Las Vegas was a pretty good enough distance from Europe. If anything broke out, they'd have plenty of time to be warned, especially since they weren't going to concentrate on that.
It would work as temporary base as there were a lot of things to do here too.
... Other than gambling.
They were certain they could think of something.
Briefly, as they caught sight of the inside of a casino in the corner of their eyes, the image of a grinning man with a purple-haired child on his lap in front of a table played behind their eyelids.
Yeah. Viper was never into gambling, wasn't into playing high stakes.
They were fine with the safer things. Slow but steady profit.
They probably wouldn't find any pet stores anywhere near here though.
Not legal ones.
Viper stopped, thinking.
They'd get the dog easier from shadier channels but they also couldn't afford picking up something sickly. So licensed shop it was. And a twenty-first century ethic who knew more about dogs than Viper did dictated that it should be an adoption center. There should be one in outskirts.
They'll take a look in the papers.
Just as they were stepping forward, they hadn't seen someone moving at the same time from a side alley and they collided.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Calm down, Viper.
Their nose had made impact and they cupped it, blinking slightly watery eyes.
You didn't actually have the guts to attempt murder in broad daylight.
"Renato, look what you did!"
"You were the one who bumped her."
"Because you were pulling me! Um, hey, are you alright?"
Renato.
Renato Sinclair.
That was the name of the future Reborn.
... His mission reports encompassed Europe and Asia, rarely in the Americas. Renato was a common name too.
Viper was lucky, so they couldn't be this unlucky.
They looked up, met concerned lapiz blue eyes and dark teal hair braided over a shoulder. Past her was a man with spiky black hair in a gray vest and a pair of damning curly sideburns.
His eyes were as dark -empty- as hers were bright, almost glowing.
Mechanically, Viper smiled at Luce, picking theirself up and ignoring the offered hand, "No, I'm fine. It was also my fault for standing around like that."
Brushing themself down, Viper walked pass them, hands in their pockets.
They had bumped Luce, but there had been no skin contact, fortunately.
Viper didn't want to know.
They forced themself to focus on the faint tap-tap-tap of their shoes.
Distantly, they wondered if it had been different, would they have been more enthusiastic with their Compatible bonds? They didn't consider their self romantic, but there was some kind of confidence with somehow knowing that people were just right for you.
Tucking their chin in their collar, their other hand went click, click, click, click.
The canon relationship of the Arcobaleno, what they've seen of it, scared them. It hadn't seemed anything like that of a 'family'.
"Was she really alright?"
"She said so. Not our business. Now come on."
"But she seemed..."
"Who knows. Might be because of my skin. Now let's go or I'm going to leave you."
"Jerk."
XxXxXx
Viper was getting a headache.
This was the first time they had felt that the world was far smaller than it should be. The very next day after they had made the plan too. Maybe they should take up that Delta ad about being the first people to live in Azula-99.
No, that'd drive them crazy and the kind of work there didn't suit them.
Their information wasn't wrong. And from what they had learned of Luce, she had been in hiding with her famiglia in Australia just last night, playing dead, so how was it that she was suddenly with Renato in Las Vegas now?
... Well, it would only be natural to want to protect your Compatible Sky if you stumbled on them being hunted down.
Viper sighed what was most likely their thousandth sigh and shared a commiserating look with the goldfish.
"Miss. At the rate you're going, you're gonna die young."
Viper had never heard truer words.
They turned to the clerk, a guy around their age propping himself on his elbows.
Even when appearing civilian, Viper always had a layer of illusion over themself, to shift and adjust whenever necessary. A twenty year old or a forty year old, a man or a woman, latina or asian, whatever form was best suited for the occasion.
Also, when something unexpected happened, Viper could just step aside while someone attacked their puppet.
"... was I bothering you? Sorry."
"Not that. You're not going to find one like that, they'd think you don't want them."
Viper looked at the fish repeatedly bumping their self against the treasure chest.
They were here to find a relationship, so yeah, they should present a friendly and willing attitude.
"Right. Sorry." They ambled towards him, "I'm searching for a dog. Though I guess anything similar could work."
"Work for what?"
"...A companion."
He hummed, "Is this your first time getting a pet?
"Yes."
"You have experience in taking care of a pup?"
"No."
He studied them, scratching a head, "If it's dogs, you have to upkeep them. For a long time. Any pet is a dedication. You seem like you won't have any trouble giving them what they need, but dogs get lonely easily."
Viper surveyed the inside of the shop. It was colorful, and well kept. Though separated, the ones that needed space to move had enough of it. Even if it was unlikely he was the owner, he managed the store and everything had been set up meticulously, Heavy things were on the ground and away from the small animals and the things put up were only light paper decorations.
It was obviously well-off, backed by someone rich just by the neighbourhood.
"That... won't be a problem." They played with the string of their purse, "I came here specifically for a friend."
"... I see."
He, Darren, guided them through choosing a dog and after almost an hour of just playing with them -revealing their true form because honesty was always good when starting out a long term relationship-, they finally narrowed down their choice to a beagle. A white, brown, and black puppy with a too short patch by its butt.
After thinking long and hard, Viper settled on Fossette as his name.
"We got the little guy dropped here with his siblings after they were found almost dead of starvation. We weren't able to save two and Fosette here almost didn't make it since we also had to neuter him." Darren wrote his new name and slipped the card into a pendant, clipping it to the pink collar they chose, "We've had him checked out so he's healthy and good to go. We'll provide you with everything if you pay this amount. I'll get someone to send it to you, just write your name and address here."
Viper looked up from playing with Fossette. The little guy was surprisingly friendly and Viper could feel their mood rising just by shaking his paw.
If their sanity was a graph, the bar already shot up quite a bit.
Signing 'Sophia Beck', their American persona, they handed him a check for all the expenses.
"Come back here whenever you need to. We have a private vet a phone call away."
"Yes, thank you."
They should buy a house near a park so that they could walk Fossette. Darren told them to spend a lot of time with him but also remember not to spoil him, as feeding him too much could cause complications like obesity and such.
It was scary, Viper thought even as they walked out grinning with Fossette in their arms, licking their fingers.
They really hadn't thought this out.
They're a fourteen year old of questionable wisdom living alone and who's only means of earning their keep could be taken from them with a single mistake if it didn't result in their death first. People used them with no regards for their safety and they could leave the little guy orphaned any time.
Darren who talked a bit lazily but had explained everything a novice owner needed to know with meticulous detail, would've black listed them from every animal charity and pet shop all over the country if he'd known.
Viper returned to the hotel room.