' either and knew it wasn't something to get offended by, even if it did make her glance over back at Cal and Cliff's apartment where her parents indeed were and briefly imagine how that awkward talk would go if it had to happen, and also thinking 'please dont kill me mom and dad for sneaking off and doing this' before looking back RInaa and 'Max'. The last thing they needed was her getting screamed at for going behind their backs and doing whatever it was she was about to be involved in, then try and get out of said lecture so she didn't disclose anything that couldn't be spoken of. At the confirmation that she was indeed in and 'Max' being told he was infuriating she chuckled, "Trust me Rii, I can do this and completely under the rules you've stated., I'm not bullshitting you and I won't let you down, I promise" she told her honestly, placing her hand on her heart as if she was doing the 'swear on my life' action. She may have slightly exagerrated the truth before but in her eyes it was very barely stretching the truth, she knew she could do this, of that much she had great faith and confidence in herself. "So just lead the way, tell me what we gotta do, whatever I need to know in other words" she then said to Rinaa.

 

[_gallifrog_]

"She's got time travel tech, you won't be gone the whole night, practically none of it from my point of view- and as long as you say nothing and get some sleep at some point, the others back in the 'partment will be none the wiser." 'Max' added, seeing Fia's glance in the direction of the apartment, having some kind of idea what might be on her mind. At the words 'trust me' some unnamable emotion flickered across Rinaa's eyes and face, those two simple words having more of an effect on the woman than Fia emphasising that she wasn't bullshitting or lying purely so she could get involved with the heist. She hated that she could trust this Fia, it went against every single self preservation instinct she had, but somehow this version had managed to weasel herself under Rinaa's skin.

Rinaa gave no reply on the question of trust, and no answer to 'Max's' other quip about him being right, just sat herself back down in one of the deckchairs, grabbing her mug of coffee as she did so and take a good big slug. "There's not much that I need to explain here, and some of it I won't, it's classified and not vital to you being able to follow orders. All most of the important stuff will be reiterated at the.... briefing I guess you'd call it that'll take place before hand in my timeline. The only thing you really need to know right now is that there's actually three operations going on, teams two and three are doing separate heists- they're in the same building but with different targets- while team one is doing a sting operation that's the culmination of months and months of blood sweat and tears. You'll be on team three with me and two others, team two also has four people and team one has a SWAT team of standby- they're acting as the diversion for the heists. This has been meticulously planned which is why complete obedience and teamwork is vital. The people on the comms- the tech geniuses making sure we don't leave a digital trail, their word overrides everything. And you'll have to get kitted out with better clothing than that, no to mention a comms set and a voice changer- some in my timeline would recognize your voice- there should be a spare set of non-descript tactical gear that will fit you."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia looked at 'Max' and nodded, "I know..." she replied to him but it helped to hear it said to her as a reminder anyway. As they spoke more around all of this she could see why his version of her got on with him, there was just something so laid back and reassuring about him and she couldn't help but wonder how close they were and if her other self ever confided in him or not over anything as he seemed the type who would be there for her other self. Which if true, was a comforting thought that in some timeline she had someone nearer her age to turn to. Even if it bring home a lot just how secluded from things she was in her timeline. When it came to Rinaa, she didn't realise just what an impact her words 'trust me' made on Rinaa, but always had hope that they would make enough of an impact that she would learn to trust her to do the right thing. She knew deep down there was someone inside Rinaa who she could get on with and rely on, she just hoped Rinaa would feel the same way.

When the girl didn't make a remark on the trust line, Fia just let it slide as she leaned on the back of 'Max' s' chair looking over at the files she was being allowed to see whilst listening to what Rinaa was telling her about the heist. At the mention of there actually three part to this heist with three different teams, she gave a nod but the look of surprise and being impressed evident in her eyes a little bit. If this was the case she knew it was highly important whatever it was they were after. This was made more impressive by the fact Rinaa mentioned SWAT were involved and with that Fia knew she really couldn't bugger anything up and if there was ever a time to prove herself to Rinaa, it was now. When she mentioned about wearing better clothing than what she was, out of habit or instinct, whichever one would call it, she looked down at her outfit of her jeans, top and biker jacket and her combat boots before glancing back up at Rinaa again, before giving a shrug that conveyed 'fair enough'. "okay, that's fair enough. Not surprising that someone in your timeline would recognise my voice and just get me what I need and I'll prepare" she replied. It was probably a good idea that she did use a voice changer as she hadn't quite mastered the spell that could alter her voice with her appearance as it was always hit or miss if it lasted long enough and she wasn't sure if she could keep up her American accent convincingly enough for everyone else to believe she was someone else, not to mention it'd be just as questionable of why there was an American in Rinaa's circle of contacts in her timeline.

She kept herself professional at this stage but her mind was racing with excitement that she was finally doing something again that she was good at. She could use her skills well again that she hadn't done too much since being back in this time and on Attil. She was just thinking of what of her favoured appearances to change to when in Rinaa's time to make her a lot less recognisable. She knew she couldn't go with any form of red hair as it was too close to her actual hair so it was either going blonde or darker and she knew she'd have to make sure her eye colour changed with her hair as her eyes were too much like John's.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa could see the flicker of 'damn that's impressive' in Fia's eyes when she mentioned the SWAT team, and a slight smile flickered at the edge of her mouth. The presence of such a team was highly unusual, usually when Rinaa and other members of the vigilante network went out in the field they did it without any help from the real law. The SWAT team were actually completely aware that there were two illegal heists happening at the same time, and Rinaa and her colleagues intended for it to stay that way. It had been Jay who'd suggested they use the sting operation as it would draw defense resources- both public and private- away from the laboratories that were the vigilante's targets.

"Getting the tac gear and other bits of tech shouldn't be too hard" Rinaa replied, though it was clear from the way her eyes were furrowing that she wasn't actually talking to Fia, merely talking out loud. "I'll just need to arrange for an extra set to be sent to the airfield along with the other's gear, saying I've found a fourth person.... it wouldn't be the first time I've brought an unknown operative with me.... and since I'm team leader, it's technically my call.... As for the voice changer.... there's definitely one lying around in that cache" the words became gradually less distinct as Rinaa continued speaking, until they ceased to be English. As was sometimes her habit she slipped into Jay's native language, which was her first tongue (unlike Fia and 'Max's' respective Leahs whose first language was Attili). At some point a piece of paper was pulled out and a to-do list was scribbled down. 'Max' watched Rinaa work with a look that was equal parts fond, equal parts impressed. "She's a scarily competent planner isn't she?" he remarked in a low tone, leaning slightly towards Fia as he spoke.

While 'Max' was speaking Rinaa set down the list and picked up Fia's phone, unplugging it from the port. With ease she activated some of the newly installed software and pointed the device directly at Fia. About a minute later it beeped and a large set of data appeared on screen. "Well good news, the full body-scan software and modelling program seems to work, I'm assuming these are your clothing sizes? I need to know for getting the tac gear together, no point in giving you standard stuff if you've got extra broad shoulders or whatever. Being comfortable is damn important during these kind of heists, as you probably know all too well?"

 

[MzHyde]

As Rinaa spoke up, Fia listened even though it was a case of Rinaa mostly talking and thinking out loud which made sense as she probably would have done the same thing if she was Rinaa. She nodded as Rinaa continued to speak before it was becoming clear that she was now starting to understand less and less of what Rinaa was actually saying. So she just remained stood and leaning against 'Max' s' chair the whole time, whilst not daring to interrupt the girl as she watched her suddenly pull out a piece of paper and scribble out what could only be deceifered as a to do list. She smiled and nodded when 'Max' muttered to her quietly, "can say that again" she smirked back quietly, not taking her eyes off Rinaa the whole time.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she saw Rinaa turn and unplug her phone that she previously gave her and hold it up to her, wondering what it was she was doing only to quickly get her answer by Rinaa making a statement that the software she installed did in fact work. She stepped up closer to Rinaa to take a look at the information that was up on her screen with all her stats and she had to admit that it was damn impressive it could so accurately know all of that. "yeah that's all correct and oh yeah I know it. I've done heists in both comfortable and uncomfortable clothing. Comfort is most definitely key. Appropriate clothing over say, long dresses and heels any day and yes I'm totally speaking from experience" she replied, a slight smirk on her face that conveyed her feelings of 'yes I know it sounds stupid... It is'. Yet she also knew she competent enough to do a heist in both styles of clothing depending on what the heist actually was. She was also guessing that if either Rinaa or 'Max' would know that sometimes unconventional clothing was required, it would be Rinaa.

She couldn't just waltz into a gala type event to steal back something relating to her kind in tactical gear, just like she couldn't sneak into a laboratory like she was about to do with Rinaa in a designer gown. She was more than aware that dressing for the job was important at times. As they were talking about it, it reminded her of Chas' and John's reactions to the Mind Walk they did with Kay and Elliott in her mind of said gala heist and how unimpressed they were at her choice of gown which made her smirk in an amused manner as she remembered it.

 

[_gallifrog_]

'Max' gave a knowing nod when Fia and his 'sister' talked about comfortable and uncomfortable clothing heists. He arguably had it easier than they did when it came to formal wear, a suit was nowhere near as restrictive or awkward as a dress, but it still wasn't as comfortable as a proper cat-burglar type suit. "Aren't we all speaking from experience?" 'Max' smirked, to which Rinaa rolled her eyes. "Not when it comes to heels" Rinaa shot back"- only wore 'em twice, nearly broke my ankles one of those times when I tried to go down a set of stairs. NEVER again." She shook her head vigorously to emphasise her point. "That's the reason why I always go for a full tux now." "A wise choice" 'Max' nodded again, this Rinaa was very different from his Leah in many ways, that was painfully obvious to him, but it appeared both shared the trait of hating the typical female formal attire and rebelling against the stereotype by wearing a slick suit.

"And who says I haven't worn heels before?" 'Max' countered, leaning forwards across the 'table' a mischevious glint in his eyes and a teasing tone in his voice. "Maybe I have a secret passion for drag and can pull off ten inch stilettos like a boss." Rinaa couldn't help but snort at that. "Bullshit!" "Yeah, it is" 'Max' conceded with a smirk. "You couldn't pay me to wear heels. But it's an incredibly funny mental image though." "Incredibly disturbing more like." 'Max' rolled his eyes in response, but fell silent, letting Rinaa reply to Fia's other comments.

"It's modified medical software" Rinaa said by means of explanation, a very slight edge of pride in her voice. She hadn't personally modified the program, but it had been her idea to use it as a base for. "It's pretty easy to learn how to use, you'll have to use it on Elliott- if were gonna pull off the switch we need everything as perfect as possible, but that's for discussion later. there's a couple of things we need to get from the flat and a couple of just general etiquette things you'll need to know about my timeline, but apart from that we should probably head off now. You don't need to get weapons, stuff will be provided and besides this is a stealth infiltration, minimum injuries, none at all if the cards fall right, which I believe they will.... Max, you know what you're doing I take it." The way she emphasised the word 'Max' made it very clear that Rinaa was relishing it being such an obvious false name. "I've got this, I've got this, don't worry" he waved one hand in the air to emphasise his point. "You just concentrate on getting what's needed and coming back in one piece, I'll focus on the sword." Rinaa nodded, clearly believing him and made to begin packing away the various items into one of the backpacks, 'Max' however had other ideas and pulled her in for a firm, reassuring hug.

 

[MzHyde]

Fia smirked when 'Max' pointed out that they were all speaking from experience, and smirked more when RInaa said not her when it came to heels. She remembered even at the wedding that Rinaa seemed to go more with a tux than a dress so could easily believe that Rinaa wouldn't go super femimine for a case in any sense. The way she shook her head so vigorously to emphasise her point just made it all the more amusing to Fia. She was about to make a comment about how heels might not be the most comfortable footwear to wear but when it came to fighting, a stiletto heel to an enemy's face was highly effective when 'Max' suddenly said what he did and she just couldn't picture it, but did laugh at the mental image. "It's equally disturbing and funny, and FYI a heel to the face of your enemy works wonders" she chimed in before the conversation moved on to the more important bits. Her smirk was incredibly smug when she said the last bit showing them that yes, she had indeed do exactly that. It was one of her most proudest attacks, which probably wasn't the healthiest things to be proud of, but when she was being boxed in and grabbed frm behind, whilst another attacker was in front of her, she had no choice but to use the one behind as a springboard and kick her heel right into her forward attacker's eye, before pulling her foot back and making a run for it to escape.

She then listened to what Rinaa was explaining about what the software was, nodding in understanding as she also noticed the pride in her tone for what she was saying. She was actually proud of Rinaa as well and like before she left, incredibly amazed and proud of how smart the girl was. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the mention of her needing to use it on Elliott at some point in the very near future, but that discussion can happen after this heist in Rinaa's timeline. She nodded as things were starting to be wrapped up in explanations and when 'Max' ended things on giving Rinaa a firm hug she had to smile at the sight in front of her. It was proof to her that in his timeline he was clearly close to his 'sister' that he felt he could do such a thing to this Rinaa without much of a reaction negatively. The fact she didn't need any of her weapons was of somewhat a relief as it told her what faith Rinaa had in it being a stealth operation and being sure of no injuries (or very little) occurring. Yet she was also of the mindset to always prepare for the worst as well, so hearing that weapons would be provided was of more relief than not needing any of her own. She also wasnt surprised that she'd need to know a few etiquette things about Rinaa's timeline, figuring that if Rinaa went to her timeline there would probably be things she would need to know also. She waited for 'Max' to finish hugging Rinaa before looking at Rinaa again, "Ready to head back? Oh, I best warn you, dad fell asleep in the living room on the other couch so if anything is needed from the living room, be careful waking him. I'm guessing you got some kind of idea of how he can be if someone does wake him prematurely?" she said, figuring it would be worth noting.

 

[_gallifrog_]

Rinaa could easily imagine how a narrow, pointed stilletto in the eye would be a very effective move of self defense, as could 'Max'. It was one of many mantras that Jay and her brother had learned as a kid growing up with the Isogrii, when in a corner go for the soft bits in the most painful way possible- the eyes, nose sockets, balls and throat. Fia was right in her deeper reading into 'Max's' hug, he was very close to his 'sister', they'd grown up together for a good chunk of their childhood years and had a very strong sibling bond even as teenagers who saw each other less frequently. 'Max' was also a very tactile person, hugs, high-fives, slaps on the back, long complicated handshake sequences or just generally slinging an arm around whatever friend was nearest, so going to hug Rinaa was like second nature for him. He'd also figured out pretty quickly that Rinaa's outwards spikiness and refusal to let people near her was a mask to hide the fact that she was also quite a tactile person and in certain situations wanted nothing more than an all enveloping hug.

Rinaa was the one to pull away first, her ears flaming red as she turned to back the bags. "You might as well take this, the world on my end is shit, but we've still got coffee there." With those words she passed over her half full coffee mug to 'Max' who took it gratefully. "It's super strong, so maybe dilute it with something yeah?" "Got it." Rinaa then turned to Fia. "I didn't mean Cal and Cliff's place, I meant the OTHER apartment, the one that alternates between being Zan's base of operations and being our base of operations. I wouldn't leave anything major in Cal and Cliff's, too much risk of one of the others finding it and figuring out something they really shouldn't." She and 'Max' dragged the deckchairs and box back to their storage spot before making their way down the fire escape to street level. As they parted 'Max' said something in Jay's native tongue, raised two fingers to his temple in a semi-salute then turned and slipped away into the night, his feet making no sound against the pavement. Rinaa pulled up her hood, obscuring almost the entirety of her face into and turned in the opposite direction. "No point in wasting time."

 

[MzHyde]

Fia's ability for improvisation when in battle was wholly thanks to her training with Jay. She had never been so thankful for jay's heavy and ahrd training as she was that particular night as it meant she quite literally walked out of that situation unscathed apart from a short scratch on her cheek, which she later said was a violin string incident when it was asked about the next morning, luckily being believed as she would get them often enough to be believable, especially when she was first learning the violin and strings would snap all the time and smack her in the face. Never had she ever been so grateful for getting an instrument related injury as she was when she needed it as a cover.

She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets, a motion which she was becoming more and more aware of doing regularly just lately as she waited for the sibling's hug to end with Rinaa pulling away first as she grabbed the bags and her ears going bright red just as Elliott's would when he was slightly embarrassed for whatever reason. She waited for her to finish talking to 'Max' as well as handing her mug over and nodded with curling her lips into an 'ohh' shape as she realised she was completely wrong about which apartment Rinaa actually meant. She didn't know why she didn't even think about them using the apartment that Zan also used, but then found herself adding up things in her head and wondering if those 'mysterious' people that Zan once explained about being the co-inhabitants of the safe house apartment was indeed Rinaa and 'Max' the whole time, but she didn't say anything, keeping her theories to herself. After all, they never met the others and that one time had to leave before the others arrived so it was entirely possible in her eyes. As 'Max' and Rinaa made their way to the fire escape and down it to the street level, she followed suit, saying her goodbye to 'Max' before nodding at Rinaa's words and walking beside her to the apartment in question, noting how she sheilded her features with her hood which was totally understandable, all things considered. "After you" she replied simply.