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tampered2007-06-20 10:45 pm
red-dragon-666.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-06-20 10:45 pm
Log; Complete
When; June 20th [Late Evening].
Rating; PG-13 [Language].
Characters; Elena [![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lady_turk], Jr. [red_dragon_666], Tseng [visageofsilence], Ranmaru [elegantorchid], Rude [unprofessed], and Reno [wanton_turk].
Summary; Elena's had her life returned to her, and wants to properly beat up thank her friends. WARNING: Contains talk of pillow smacky and Turks making bad uncles.
Log;
Elena; She was going to kill the lot of them. No… Correction. First she’d thank them, then yell at them, and then she’d kill the lot of them. With pillows. Beaten over their heads many, many times. Even Tseng. Because even though he was her boss, he had still been a part of the whole plan which meant that he deserved to die by pillow smacking as well as anyone else did.
And if anyone commented and said that Elena was pouting about the whole affair, she’d bite them to boot.
It wasn’t that she didn’t truly appreciate what they had done for her, restoring her life the way they had, but… What could she say? Granted, she’d have, or had in one case, done the same for any of them, but to be on the receiving end of something like this…
So yes, a celebration was in order, but that still didn’t mean Elena wasn’t going to smack them. As soon as the others arrived, minus Jr. who she had trapped by wrapping her arms around his waist, she was going to hug them all and then kill them.
Lovingly, of course.
Jr.; There definitely could have been worse ways to spend his day.
Of course, waking up to getting beaten with a pillow might not have been the best start, but the reason behind it was plenty to put a smile on Rubedo's face, and the event directly after was enough to brighten anybody's week. It had taken them so long to just get out the door that he was surprised nobody else was at the bar before them.
It would have been nice to invite Sakura along, but it would have been rude to rub in her face that Elena's life had been returned to her, and he didn't want her in a bar anyway. It was a good thing she was safe with Mary. No matter, though. He'd find a way to return Sakura's life to her soon enough. The whole collection of events left him with a smile that hadn't graced his face in a long while, considering everyone on the Durandal had been progressively leaving the City.
Elena had yet to let him go, though. He was a little surprised at her unyielding grip, honestly. Did she think he'd run off if she let him go? Or maybe this was supposed to be some punishment. If so, it was the best kind of punishment. Positioned like he was, sitting sideways with one foot propped up on a chair, he was able to rest his head against her chest just perfectly enough to listen to her heart beat.
It was almost like listening to music at this point, and he shut his eyes and gently squeezed her hand, waiting quietly for her work associates to join them.
Tseng / Ranmaru; It had been a risk that had been willingly taken. Tseng really couldn't have found a better way to have done this, and as it stood, it had been on his mind ever since he had sunk into the shock of the horrors Elena had gone through while being here.
A part of him was still feeling incredibly guilty for the mere fact that they had left without her, allowed her to suffer here while living at ease back in their world while she didn't return. A part of him would probably never forgive himself for it.
But right now, the deed was done, and there was no turning back. It was hardly a loss, when all their years combined made up for an entire lifetime, and in this way, no one died. Besides, life wasn't made up of a determined amount of years, but an uncertain destiny that would only help them to live longer. It was a sense of survival so deeply ingrained within them that there was no telling what would come out of them.
And now... as Tseng stopped in front of the bar's doors to which they were invited to, he sighed, then turned back to look at the three following. The third person had no reason to be here, or do what he had, but he had done it, out of camaraderie. And there was Jr., who did it out of love, as he said.
It was good enough to know, and good enough that Elena had those that would protect her through thick and thin.
"Ne, Reno-san..." Ranmaru was saying behind him, walking next to the redhead. "Do you think Elena-san found out about what we did?"
Tseng couldn't help but smile a little. Knowing Elena? She'd figured it out already, and couldn't help but quip to them all, "I do believe we're walking to our graves right now. Everyone act normal now."
Turning around, he looked at the door, then pushed it open to enter.
Shovel the dirt, they were going to die.
Rude; Not literally of course, they weren’t really going to die. But it might have been easier to die rather than have to deal with the aftermath. Thank Gaia for alcohol. If not for that Rude wouldn’t have bothered to come unless Tseng ordered him to. It was a lovers’ moment or something of that sort. As close as they were to being family they weren’t, Rude would have preferred having Elena scream at him over the network while he pretended to not really hear her.
Still he gave a nod in response, marching in dutifully after Tseng. He knew Elena couldn’t quite reach high enough to smack his head, maybe he’d get off easily. He had the least to do with the plan out of all of them, perhaps with the exception of Ranmaru. Frankly anyone in their line of work didn’t expect or want to live too long. A few years off their natural lifespan was inconsequential. As it was they were probably all going to die of liver disease before the deal affected them at all.
If Rude said half the things he thought Elena would have shot him most likely or at least ripped the sunglasses from him. Just in case he had a few spares.
Reno; Hands jammed into his pockets Reno hummed a little tune of satisfaction. He couldn't wait to see the look on Elena's face now that he heart beat was back and everything else that made her considered a part of the living. Of course not without a price, but that was a little matter. At least six people dividing out the payment for just one person? It wasn't so bad. Reno smirked to himself. He really wanted to see what the first thing was that would come flying at his head. He made bet himself a bottle of whiskey that it'd be something small and in reach; a cup perhaps.
Digging deeper into one of his pockets, Reno looked for his package of cigarettes. He didn't like smoking that much, but then again he didn't hate it either. Besides, its tradition to light up every time goes right. The bud pressed to his curved lips he answered Ranmaru, "If she hasn't figured out what we did, then she's the worse blond that I've ever ran into," a light chuckle and a quick puff. "Though having her figure out what we did is the least of our concerns. It's what she plans on doing because of what we did. That's slightly more concerning. I only hope that she doesn't start kicking."
The bar scene was nothing new to him. Reno had been here time and time again, both during his first time in the city and his second coming. Taking one more long drag of his cigarette, Reno exhaled the noxious fumes and flicked the used stick aside. "So where is the Rookie anyway? She's supposed to be with that kid right?"
Elena; Even though Jr. had decided to try and distract her by feeding her the cherries that had come with the first order of drinks, Elena still noticed the arrival of the ones they had been waiting for. It was nice of them to come all together as a group like that. It meant that she wouldn't have to spread out her attack and could unleash everything all at once.
Smirking, Elena raised one hand to lightly suck on the fingers that were holding onto the cherry, nipping the ends slightly, before she gave him a bright grin and slipped out to go and 'greet' the others.
Grabbing a nearby wooden chair, Elena threw it full strength at the center of their little group, admittedly aiming a little more at Reno than the others, with the full intention of having it, or the pieces of the chair, hit someone.
Immediately, after throwing the chair, she jumped at Rude. His fault for being so damn tall anyway. And with such a shiny head for a target. He'd just have to suffer first. First death by hug and then she'd kick him in the shins.
Jr.; He had just been looking over his shoulder towards a familiar voice when he felt the warm suction at his finger tips, and looked back just in time to see her nip and grin. Of course, Rubedo could only turn as red as his hair at that point, and just sort of slid off her lap to stand there dumbly when she moved towards the group.
After staring at his fingers for about half a second, Rubedo just had to look up at the large crashing sound. A chair flew, and next went Elena. Apparently he had gotten the lighter punishment. Pillows were better than chairs, after all.
Staring in slightly wide-eyed fascination, the boy stepped back to lean against the table, tucking one foot behind an ankle and linking his arms behind his head. Elena was... Violent? Sometimes. Hot? Always.
He really didn't envy the Turks at the moment.
Tseng / Ranmaru; He knew he was going to die, he just hadn't expected to go at the feet of a chair!!
Alarmed didn't begin to cover Tseng's expression, who was looking very comically dumbfounded, but not as badly as Ranmaru who hadn't quite seen Elena go this crazy, or so he expected.
Briefly reminded of a time when Reno had once played a trick on Elena that had resulted in that rather amusing situation with the chocobo being incredibly attracted to him as her revenge, Tseng immediately backed off to a side as the chair flew towards them, heading towards Ranmaru and Reno.
Ranmaru, on the other hand, was a little more than prepared-- after overcoming his shock, his sword was drawn, and he yelled, "Reno-san!" though he could see that the Turk was more than prepared for this. And within those seconds, he lunged forward--
If there was going to be any dying today, it would be the humorous kind. Tseng smirked at the thought, quickly moving so that he backed up against the counter, giving Jr. an incredulous look, before looking back to the chaos.
"Hm. Feels almost like home already."
Rude; Rude tried to remember the last time Elena got this worked up. It probably had never happened in the past, it was the first time Elena had actually jumped to attack his head. He let her have her peace, take out whatever it was that she felt on his head before prying her off with some effort and pushing her towards Reno. “All yours buddy,” he mumbled in a neutral tone. Reno was better at dealing with these things. He also got more amusement out of it.
Rude personally preferred to see Reno covered in scratch marks rather than feel it on his own scalp. It’d be nice to see Tseng get a bit ruffled as well for a change. He was so rarely on the receiving end of Elena’s “wrath.” He just kind of wanted a drink and watch until the dust settled. Maybe pretzels too even if Rude wasn’t the kind to snack. It looked like it’d take a bit before it was over after all.
Reno; All that was left of the chair Elena had thrown were wooden chips lying before him and Ranmaru. It was a victory won, clearly something he could be proud of to a degree. The battle was fought against a chair and with aid from Ranmaru, though their synchronized reaction was quite a feat. Though since it wasn't a cup nor a glass, Reno lose the bet to himself. His shoulder sunk a bit and he let out a deep sigh. Give he wasn't allowed a bottle of whiskey tonight.
"Home indeed. All we’re missing is the- Oh wait. They have that here." Reno snarked up until Rude passed along a present. "What? Keep it away. I don't want that!" The Turk tried to push Elena back onto Rude. He face had enough scratch and he even had two permanent scars at each end of his face. Nothing was going to make him go through that pain again.
Eyes darting around their group hunting for the next seizable target, they finally landed on one. The next victim had black hair and with single black dot in the middle of his forehead. "Dot Man! Take back the Rookie, she likes you the most and you her."
Elena; What was this? Pass around the blonde? Elena growled deep in her throat, even as she wanted to laugh. It really was familiar and comforting in a way that would have made anyone else question their sanity. Really though. It was just their way of bonding. Like the deranged family they were.
Elena managed to get in a couple of good bites to Rude's head, as well as some kicks to Reno's shins that he'd be sure to feel for a long time before she was confronted with Tseng. The blonde didn't even pause in her attack, though Reno's words were certainly enough for her too. Normally, she would have, but punishment must come to all!
Instead, Elena clenched her fist and swung a blow to Tseng's stomach, before kicking his shins as well. She had a harder slap and a kick than her frame and form would have thought possible, but she didn't feel quite up to slapping anyone.
With one last victim, Elena moved away from Tseng, to slap Ranmaru upside the back of his head. It wasn't a gentle little love tap either. Cheeky little brat. He was too nice for his own good sometimes.
Fury done with now that she'd gotten to each of her victims, Elena stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. And then, childishly stuck her tongue out at the lot of them.
"You're all idiots, I hope you know that."
Jr.; Tseng's comment made him snort off-handedly before he muttered almost sympathetically up to him, "I wouldn't get comfy just yet, man."
And after that, all he could do was watch as she moved from person to person to pass down judgment in a rather vicious manner, and quickly stepped aside when she moved to Tseng. The punch made him flinch somewhat just watching, and then he finally saw her end the beat down with a smack to the Japanese kid's head.
The end result brought out an appreciative whistle from Rubedo as he surveyed the damage, and he reached into his coat pocket to pull out a small container before tossing it onto the counter. "Brought band-aids for you guys. Figured you'd need 'em. I'll pay for drinks."
It was the least he could do, considering he got off pretty easy in comparison to them. A grin quickly settled back onto his face at that, and he hopped up to sit on the chair his foot had been resting on earlier, grabbing his half-finished rum and coke off of the counter to begin sucking on the straw.
Tseng / Ranmaru; The only thing Tseng had to say in reaction to Reno's statement at the time had been a very annoyed, "No thank you!" but before he knew what was happening, Elena was in front of him. And he certainly didn't expect what came next, because as the wind left him, and his legs suffered a bit of a traumatic shock, he staggered back against the counter, using it to prop himself up, and moved a hand to where he was punched, stunned at Elena's actions.
He looked up, just as he saw Ranmaru try to dodge Elena's pleasant little spank and wondered why he just got away with that, though the boy seemed to be enjoying this the most, considering he was laughing as he ducked behind Reno and Rude, his head popping out between them and grinning.
Cheerful kid. he thought to himself, as he stood up straight. Elena's actions were incredibly amusing and at the same time, so very much like they were at home, though once upon a time, she wouldn't have dared raise a hand on him.
As Rubedo's offer with the bandaid came, Tseng gave it a look over, before walking back to stand next to Rude, folding his arms across his chest.
"At least we're living idiots, Elena-san?" Ranmaru's voice came, and Tseng couldn't help but smirk as he turned to look back at her.
"And now you're part of us living idiots again." he replied calmly, already composed from his attack. His eyes never left her face though, and there was warmth in his own. He was sure the others felt the same way, as painful as this was.
Sighing, he shrugged and looked over to the other three. "And this is why we say no good deed goes unpunished. I'm sure we've all learned it doesn't pay well to be good, does it." the gentle teasing was back, and he turned to look back at Elena and Jr.
Ranmaru couldn't help but laugh as he moved an arm over Reno's shoulder, watching her. "Elena-san has color in her face." he teased cheekily. "That was well worth doing if we got so much love!"
Rude; Rude raised a hand to rub at where Elena had gnawed on his head. At least she’d had the courtesy to not draw blood. He wasn’t sure which was more embarrassing bite marks on his head or band-aids.
“…that’s what we wanted to hear, right buddy?” He commented in response to Rubedo. A free drink was a free drink even if they were paid for in lint in this city. The worse was hopefully over with, if Elena continued her little fit Rude was afraid even he might have to crack some kind of smile. Otherwise he would just let Reno put words in his mouth as usual. It was a relief to simply fall into old patterns after a long time, it was probably even longer to Elena than it had been for him.
Ah, what the hell. He gave just the smallest grin as he sat down by the bar. It wasn’t as if something like this would happen again.
Reno; Reno winced each time Elena landed a blow onto his shins, out of all the things she could have done, why did it have to be kicks? Those were definitely going to be bruises tomorrow if they were already. "Damned Rookie..." Reno cursed quietly as he tenderly nursed his shins. The woman was a brute; a blonde haired, small framed brute. How anyone let alone anything could be attracted to the monster was beyond Reno's grasp. Elena wasn't even that attractive, but then again, he really wasn't the one to say this seeing that his partners of choice have been less than ten for ten.
His sore mood was quickly replaced by a smirk as he laughed at Ranmaru's comments. Oh that kid, there was a reason why Reno liked him so much, but it was true. Elena was back with them, so she shouldn't too harsh with them. They did just shorten their own lifespan to bring back her. No need to beat a sicken horse. Turning his attention to something else once again, he looked downward at the other redhead then after Rude's interjection he agreed. "Absolutely. I hope you know what you're setting yourself up for. I've been known to drink quite a bit." Reno paused to only widen his grin. "In fact, it would be too far fetched to say that I could drink you all under the table and then some."
Elena; Elena flushed at Ranmaru and Tseng's comment, the act warming her cheeks at lot more than it had ever done months previously. She could feel the blood rushing to to her face now, where once it hadn't. However, the warmth of cheeks reminded Elena just what it was that had been done.
Each of them... And for her alone. It made Elena feel a particular warmth that had nothing to do with her beating heart and more for the feelings she didn't care about showing at the moment.
Fit of homicidal rage over with, Elena didn't hold back on the soft, but wide smile that graced her face.
"Really though... Thanks," she said gently. And then, to counteract her previous actions, she went around and gave each of them either a hug or a kiss on the cheek, and in a two cases, both. They were all probably going to get rather drunk, so her behavior could all be blamed on that later. Or at least, she was fairly certain Reno would blame it all on the alcohol and claim he didn't remember any such actions.
"Now lets see who can drink who underneath the table!"
Jr.; No matter what they threatened, Rubedo was hardly afraid of having his proverbial wallet thinned out. Things were just far too cheap here, and if you played your cards right, they could even be free at times. A celebration like this , especially considering how adorably flustered Elena was, was worth any amount.
His rum and coke was mostly gone, and he'd had a cocktail before that, so he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted anything else alcoholic. His metabolism might have been off the charts, but his small frame still limited him when it came to alcohol. Challenge or no, Rubedo wasn't going to even try to prove he count outdrink any of these people.
For once, he actually just stayed quiet for a bit, stirring his straw around in the glass and watching Elena interact with her co-workers. She was alive now, meaning she could go back home. And seeing how happy she was with them, and how comfortable she was...maybe it was better for her to just return to her world with them.
Rubedo's gaze wandered to the side, stopping at Rude at the bar. This was one he hadn't really met before, and he was wearing...sunglasses. At night. In a dark bar.
Raising an eyebrow, he pointed, unable to keep from asking, "Do you ever take those off?"
Tseng / Ranmaru; Tseng wasn't a drinker, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to try one on this day. Drinks were celebratory, weren't they? When Elena approached him to hug, however, he couldn't help but hold onto her for a little while more, though he said nothing. After a bit, he drew back, letting her express her gratitude to the others.
Ranmaru, on the other hand, didn't quite care. He'd been watching the Turk Leader for a while, and smirked to himself, before turning to latch onto Elena and kiss her cheek. With her, he was rather free and open, very much like a bratty little brother with an older sister. Elena fulfilled those roles well, and she was certainly important to him.
So once she made her little announcement, he followed up with Reno and Rude, and made himself comfortable against the counter, looking at Rubedo and Rude talk, before turning to Elena.
"Ne, ne, Elena-san!" he was saying. "What will you do now? Are you and Jr.-san going to have babies?"
He knew exactly what he was saying, but he didn't mind riling up the mood a little by making it look like he had no idea. An innocent looking devil, pretty much-- and words that resulted in Tseng, who had called for a drink of water, to start choking.
Nothing quite like starting off the evening with a little shock, really.
Rude; Rude let Rubedo have a chance to snort up his straw in response to Ranmaru's comment before replying. "I take them off for sleep," he replied though he was pretty sure no one could hear him after that comment. It suited him just fine.
He gave Rubedo two careful pounds on the back to calm the choking a bit, Rude couldn't blame him for that. The idea of Elena with children was a little disturbing. It was only topped by the image of all of them Turks being transformed into uncles. That would be one fucked up baby. And it'd know how to say that by the time it was a year old.
Rude drained his drink to banish his thoughts before he could further paint the scenario to include Reno teaching the kid how blackmail its parents.
Reno; Reno could put away more alcohol than any one of the Turks here, without a doubt in his mind. They've tried this once and the only other one that came close to beating him was Elena, but she'd pass out before realizing that she had too much to drink. Sometimes the Turk wondered if anyone else besides Rude ever cared to consider how much he actually drank in comparison to his build and size. He wasn't exactly the thickest person around, granted he wasn't the lightest either but being tall and lanky definitely didn't sound like the ideal body to have to fit the heavy drinking type.
Guzzling down his concoction of various strong liquors and rums, Reno only stopped for a moment or two to let whatever he drank actually hit him before demanding for another round of the stuff. The Turk never could really pin point what he liked about alcohol. Whether it was the taste, the burn, or even the effects of the depressant itself that he enjoyed. He drank because he wanted to. Not like there was any real lost to it other than he was doing harm to his body, but that was what all the experimentation in his younger years for.
'-going to have babies...'. Swallowing hard on the fluid that he had just downed, Reno stopped to look over at Ranmaru. Did he know what all he just said? Judging from his smug look, Reno decided that he probably did and gave Ranmaru a mental merit for it. Though the very thought of it still gave him a series of reactions to go through. Starting with first the urge to puke then laugh and finally an awkward stare.
"If Rookie ever had a child, I'd worry for its mental health." Though the wanton Turk planed all sorts of tricks to teach the kid if it was ever born.
Elena; Jr. wasn't the only one stunned into silence, and to choke on her own drink. Elena coughed lightly to clear her throat, even as she flushed bright red. What was it with Ranmaru and being able to make her blush so easily the way he did?
Elena didn't even think she could respond to that statement anyway. Her? With children? She didn't even want to think about how frightening that would be. Aside from the obvious issues she still had with the thought of actual childbirth, the thought of raising a child? Teaching your three-year old how to build a bomb probably wasn't in any of the good parenting magazines anywhere. But that's something that Elena would probably do.
Best to just mutter about how Ran and his big mouth, order another drink, and drink it down as fast as possible.
Celebration and drinking now. Baby talk later.
Rating; PG-13 [Language].
Characters; Elena [
lady_turk], Jr. [red_dragon_666], Tseng [visageofsilence], Ranmaru [elegantorchid], Rude [unprofessed], and Reno [wanton_turk].Summary; Elena's had her life returned to her, and wants to properly beat up thank her friends. WARNING: Contains talk of pillow smacky and Turks making bad uncles.
Log;
Elena; She was going to kill the lot of them. No… Correction. First she’d thank them, then yell at them, and then she’d kill the lot of them. With pillows. Beaten over their heads many, many times. Even Tseng. Because even though he was her boss, he had still been a part of the whole plan which meant that he deserved to die by pillow smacking as well as anyone else did.
And if anyone commented and said that Elena was pouting about the whole affair, she’d bite them to boot.
It wasn’t that she didn’t truly appreciate what they had done for her, restoring her life the way they had, but… What could she say? Granted, she’d have, or had in one case, done the same for any of them, but to be on the receiving end of something like this…
So yes, a celebration was in order, but that still didn’t mean Elena wasn’t going to smack them. As soon as the others arrived, minus Jr. who she had trapped by wrapping her arms around his waist, she was going to hug them all and then kill them.
Lovingly, of course.
Jr.; There definitely could have been worse ways to spend his day.
Of course, waking up to getting beaten with a pillow might not have been the best start, but the reason behind it was plenty to put a smile on Rubedo's face, and the event directly after was enough to brighten anybody's week. It had taken them so long to just get out the door that he was surprised nobody else was at the bar before them.
It would have been nice to invite Sakura along, but it would have been rude to rub in her face that Elena's life had been returned to her, and he didn't want her in a bar anyway. It was a good thing she was safe with Mary. No matter, though. He'd find a way to return Sakura's life to her soon enough. The whole collection of events left him with a smile that hadn't graced his face in a long while, considering everyone on the Durandal had been progressively leaving the City.
Elena had yet to let him go, though. He was a little surprised at her unyielding grip, honestly. Did she think he'd run off if she let him go? Or maybe this was supposed to be some punishment. If so, it was the best kind of punishment. Positioned like he was, sitting sideways with one foot propped up on a chair, he was able to rest his head against her chest just perfectly enough to listen to her heart beat.
It was almost like listening to music at this point, and he shut his eyes and gently squeezed her hand, waiting quietly for her work associates to join them.
Tseng / Ranmaru; It had been a risk that had been willingly taken. Tseng really couldn't have found a better way to have done this, and as it stood, it had been on his mind ever since he had sunk into the shock of the horrors Elena had gone through while being here.
A part of him was still feeling incredibly guilty for the mere fact that they had left without her, allowed her to suffer here while living at ease back in their world while she didn't return. A part of him would probably never forgive himself for it.
But right now, the deed was done, and there was no turning back. It was hardly a loss, when all their years combined made up for an entire lifetime, and in this way, no one died. Besides, life wasn't made up of a determined amount of years, but an uncertain destiny that would only help them to live longer. It was a sense of survival so deeply ingrained within them that there was no telling what would come out of them.
And now... as Tseng stopped in front of the bar's doors to which they were invited to, he sighed, then turned back to look at the three following. The third person had no reason to be here, or do what he had, but he had done it, out of camaraderie. And there was Jr., who did it out of love, as he said.
It was good enough to know, and good enough that Elena had those that would protect her through thick and thin.
"Ne, Reno-san..." Ranmaru was saying behind him, walking next to the redhead. "Do you think Elena-san found out about what we did?"
Tseng couldn't help but smile a little. Knowing Elena? She'd figured it out already, and couldn't help but quip to them all, "I do believe we're walking to our graves right now. Everyone act normal now."
Turning around, he looked at the door, then pushed it open to enter.
Shovel the dirt, they were going to die.
Rude; Not literally of course, they weren’t really going to die. But it might have been easier to die rather than have to deal with the aftermath. Thank Gaia for alcohol. If not for that Rude wouldn’t have bothered to come unless Tseng ordered him to. It was a lovers’ moment or something of that sort. As close as they were to being family they weren’t, Rude would have preferred having Elena scream at him over the network while he pretended to not really hear her.
Still he gave a nod in response, marching in dutifully after Tseng. He knew Elena couldn’t quite reach high enough to smack his head, maybe he’d get off easily. He had the least to do with the plan out of all of them, perhaps with the exception of Ranmaru. Frankly anyone in their line of work didn’t expect or want to live too long. A few years off their natural lifespan was inconsequential. As it was they were probably all going to die of liver disease before the deal affected them at all.
If Rude said half the things he thought Elena would have shot him most likely or at least ripped the sunglasses from him. Just in case he had a few spares.
Reno; Hands jammed into his pockets Reno hummed a little tune of satisfaction. He couldn't wait to see the look on Elena's face now that he heart beat was back and everything else that made her considered a part of the living. Of course not without a price, but that was a little matter. At least six people dividing out the payment for just one person? It wasn't so bad. Reno smirked to himself. He really wanted to see what the first thing was that would come flying at his head. He made bet himself a bottle of whiskey that it'd be something small and in reach; a cup perhaps.
Digging deeper into one of his pockets, Reno looked for his package of cigarettes. He didn't like smoking that much, but then again he didn't hate it either. Besides, its tradition to light up every time goes right. The bud pressed to his curved lips he answered Ranmaru, "If she hasn't figured out what we did, then she's the worse blond that I've ever ran into," a light chuckle and a quick puff. "Though having her figure out what we did is the least of our concerns. It's what she plans on doing because of what we did. That's slightly more concerning. I only hope that she doesn't start kicking."
The bar scene was nothing new to him. Reno had been here time and time again, both during his first time in the city and his second coming. Taking one more long drag of his cigarette, Reno exhaled the noxious fumes and flicked the used stick aside. "So where is the Rookie anyway? She's supposed to be with that kid right?"
Elena; Even though Jr. had decided to try and distract her by feeding her the cherries that had come with the first order of drinks, Elena still noticed the arrival of the ones they had been waiting for. It was nice of them to come all together as a group like that. It meant that she wouldn't have to spread out her attack and could unleash everything all at once.
Smirking, Elena raised one hand to lightly suck on the fingers that were holding onto the cherry, nipping the ends slightly, before she gave him a bright grin and slipped out to go and 'greet' the others.
Grabbing a nearby wooden chair, Elena threw it full strength at the center of their little group, admittedly aiming a little more at Reno than the others, with the full intention of having it, or the pieces of the chair, hit someone.
Immediately, after throwing the chair, she jumped at Rude. His fault for being so damn tall anyway. And with such a shiny head for a target. He'd just have to suffer first. First death by hug and then she'd kick him in the shins.
Jr.; He had just been looking over his shoulder towards a familiar voice when he felt the warm suction at his finger tips, and looked back just in time to see her nip and grin. Of course, Rubedo could only turn as red as his hair at that point, and just sort of slid off her lap to stand there dumbly when she moved towards the group.
After staring at his fingers for about half a second, Rubedo just had to look up at the large crashing sound. A chair flew, and next went Elena. Apparently he had gotten the lighter punishment. Pillows were better than chairs, after all.
Staring in slightly wide-eyed fascination, the boy stepped back to lean against the table, tucking one foot behind an ankle and linking his arms behind his head. Elena was... Violent? Sometimes. Hot? Always.
He really didn't envy the Turks at the moment.
Tseng / Ranmaru; He knew he was going to die, he just hadn't expected to go at the feet of a chair!!
Alarmed didn't begin to cover Tseng's expression, who was looking very comically dumbfounded, but not as badly as Ranmaru who hadn't quite seen Elena go this crazy, or so he expected.
Briefly reminded of a time when Reno had once played a trick on Elena that had resulted in that rather amusing situation with the chocobo being incredibly attracted to him as her revenge, Tseng immediately backed off to a side as the chair flew towards them, heading towards Ranmaru and Reno.
Ranmaru, on the other hand, was a little more than prepared-- after overcoming his shock, his sword was drawn, and he yelled, "Reno-san!" though he could see that the Turk was more than prepared for this. And within those seconds, he lunged forward--
If there was going to be any dying today, it would be the humorous kind. Tseng smirked at the thought, quickly moving so that he backed up against the counter, giving Jr. an incredulous look, before looking back to the chaos.
"Hm. Feels almost like home already."
Rude; Rude tried to remember the last time Elena got this worked up. It probably had never happened in the past, it was the first time Elena had actually jumped to attack his head. He let her have her peace, take out whatever it was that she felt on his head before prying her off with some effort and pushing her towards Reno. “All yours buddy,” he mumbled in a neutral tone. Reno was better at dealing with these things. He also got more amusement out of it.
Rude personally preferred to see Reno covered in scratch marks rather than feel it on his own scalp. It’d be nice to see Tseng get a bit ruffled as well for a change. He was so rarely on the receiving end of Elena’s “wrath.” He just kind of wanted a drink and watch until the dust settled. Maybe pretzels too even if Rude wasn’t the kind to snack. It looked like it’d take a bit before it was over after all.
Reno; All that was left of the chair Elena had thrown were wooden chips lying before him and Ranmaru. It was a victory won, clearly something he could be proud of to a degree. The battle was fought against a chair and with aid from Ranmaru, though their synchronized reaction was quite a feat. Though since it wasn't a cup nor a glass, Reno lose the bet to himself. His shoulder sunk a bit and he let out a deep sigh. Give he wasn't allowed a bottle of whiskey tonight.
"Home indeed. All we’re missing is the- Oh wait. They have that here." Reno snarked up until Rude passed along a present. "What? Keep it away. I don't want that!" The Turk tried to push Elena back onto Rude. He face had enough scratch and he even had two permanent scars at each end of his face. Nothing was going to make him go through that pain again.
Eyes darting around their group hunting for the next seizable target, they finally landed on one. The next victim had black hair and with single black dot in the middle of his forehead. "Dot Man! Take back the Rookie, she likes you the most and you her."
Elena; What was this? Pass around the blonde? Elena growled deep in her throat, even as she wanted to laugh. It really was familiar and comforting in a way that would have made anyone else question their sanity. Really though. It was just their way of bonding. Like the deranged family they were.
Elena managed to get in a couple of good bites to Rude's head, as well as some kicks to Reno's shins that he'd be sure to feel for a long time before she was confronted with Tseng. The blonde didn't even pause in her attack, though Reno's words were certainly enough for her too. Normally, she would have, but punishment must come to all!
Instead, Elena clenched her fist and swung a blow to Tseng's stomach, before kicking his shins as well. She had a harder slap and a kick than her frame and form would have thought possible, but she didn't feel quite up to slapping anyone.
With one last victim, Elena moved away from Tseng, to slap Ranmaru upside the back of his head. It wasn't a gentle little love tap either. Cheeky little brat. He was too nice for his own good sometimes.
Fury done with now that she'd gotten to each of her victims, Elena stood back and crossed her arms over her chest. And then, childishly stuck her tongue out at the lot of them.
"You're all idiots, I hope you know that."
Jr.; Tseng's comment made him snort off-handedly before he muttered almost sympathetically up to him, "I wouldn't get comfy just yet, man."
And after that, all he could do was watch as she moved from person to person to pass down judgment in a rather vicious manner, and quickly stepped aside when she moved to Tseng. The punch made him flinch somewhat just watching, and then he finally saw her end the beat down with a smack to the Japanese kid's head.
The end result brought out an appreciative whistle from Rubedo as he surveyed the damage, and he reached into his coat pocket to pull out a small container before tossing it onto the counter. "Brought band-aids for you guys. Figured you'd need 'em. I'll pay for drinks."
It was the least he could do, considering he got off pretty easy in comparison to them. A grin quickly settled back onto his face at that, and he hopped up to sit on the chair his foot had been resting on earlier, grabbing his half-finished rum and coke off of the counter to begin sucking on the straw.
Tseng / Ranmaru; The only thing Tseng had to say in reaction to Reno's statement at the time had been a very annoyed, "No thank you!" but before he knew what was happening, Elena was in front of him. And he certainly didn't expect what came next, because as the wind left him, and his legs suffered a bit of a traumatic shock, he staggered back against the counter, using it to prop himself up, and moved a hand to where he was punched, stunned at Elena's actions.
He looked up, just as he saw Ranmaru try to dodge Elena's pleasant little spank and wondered why he just got away with that, though the boy seemed to be enjoying this the most, considering he was laughing as he ducked behind Reno and Rude, his head popping out between them and grinning.
Cheerful kid. he thought to himself, as he stood up straight. Elena's actions were incredibly amusing and at the same time, so very much like they were at home, though once upon a time, she wouldn't have dared raise a hand on him.
As Rubedo's offer with the bandaid came, Tseng gave it a look over, before walking back to stand next to Rude, folding his arms across his chest.
"At least we're living idiots, Elena-san?" Ranmaru's voice came, and Tseng couldn't help but smirk as he turned to look back at her.
"And now you're part of us living idiots again." he replied calmly, already composed from his attack. His eyes never left her face though, and there was warmth in his own. He was sure the others felt the same way, as painful as this was.
Sighing, he shrugged and looked over to the other three. "And this is why we say no good deed goes unpunished. I'm sure we've all learned it doesn't pay well to be good, does it." the gentle teasing was back, and he turned to look back at Elena and Jr.
Ranmaru couldn't help but laugh as he moved an arm over Reno's shoulder, watching her. "Elena-san has color in her face." he teased cheekily. "That was well worth doing if we got so much love!"
Rude; Rude raised a hand to rub at where Elena had gnawed on his head. At least she’d had the courtesy to not draw blood. He wasn’t sure which was more embarrassing bite marks on his head or band-aids.
“…that’s what we wanted to hear, right buddy?” He commented in response to Rubedo. A free drink was a free drink even if they were paid for in lint in this city. The worse was hopefully over with, if Elena continued her little fit Rude was afraid even he might have to crack some kind of smile. Otherwise he would just let Reno put words in his mouth as usual. It was a relief to simply fall into old patterns after a long time, it was probably even longer to Elena than it had been for him.
Ah, what the hell. He gave just the smallest grin as he sat down by the bar. It wasn’t as if something like this would happen again.
Reno; Reno winced each time Elena landed a blow onto his shins, out of all the things she could have done, why did it have to be kicks? Those were definitely going to be bruises tomorrow if they were already. "Damned Rookie..." Reno cursed quietly as he tenderly nursed his shins. The woman was a brute; a blonde haired, small framed brute. How anyone let alone anything could be attracted to the monster was beyond Reno's grasp. Elena wasn't even that attractive, but then again, he really wasn't the one to say this seeing that his partners of choice have been less than ten for ten.
His sore mood was quickly replaced by a smirk as he laughed at Ranmaru's comments. Oh that kid, there was a reason why Reno liked him so much, but it was true. Elena was back with them, so she shouldn't too harsh with them. They did just shorten their own lifespan to bring back her. No need to beat a sicken horse. Turning his attention to something else once again, he looked downward at the other redhead then after Rude's interjection he agreed. "Absolutely. I hope you know what you're setting yourself up for. I've been known to drink quite a bit." Reno paused to only widen his grin. "In fact, it would be too far fetched to say that I could drink you all under the table and then some."
Elena; Elena flushed at Ranmaru and Tseng's comment, the act warming her cheeks at lot more than it had ever done months previously. She could feel the blood rushing to to her face now, where once it hadn't. However, the warmth of cheeks reminded Elena just what it was that had been done.
Each of them... And for her alone. It made Elena feel a particular warmth that had nothing to do with her beating heart and more for the feelings she didn't care about showing at the moment.
Fit of homicidal rage over with, Elena didn't hold back on the soft, but wide smile that graced her face.
"Really though... Thanks," she said gently. And then, to counteract her previous actions, she went around and gave each of them either a hug or a kiss on the cheek, and in a two cases, both. They were all probably going to get rather drunk, so her behavior could all be blamed on that later. Or at least, she was fairly certain Reno would blame it all on the alcohol and claim he didn't remember any such actions.
"Now lets see who can drink who underneath the table!"
Jr.; No matter what they threatened, Rubedo was hardly afraid of having his proverbial wallet thinned out. Things were just far too cheap here, and if you played your cards right, they could even be free at times. A celebration like this , especially considering how adorably flustered Elena was, was worth any amount.
His rum and coke was mostly gone, and he'd had a cocktail before that, so he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted anything else alcoholic. His metabolism might have been off the charts, but his small frame still limited him when it came to alcohol. Challenge or no, Rubedo wasn't going to even try to prove he count outdrink any of these people.
For once, he actually just stayed quiet for a bit, stirring his straw around in the glass and watching Elena interact with her co-workers. She was alive now, meaning she could go back home. And seeing how happy she was with them, and how comfortable she was...maybe it was better for her to just return to her world with them.
Rubedo's gaze wandered to the side, stopping at Rude at the bar. This was one he hadn't really met before, and he was wearing...sunglasses. At night. In a dark bar.
Raising an eyebrow, he pointed, unable to keep from asking, "Do you ever take those off?"
Tseng / Ranmaru; Tseng wasn't a drinker, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to try one on this day. Drinks were celebratory, weren't they? When Elena approached him to hug, however, he couldn't help but hold onto her for a little while more, though he said nothing. After a bit, he drew back, letting her express her gratitude to the others.
Ranmaru, on the other hand, didn't quite care. He'd been watching the Turk Leader for a while, and smirked to himself, before turning to latch onto Elena and kiss her cheek. With her, he was rather free and open, very much like a bratty little brother with an older sister. Elena fulfilled those roles well, and she was certainly important to him.
So once she made her little announcement, he followed up with Reno and Rude, and made himself comfortable against the counter, looking at Rubedo and Rude talk, before turning to Elena.
"Ne, ne, Elena-san!" he was saying. "What will you do now? Are you and Jr.-san going to have babies?"
He knew exactly what he was saying, but he didn't mind riling up the mood a little by making it look like he had no idea. An innocent looking devil, pretty much-- and words that resulted in Tseng, who had called for a drink of water, to start choking.
Nothing quite like starting off the evening with a little shock, really.
Rude; Rude let Rubedo have a chance to snort up his straw in response to Ranmaru's comment before replying. "I take them off for sleep," he replied though he was pretty sure no one could hear him after that comment. It suited him just fine.
He gave Rubedo two careful pounds on the back to calm the choking a bit, Rude couldn't blame him for that. The idea of Elena with children was a little disturbing. It was only topped by the image of all of them Turks being transformed into uncles. That would be one fucked up baby. And it'd know how to say that by the time it was a year old.
Rude drained his drink to banish his thoughts before he could further paint the scenario to include Reno teaching the kid how blackmail its parents.
Reno; Reno could put away more alcohol than any one of the Turks here, without a doubt in his mind. They've tried this once and the only other one that came close to beating him was Elena, but she'd pass out before realizing that she had too much to drink. Sometimes the Turk wondered if anyone else besides Rude ever cared to consider how much he actually drank in comparison to his build and size. He wasn't exactly the thickest person around, granted he wasn't the lightest either but being tall and lanky definitely didn't sound like the ideal body to have to fit the heavy drinking type.
Guzzling down his concoction of various strong liquors and rums, Reno only stopped for a moment or two to let whatever he drank actually hit him before demanding for another round of the stuff. The Turk never could really pin point what he liked about alcohol. Whether it was the taste, the burn, or even the effects of the depressant itself that he enjoyed. He drank because he wanted to. Not like there was any real lost to it other than he was doing harm to his body, but that was what all the experimentation in his younger years for.
'-going to have babies...'. Swallowing hard on the fluid that he had just downed, Reno stopped to look over at Ranmaru. Did he know what all he just said? Judging from his smug look, Reno decided that he probably did and gave Ranmaru a mental merit for it. Though the very thought of it still gave him a series of reactions to go through. Starting with first the urge to puke then laugh and finally an awkward stare.
"If Rookie ever had a child, I'd worry for its mental health." Though the wanton Turk planed all sorts of tricks to teach the kid if it was ever born.
Elena; Jr. wasn't the only one stunned into silence, and to choke on her own drink. Elena coughed lightly to clear her throat, even as she flushed bright red. What was it with Ranmaru and being able to make her blush so easily the way he did?
Elena didn't even think she could respond to that statement anyway. Her? With children? She didn't even want to think about how frightening that would be. Aside from the obvious issues she still had with the thought of actual childbirth, the thought of raising a child? Teaching your three-year old how to build a bomb probably wasn't in any of the good parenting magazines anywhere. But that's something that Elena would probably do.
Best to just mutter about how Ran and his big mouth, order another drink, and drink it down as fast as possible.
Celebration and drinking now. Baby talk later.