[ Reno's smile lifts and falls in a moment of "haha what the fuck". it's so real—she's so real. this is more time shit; it's gotta be. he's three-for-three on people from home being stuck two years in the past, and who's to say that can't apply to Aerith, too? maybe, like... maybe he's the one who's fucked up. in spite of almost never being one to doubt his own mind or his own senses, you gotta admit, this right here would be enough to make anyone start to doubt themselves a little bit.

but doubt—and damn near anything else—is blood in the water to the shark that is Aerith, all-seeing and all-knowing as she is. that girl used to see through him in ways that made him turn to Rude and go nah, I can't with that shit today. it's your turn, sometimes. he's not about to give her the chance to do it now, so he fixes his face real damn quick, plastering a crooked smirk in place of that disbelieving gape. ]

Uh, in the way of what, exactly? Who says my face is the one gettin' fucked?

[ who says anyone's is?!?! well, the slot machine, that's whose. and hey, if she's here, it's to play the game. what, like he has to treat her special or something? Reno slides back into place on his stool, eyes narrowing to squeeze out the roundness, and any vulnerability along with it. ]

You didn't just come over to chat about the weather, didja?