Disclaimer: Nothing is owned by me. Any named song or game is property of their respective corporations/companies.
Ryu loved the wide open spaces of the great outdoors. Vega delighted in the calm scenery of lush Spanish countryside. Cammy White was content with a cup of tea at home. But Juri Han? Oh, she cared very little for the greenery of the outdoors, the blue of the oceans and the fertile brown of lush farmland. Her favorite colors were black, violet, gray and red, and such colors could only be found in the vibrant concrete jungles of modern civilization's cities. She loved the neon lights in the dark, the smell of fast food, discount ramen and undiluted violence, the feeling of hard pavement under her bare feet and so much more. The people were fun to torment and there was always something to do, buy or steal. This was Juri's natural habit, after all.
Thanks to her persistent nature and tendency to annoy Seth to the point of insanity, Juri had managed to get a ticket to Bangkok in Thailand. She was very pleased with her success and made sure that the higher-ups and local eggheads really wanted her gone before she left, especially Seth. The Korean fighter had been to Bangkok a few times before, mostly on missions but sometimes 'just for shits 'n giggles' as she called it. It was high time that Seth and Crimson Viper became suspicious, but thanks to Juri's shenanigans and pleasant personality they were more focused on cleaning up after her rather than questioning her. It was all for the better; Juri didn't want them to know the real reason why she was running off to Bangkok again.
Though it may just as well be another concrete jungle to run amok in, Juri knew that she wasn't the only animal to strut about there.
The city of Bangkok was well-known for its shopping centers and cultural hotspots as well as its infamous red-lights-districts. Many tourists thought of it as the Eastern Las Vegas because of all that it had to offer on top of casinos, pleasure and business. Though Juri liked to play a few hands of poker or try her luck at the slots when she had the time to spare, she had other matters to attend to. And no, though the call of a buxom prostitute wasn't something Juri liked to ignore, she wasn't there for the simple pleasures found in dark, dank alleyways. Thailand was the birthplace of the ancient Muay Thai fighting style, and with Bangkok as its modern stage, Juri was eager to get close to the ring to see who was the most capable of entertaining her for the night.
Once she touched down in Thailand Juri made a beeline for the heart of Bangkok, all the while ignoring the odd looks she got. Since she was a wanted woman with strong ties to SIN she made sure to keep any and all gadgets and memorabilia related to the organization 'back at home' while wearing something a little less conspicuous yet still as enticing as usual. She still had her baggy white cut-out trousers and pink/purple tights on, but for her top, she opted for a black tee with purple motifs while her hair was out of its usual style and instead resting just above her shoulders. The fighter also wore a pair of dark running shoes that let her feet breathe; as much as she liked going barefoot with those black wrappings, she didn't want to cut her feet or wear herself out on the jog towards Rajadamnern Stadium.
It was said that one of the best ways to defeat your enemies was to know them inside and out, and while Juri figured touching up on Muay Thai techniques would give her an edge if she was tasked with tracking down Sagat, the reason she went to the largest Muay Thai stadium in all of Bangkok was more for entertainment than anything else. She wanted to see what two fighters, two animals, could do to each other with a horde of savages clamoring for their blood and sweat to fly. Just thinking about it in that kind of light made Juri excited; so excited, in fact, that she almost missed the sign placed out in front of the stadium.
"What? Sold out?" Juri went to check her wrist for a watch that wasn't there before glancing around. Breaking through the front doors wouldn't be too wise, especially considering they were barred to keep the riff-raff out during fights. "Son of a- Maybe I shoulda bought a ticket after all..." Juri wasn't to be deterred, for soon enough she found a series of open windows a few stories up that would serve well for someone who didn't like paying to enter. "Oh good. Now to actually get up there..."
Luckily for Juri there were plenty of options available to her, so without delay, she set off towards a nearby parked semi-truck and vaulted onto the cab, leaped to the cargo box and, like the acrobatic minx she was, swung from a lightpost right into the open window. Anyone who witnessed her entry would be too flabbergasted to even consider alerting the police; at the very least they would assume she was some kind of parkour specialist just off doing her thing. The Korean landed in a dim maintenance hallway and dusted herself off before slinking through the shadows. She had to admit that getting into the stadium was easier than she anticipated, but not every building was protected by state-of-the-art security systems and throwaway guards. In fact, as she reached an unlocked door at the end of the maintenance hall, Juri realized that she could just walk out with her head held high and nobody would care in the slightest that she snuck in.
And so Juri did just that and walked out onto an upper level of seating that was jam-packed with spectators. The first thing that she noticed was the noise; the roar of the crowd that filled the stadium like a thick fog. People were shouting, growling, roaring and cheering in their native languages while high-pitched squeals and beeps erupted from cameras and other equipment. The second thing she noticed was the lack of space. Juri imagined that the stadium could hold over three-thousand people comfortably, and she was surprised to see that there were actually more than four-thousand people there that night. People were so close that personal space seemed as foreign to them as not gambling on their favorite fighter.
Speaking of which, Juri could see multitudes of colorful bahts being exchanged left and right as gamblers, high rollers and foreigners fluttered about the second level. With all the commotion, confusion and bickering going on, no-one noticed the raven-haired woman slide over to a spot with the best view of the fighting.
"Oooh, looks like I dropped by just in time!" Juri purred with glee.
Sprawled out before her in the center of the stadium was the grand boxing ring for Muay Thai combatants, and dancing around within it were two animals fighting tooth and nail for glory. The first fighter wasn't that interesting in Juri's opinion. Darkened skin, white rope tied around his hands and arms, drab pra jiad coiled around his upper biceps... it was nothing too noteworthy, though Juri could see fierce determination in his eyes. The brown-haired Thai fighter wouldn't survive in a World Warriors competition, but Juri had to admit he would provide a good challenge regardless. Then again, Juri didn't take that from the heart; she came to that conclusion because of the cackling jaguar bearing down on the poor guy.
Weighing in at 160 pounds from the red corner was Adon, the one and only self-proclaimed god of Muay Thai. It was such a grand and egotistical title, to be honest, but Adon flaunted it about with all the confidence of a power-hungry tyrant and protected it well. Boastful and arrogant, any who didn't know him would believe that this red-haired gremlin with the persistent crazed grin was just a wimp in disguise, but Juri knew better. She could see the sweat dripping from his body, carving down through the creases formed by his muscles as speckles of blood flew from his hands. He too had rope wrapped around his hands and arms for this was not only a serious match but a traditional one at that. Given that maniacal look in his hazel eyes, it was clear that Adon reveled in ye olde Muay Thai traditions that night.
Juri noticed that the wild jaguar wasn't wearing his yellow mongkhon, his headband, during the fight. The sight of his red hair flopping about in an unkempt state was foreign to her, but it wasn't unseemly.
"Huh. Looks like these two have been at it for awhile..." Juri's lips curled up into a malicious smile. "What's the matter, cat? Losing your nerve?"
On the contrary, Adon never felt more alive than when he was fighting someone in the ring in front of thousands upon millions of people. Though the two fighters were battered and bruised, Adon was in much better condition than his opponent. Through the cheers and jeers of the crowd, he stood strong against his opponent's strikes and dodged or blocked when the situation called for it. A wayward hook caught his chin and forced him to spit in anguish, but when the second one came for his head Adon ducked underneath it and pelted his opponent deep in his ribs not once but three times in quick succession before being pushed back. If Adon was in pain, he didn't show it. It probably just got him all hot and bothered on top of all the adrenalin pumping through his system.
After a few minutes of fighting and once he was in a good position Adon shot forward and slammed a leg right into his opponent's side. It was a powerful attack, and with his opponent battered and exhausted from a long fight, it was just the thing to send him reeling. But the god of Muay Thai didn't stop there. Like a jaguar crushing the skull of its prey, Adon leaped up and slammed the sharp point of his elbow down upon the dark-skinned man's head. This wasn't amateur hour; this was real Muay Thai! Like a sack of potatoes Adon's opponent crumpled to the floor and remained immobile long enough for the referee to declare a knockout.
"8... 9... 10! KO!" The crowd went wild while gamblers scrambled to collect their winnings. "Adon wins!"
Juri didn't have to be in the fight to feel the adrenaline flowing through her veins. The excitement, the raw passion, the overwhelming clamor in response to a wonderful match had her riled in a way that was second only to a near-death experience. She watched as Adon roared and strutted around the ring like he truly was a jaguar put up on stage for all to see. The crowd, all these people weren't there to see some fight or to gamble. They were there to see him, and he knew it. Even Juri couldn't stop herself from offering a few claps or a whoop of cheer the man's way. It was a fine fight, and Adon had every right to prance around and showboat to his heart's content.
"Yeah yeah, get real cocky you spastic little gremlin," Juri cooed. She looked on as the man went to his corner and lifted his yellow mongkhon from there only to raise it sky-high in triumph. At that Adon received even more cheers while Juri just scoffed. "Hehehehe, man... I can only imagine how it feels being in the limelight like that. Hmm... Maybe I'll beat him down tonight, maybe I won't. We'll see how things go, yeah?"
Juri stayed there for a moment longer before trotting off. With Adon's fight having come to a good conclusion he was bound to leave the stadium through the backdoor once he cleaned himself up. This was the man Juri wanted to play with for the night, the reason why she came to Bangkok in the first place. It just wouldn't do to have the man leave in such a good mood now, would it?
It never occurred to Juri that she would have to wait. She, the very embodiment of poise and rationality, thought that Adon would have been out in a flash, but as she lingered by the back door with a bunch of Thai paparazzi she found herself tapping her foot with her arms crossed as if she was some impatient two-year-old. She couldn't stand to linger there for another minute, not while there was a foul stench in the air, the sound of incessant clicking and shuttering, stupid conversations and much more. Already she was looking to a few of the paparazzi with a hungry, dangerous look in her eye; breaking their cameras and the like would really make her feel better! So as a public service reminder, it was unwise to keep Juri waiting, whether one knew it or not!
But soon enough Adon came waltzing out the back with his entourage consisting of his ring tender, a few inside photographers, a couple schmucks in suits and some sleazy women along with a bit of muscle. The fiery-haired man had cleaned himself up a little since the fight and was wearing a cream-colored raj pattern shirt with short sleeves along with a pair of comfortable sandals, yet he still wore his blue and yellow shorts. He also carried a duffel bag; possibly where he stashed his mongkhon, black cloak and other accessories. With a few wrappings around his hands, arms and feet along with his unkempt hair Adon looked half-civilized, half-savage. He paid no attention to the suits chatting him up and even less attention to the women who seemed to want nothing more than to be wrapped around him. This jaguar just wanted to get out of that giant cage and roam around.
Then he noticed the woman leaning against the chain-link fence and stopped right in his tracks as if he had seen a ghost. Adon's eyes narrowed in scrutiny while Juri's eyes sparked and glowed with that same mischievous energy he had learned to be wary of. This wasn't their first meeting, nor was it their second or third. But whereas the first few meetings were complemented with disdain, disgust and blood loss, the past few encounters were relatively tame and, dare one say it, peaceful. Even now Juri could see the annoyed look on Adon's face wash away into a chilled smile, which was his version of being friendly, she supposed.
Taking notice of Adon, the paparazzi and would-be-reporters started to blind him with pictures and bombard him with questions, but the fiery-haired Thai man didn't even flinch. The few suits that were with him each grabbed an armful of girls and leaped into focus to steal the show with their money, power and influence, or rather their pigheadedness. It didn't matter to Adon as he waded through the crowd to finally stand by himself in the dim lighting of the stadium's seedy exterior. He brushed himself off, hissed a few curses towards the 'plebeians' and started on his way towards Juri.
Suddenly a young man came running up to Adon dressed in a crisp uniform to take up the man's time, much to his and Juri's chagrin.
"That was one heck of a fight Mr. Mon-"
"Argh... Can't you see I'm busy, boy?" Adon snapped through gritted teeth. "Just who the hell are you and why should I care?"
The young man jumped a bit from both fright and embarrassment before coughing into his hand and doing his best to compose himself again.
"Uh, I uh... Sir, I'm your driver for tonight. The err, s-stadium management called me over to drive you anywhere you wanted to go within the city, and when you're finished, b-back to your hotel room."
"Oh, so you're the unfortunate designated driver then." Adon craned his neck and noticed a lavish sedan parked a few meters away. He stood still and silent for a few seconds before wrinkling his nose and shaking his head. "Feh... I didn't ask for a driver." Juri noticed the cursory glance shot in her direction and allowed herself to smile just a little bit. "I'll be sure to give the fat bastards my thanks, and you can tell them that too. But I don't need you tonight."
Before the driver could interject or plead his case Adon shoved his duffel bag into his arms and pulled out a few bahts for him.
"If you're so adamant about doing your job, at least take this bag up to my room. After that... Eh, I don't really care what you do." Adon's eyes darkened as he jabbed a finger in the driver's face. "Oh, and if anyone's grubby paws dig through that bag you'll be sure to regret it. Got that, whelp?"
"Y-Yes sir Mr. Montri," the driver stammered in response.
"Good. Now get."
Juri, the woman who took great delight in other people's misfortune, found herself grinning like an idiot as the driver scuttled away from Adon. She soon began to chuckle, giggle and finally burst out laughing.
"What?" Adon asked in an indignant tone as he approached the raven-haired woman.
"Hohoho! Wow, that was... Geez, you're such a douchebag! Not only did you tell him to blow off you shot him a threat!" Juri clasped her hands together and sighed once she was done laughing. "Ah, that's quality. Quality stuff!"
"Well, like I said, I didn't ask for a driver, nor do I need to be looked after. I'm a grown man at twenty-nine years; I can look after myself." Folding his arms, Adon continued with, "Besides, I'd rather walk home. It's only fitting for the God of Muay Thai to walk amongst his subjects after a hard-fought victory!"
Juri scoffed at that, but Adon either took no notice or didn't let it bother him. She knew that this was only the start of his arrogance for the night. By all means, he had every right to hold his victory over the heads of everyone and anyone in sight. But in private, polite company, Juri would rather have him tone it down a little. Unfortunately for her, that wouldn't happen unless she beat the man at his own games.
"In other words, you want more publicity." Juri gave a tilt of her head and soon took those words back. "Though... If you squeezed out of that paparazzi horde-"
"I care little for all that mindless prattle and stinging, flashing lightshow. All that I do is for the glory of Muay Thai. Though I will admit that the fame and fortune is a nice touch!" Adon shuffled closer to Juri, enough so that she had to take a step back to be comfortable. But she didn't- instead she felt her heart jump as the crazy jaguar man donned his own mischievous expression. "And when it comes to a really adoring fan, who am I to ignore her?"
"You're kidding yourself if you think th-"
"I know I saw a pair of violet eyes up in the stands," Adon interrupted. Juri kept up her own impish smile despite the beginnings of a blush in her cheeks. "You seemed entranced! Come now. Don't tell me you came all this way just to exchange some mindless banter with me. You and I both know that I deserve better than that."
Even after a fight and feeling sore Adon still managed to run his mouth. Past encounters had plenty of threats, banter and idle chitchat between the two, but this was something new. Never before had Adon flirted with her. Yes, it had to be that and only that- there was no other explanation for that cheeky smirk and low, growling voice. It almost made Juri want to retort with a few lines of her own. Almost.
"Alright, alright, you caught me red-handed. I did come to see you fight," Juri confessed. She rolled her eyes and issued a mock yawn. "I'm still waiting, by the way." When Adon looked confused, Juri attacked with, "What, you actually think that little scuffle in the ring was a real fight? It looked more like two kids slapping and kicking. That one guy hardly put up a fight and you, I've seen you do so much better."
Juri loved pissing him off. Already the man's lips were twisted in a disgusted snarl, his cheeks were red with embarrassment and his eyes were dim with disgust. Knowing that she had such an impact on another man's psyche provided a great rush for Juri, and it was even better if she incited them into a fight. Alas, she was a mere spider messing with a jaguar, and he too liked to aggravate people. Disgust and anger soon reverted back to a gremlin-like mischievousness as Adon composed himself enough to shoot back a retort.
"Feh... Well, from where you were, I can see why you'd think that. Maybe next time you'll pay for a ticket instead of sneaking in and going for the worst seating available; that way you'll see me up close, just as you've always wanted."
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." The raven-haired woman allowed a bit of silence to fall between the two of them before giving a genuine smile. "You know, it's actually good to see you again. I've been needing some good entertainment."
"Eggheaded fools and emotionless mercenaries still can't provide you anything, eh?" Adon chuckled. "Bah. Forget them. Here in Bangkok is all the entertainment one needs. I personally don't indulge in most of it, but you get what I mean." He turned to regard the environment, remained silent for a few long seconds and then glanced back over at Juri. "I admit... It's good to see you too. You're one of the few people in this world who actually enjoy fighting, without coming off as some brainless, disgraced cur, unlike somebody I know."
That would be the closest Juri would get to Adon saying 'I was bored and you're too interesting to ignore' or 'now I'm not lonely anymore'. The man always did have a way with words.
"Speaking of fighting..." Juri cooed as she cracked her knuckles.
"R-really? After the hard-fought victory I just earned, you want to fight me?" Adon gestured to a few bruises and aches on his form. "While I normally wouldn't pass up the opportunity, you do realize that-"
"Yeah yeah yeah, you're tired and sore, I get it. Still, that doesn't mean we can't stir up some trouble together, right? There's bound to be some fun to have over in the commercial district."
Adon raised his eyebrows and gave a tilt of his head.
"Are you proposing that we spend the night in the city... together? What, like a date?"
The word sounded so foreign coming from Adon's lips that both he and Juri found it unsettling. The two of them recoiled with a grimace. It wasn't that the idea of spending time with each other was unsettling, it was simply the idea of a date in general. Whether it was because of their distinct arrogance or the lives that they led, neither Juri nor Adon even remotely liked a date.
"Uh, what? A date? With you? Ugh, hell no," Juri growled.
"My thoughts exactly," Adon replied.
In hindsight, the two didn't react as vehemently as they expected each other to do, and while they both found that odd, there was no time to explore the matter.
"I didn't mean a date- th-they're stupid anyway. I meant, why don't we spend one night in Bangkok together?" Juri shrugged her shoulders and did her best to sound convincing. "Not a date. Just the two of us havin' fun." Beat. "Preferably at someone else's expense."
"Hmm, well... Provided if you don't tarnish my reputation or get us both in trouble with the law enforcement..." Adon scratched his chin, gazed off into the distance and soon looked back at Juri with a grin. "Well, the hotel is just on the other side of the commercial district. In essence, we'll be heading in the same direction. So... Alright."
Juri placed her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.
"Alright? That's it? Not an 'oh yeah, totes,' or a 'you bet your sweet ass, Juri'?"
"Don't push your luck," Adon yipped as he slinked away, which only prompted Juri to jog after him with a devious cackle.
Though it seemed that neither of the two had any particular destination in mind, Adon made it clear to Juri that his time was valuable and that they were heading towards his hotel. This made Juri wonder if the fiery-haired man had something special planned for the two of them, yet one look at his face when she asked him only showed that he wanted nothing more than to sleep in peace without having to accommodate a deadly assassin.
As noted before, Bangkok was one of the largest shopping hubs on the planet, and for those with plenty of money, they would be able to enjoy just about anything and everything that the city had to offer. Juri had come prepared with multiple bills and bahts while Adon sauntered about with his fight winnings burning a hole in his pocket. Being together and naturally being the fine, compassionate and totally not grating people that they were, they spent plenty of time bickering and fighting over where to go and what to do next. With fighting out of the question, they had to find something that would satisfy them both!
There were many street performers out at that time of night along with countless artists and musicians hoping to make their mark on Bangkok. Neither Juri nor Adon were ones for art, modern or traditional, yet they stopped at various spots to look over at someone's spray-painting, caricatures and sculptures if only to see what all the fuss was about. Music, however, was something the both of them could enjoy- as they walked about their conversations would drop off whenever a new sound cut through the cacophony, and sometimes they would each stop at their own musician for a moment before running to catch up with the other. Anything that broke them away from the whining, crying and screaming masses was much appreciated, after all.
And with Adon roaming the streets with her, attracting attention wherever he went, Juri felt as if she was out on the town with Thailand's biggest celebrity... Though she didn't get over her head for she knew that he was also, in her book, Thailand's biggest asshole. After sharing a few conversations between each other- mostly with Juri doing the talking and Adon having little choice but to deal with it the best he could- a new sound crashed into their night and demanded their attention. Stomachs growling and rumbling, the two turned and shot each other flustered looks.
Juri, who at the moment forgot that she was standing next to a patriotic (in his own way) Thai, dismissed the growling in her stomach with a wave of her hand.
"Eh... I'll just, uh, get some Pad Thai or someth-"
"Pad Thai? Just some Pad Thai?" Adon growled as if Juri had insulted him. He shook his head and took her by the arm to direct her down a crowded side-street. "You've come all this way just for some noodles? I think not!"
Juri grimaced at how Adon held her arm, but she wasn't going to knock him away anytime soon. He knew Bangkok better than she could ever hope to, and besides... Some part of her didn't mind the man touching her.
"What? Are you a five-star chef or something?" Juri retorted with a huff.
"Whenever a foreigner requests Pad Thai it's either because they're too stupid to realize that there are other choices or they simply don't care to look. Both reasons drive me up the wall."
The Korean next to him wanted to argue or at the very least plead her case, yet she remained silent. The sights of the side-street, filled with all kinds of food stalls and exotic smells, tore away any opportunities for further retorts. Foreign spices filled her nostrils and made her knees weak just thinking of all the torturous things these dedicated Thai cooks were lathering with their hellfire sauces and seasonings. Juri's Thai wasn't that great, yet she was spellbound as she read signs tempting her to try spicy sriracha chicken, Gaeng Daeng, Gai Yang and hundreds of different Pad Thai that went above and beyond the typical tourist fare. She wanted nothing more than to, at that moment, pick something at random and chow down.
Luckily for her Adon made a decision and plopped her down in front of a modest-looking food stand. Juri looked all around like a child in a candy store as Adon sat down beside her and filled the area. Though the place was already crowded, having Adon there made things even more hectic as hecklers and businessmen called out for him to come to their stands and to try out their foods. But the man ignored them; he had come to this particular stand for many years and knew what he liked. More importantly, he knew what Juri liked.
"Thaksin!"
A pudgy, grubby-looking Thai cook lumbered over to Adon and Juri with a big stupid smile on his face. He conversed with Adon in their native language for a while before nodding and turning back to attend to his cooking station, but not before looking at Juri and giving her a friendly wave- one that she didn't reciprocate, yet Thaksin seemed the sort to weather just about anything and brushed it off with a hearty chuckle.
"Don't mind the grime," Adon said without looking at Juri. "Thaksin's a good cook. Better than all these other hacks. Keeps his equipment clean, keeps his hands clean... Wouldn't trust any other street cook."
"So, wait, back there you were actually being nice to someone else?" No comment from Adon. Juri guffawed and prodded him in the side. "What did you order?" At this, Adon shot her his typical smug grin. "You know, you really need to work on your conversational skills instead of doing that all the time."
"I ordered a staple of Thailand, one that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Tom Yum Goong; it's my favorite, I'll have you know."
"Then it must be good. What's in it? Is it spicy? C'mon, gimme the scoop."
"Well, you'll just have to wait to find out."
And wait Juri did. Though she loathed waiting with a passion, with Adon beside her and all the people walking to and fro she never found herself wanting for entertainment or diversions. In due time Thaksin the cook came around with two bowls of what looked to be a spicy soup packed with foreign herbs, vegetables and fat shrimp. Two more bowls filled with stark white rice would be placed down in front of them along with a couple ice-cold cups of tea. It was as close to a full meal as one could get on the streets of Thailand, and neither Adon nor Juri were complaining.
Juri vaguely recalled thanking the cook before she took a spoon and went to town. There was no skirting around the side, nor was there any chance of her blowing some heat away. This was a woman who lived dangerously, as evidenced by her taking a spoonful of the soupy Thai concoction and shoving it down her throat. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets once the heat and flavor attacked her, yet she didn't take that as a sign to back down. On the contrary, she took another spoonful, then another, then another until she had this Tom Yum Goong all figured out.
Perhaps, just perhaps... Adon really did know his stuff. Juri would have to thank him sometime, but not now when she had deliciousness to savor.
"Oh my god... Oh my god! Adon, this stuff- Mmhm!" Juri took another bite and sniveled as the spice kicked in. "W-why'd you order rice with... Hmm! Sooo good...!"
"You should... probably slow down, or at the very least pick at the vegetables instead of the sauce for a while," Adon cautioned as he started on his own food. "And the rice is there to balance out the spice. Woman, I'm being- For the love of all that is sacred, you really are a ravenous shrew!"
"Oh you say that like it's a bad thing. I live on the edge, bucko."
Once warm food was in their stomachs the two went off to wander around in Bangkok's major shopping centers. Adon figured that a nice bowl of Tom Yum Goong would be just the thing to keep Juri tame, but ever since she finished her meal she looked like a little kid after being fed a truckload of sugar. She was excited and eager to get into plenty of trouble, much to Adon's chagrin. He had to lead and pull her away from a few situations before the crowd turned on them both and made things difficult. And no, he wasn't worried about public retribution, he was worried about what Juri would do to anyone who stood in the way of her fun. At least he could take a few punches to the stomach before doubling over!
To her credit Juri did what she could to stay upbeat and chipper in the face of Adon's policing. She wanted a ride in one of the many tuk-tuks scooting around, but the fiery-haired man warned her that most of them were scam artists. She wanted to commission a few caricatures from a street painter, but Adon dragged her away before the artist could start working on what Juri called 'Adon's horse teeth'. There was even a martial artist showing off a few moves with a partner in front of a large crowd, and while both Juri and Adon were interested, the latter had to distract the former when she licked her lips and started up her cybernetic left eye. It was as if Adon existed only to suck the fun out of everything around him, and sooner or later it would irritate Juri to her breaking point.
After a few minutes of waltzing around in one of the largest malls with all the bright lights, colorful distractions and shops filled with interesting items Juri figured that she had had enough. It had been too long since the last bit of entertainment and Adon was doing nothing to accommodate her. She reached out to grab his shirt and pulled him to a stop.
"Alright, come on, I'm getting bored."
"Let go of my shirt," Adon yipped. He turned around and batted Juri's hands away when she tried to jostle him. "So you're bored. What am I supposed to do about that?"
"You bought me food and tore me away from plenty of fun-looking stuff. Obviously you're in charge of this 'entertaining expedition'," Juri growled. She pouted, crossed her arms and turned away. "Seriously, I'm getting bored. I wanna do something fun, like... Ooh! Know of any warehouses stocked full of empty barrels? Maybe we can find an old junker car and beat the shit out of it?"
"Is that what you do for fun?" Adon asked in an incredulous tone.
Juri ignored the man and looked around the mall for something to entertain her. Besides the few mall attractions that catered to young children and the elderly, the Thai mall seemed to be as interesting as Seth's personality. Clearly, this place had no respect for thrill-seekers. Yet as Juri looked around she eventually laid her eyes on a darkened alcove where children and young adults were running around inside. Curious, she started towards it before she realized that all that beeping, booping and buzzing meant something special to her. As the sleek designs of tall machines and bright lights of neon signs came into view, so too did she smile and grow giddy.
It was an arcade, but not just any arcade- the largest one Juri Han had ever come across. She walked into the glowing abyss of the arcade as if she was entering a sacred temple while Adon, confused as to why she was attracted to this place, trudged behind her.
"This is an arcade," Adon stated as if that would put a stop to everything. No response. "Arcades are meant for children. Juri, are you just trying to find something to destroy or are you-"
"Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug, Final Fight, Darkstalkers, Ghosts 'n Goblins... This is my childhood!" Juri started to dart from machine to machine, bumping kids out of the way left and right with her hips or a well-placed shove. "Where's that one game with the cowboys and Indians?"
Adon was about to reply, to tell her off once again, but Juri was already gone. She had darted into the crowd of children and young adults with a handful of bahts that would soon become tokens. For several minutes Adon stood at the entrance to the arcade, torn between entering it and finding that shrew or turning around and leaving her to have her fun. As proud and as arrogant as he was, he felt responsible for Juri in the sense that he was her host for the evening. Plus, as a native Thai in Bangkok he also felt obligated to defend his country from outsiders... Even if that meant keeping Juri from wrecking some stupid arcade machine.
With a heavy sigh Adon made his way past bickering children, rabid fans seeking autographs and whatnot as he began his search for Juri Han. Luckily for him, the man didn't have to go very far before finding her shooting up a horde of zombies. Armed with a brightly-colored light gun and cat-like reflexes Juri proved that she was no match for the brainless legions of pixelated zombies and monsters. She survived for quite some time before the nature of arcade machines and their built-in forced losing mechanics kicked in and killed her. Though she lost, Juri walked away from the machine with a bright simper on her face that only grew when she noticed Adon had been looking over her shoulder.
"House of the Dead. Best zombie game," Juri purred. When Adon didn't reply, she said, "What? Oh come on, cut loose and have some fun."
"I hate arcades."
"Oh? Really? Is it because of all the noises and bright lights, or is it just because you suck at videogames?"
"What?" Adon glowered at the woman and gritted his teeth. "I don't 'suck' at anything. Videogames are beneath me. They're for children. Why would I play a game like... like Immortal Combat or whatever when I can go out and fight someone in real life?"
"Says the guy who sucks at videogames," Juri retorted. She giggled when the Muay Thai warrior started to growl in anger. "If you feel so strongly about all of this, how about we make a little bet? Come on, we'll play a game together and whoever gets the most points'll win and get whatever they want out of the other."
Adon paused for a moment.
"A bet? And if I win, I get whatever I want out of you?" Juri nodded as her smile turned into a sly grin. "Hmm... That's tempting; I won't lie."
One would expect a proud, arrogant bastard of a man like Adon to demand something great from Juri if he won. When it came to a bet between a man and woman who were both in great shape and easy on the eyes, it didn't take much to suppose that a certain hedonistic activity would be placed on the table. But Adon wasn't that type of man, or at the very least, the thought of doing such a thing with Juri was heavily overshadowed by something else... That being peace of mind.
"Alright, I'll play your game," Adon said as the competitive fire sparked in his eyes. "And when I win, you're going to promise me that you won't cause any more trouble here in Thailand on top of leaving me alone for the rest of your stay."
"Yeah, sure, I'll give you my word... But that'll be only if you win, Adon," Juri cooed.
"I will win. Whatever game you pick will be easy."
"Ah, but when you d-"
"If," Adon corrected.
"If you don't win, you're going to buy me the biggest bottle of SangSom rum and we're going to enjoy it. Deal?"
The arrogant Thai man couldn't resist a challenge, thus he gave Juri a mock bow and a menacing chuckle.
"Hehehe... Very well, we have a deal."
With that said, Juri shot back a devious smirk and took the lead; soon guiding Adon through the sea of neon, noise and sticky-fingered kids. Though it wasn't a fully-fledged fight, the two felt a wild rush nonetheless as the spirit of competition settled in. They both wanted to best the other and to see the look on the loser's face after. For Juri, it wouldn't be a challenge if she set Adon and herself up at some hardcore arcade game that only she had knowledge of. No, she would have to find something that was simple to grasp, easy to get into yet challenging to master; something that a grown Thai man would be able to do side-by-side a flexible Korean. And Juri already knew what it was.
There in the back center of the arcade was the bolted behemoth of a game, standing tall and radiating neon glow as the unworthy gave it a wide berth. This was the machine that made champions out of the brave and jokes out of the wimps. Upon the two pads Juri and Adon would do battle, and only one would walk away with their head held high.
"I'm gonna make you suffer, Adon," Juri giggled. She stepped up to the machine and rested her arm on one of the safety bars. "It's time... For Dance Dance Revolution!"
"You... Y-you cannot be serious." Adon took one look at the game's name before turning away and folding his arms. "I am not some deranged, dancing fool. Find something else."
"Aw come on, don't be such a pussy. It'll be fun!" When Adon didn't reply, Juri leaned in and purred, "Whoever gets the highest score from three songs will win the bet. We'll start on something easy, then we'll crank up the challenge. Sound fair?"
"Feh... Fine. You're not budging from this infernal machine anyway," Adon grumbled as he trudged over to his own pad.
"That's the spirit!"
To Juri's surprise, as she explained how DDR worked and showed Adon the tutorial she realized that the man knew how to play, and even more than that, he had played the game plenty of times in the past. Dancing like a jester in front of throngs of children was unbecoming of a Muay Thai warrior, Adon said, though Juri figured that he was just embarrassed. Once the setup was out of the way, Juri started the two of them off on an easy song to get them both warmed up. She didn't want Adon to know that she was a little rusty, but she did let him know what he was getting into. Forget all of Adon's arrogance; when it came to Juri, she considered herself the one and only master of DDR.
The two of them then moved their feet to a challenging tune and did the best that they could, though it was clear that Juri was in the lead all the while. She did everything right: she hit the combos, stuck the freeze arrows and kept her balance like a true master. Even Adon was doing very well, though Juri could see in the corner of her vision that he would occasionally miss a step and ruin his combo. But then she would notice that- during a few pauses in the song- Adon wasn't looking at the screen or his feet but Juri herself. He would grumble, look over to her and fall silent as his eyes traveled over her body; mesmerized by the way it swayed and moved. And then he would grunt and refocus his attention as he was completely unaware of the effect that he had on the Korean next to him.
Never in her wildest dreams did Juri ever imagine that Adon found her attractive enough to stare. She faltered when she felt his gaze and cursed as her cheeks lit up once again. Were they anywhere else at the time Juri would have toyed with Adon, but right there on those DDR pads Juri didn't want to deal with it. It wasn't that she didn't like the feeling... It was that it was making her mess up! She ended up with a lower score than Adon did on the second song, and that only made the Thai man puff out his chest as if he had this game won already.
"Huh. This game is easier than I remembered," Adon chuckled.
"Don't get too cocky there. We have one more song to go."
"Bring it on! I feel like I can take anything you throw at me!"
"Oh,you're in for a fright then!" Juri's eyes lit up as the name of the final song popped up and rejuvenated her soul. "You wanted a challenge, so here it is… Night of Fire!"
"Night of what now?"
But Adon would get no explanation other than what came from the machine. Juri had to suppress a giggling fit when she noticed the man's eyes widen to teacup-sized proportions upon seeing the onslaught of arrows coming his way. Night of Fire was an intense song in its own merit but on maniac difficulty? Adon stood no chance. The man hopped and skipped and growled as he tried his hardest to hit the arrows, but he was either too early, too late or too sporadic to land a good combo. Juri, on the other hand, was doing fabulously. With sweat dripping down her forehead and a maniacal grin on her face it was clear that she had won the bet as soon as her feet touched that dancepad.
Once the song was over and the scores were calculated Juri whooped when she was officially declared the winner. But she didn't have to look at the screen to know that. Just one glance at Adon's deflated mug told her all that she needed to know. Poor guy stood there looking down at his feet in shame while massaging his temples. He took losing rather well, but it was clear to Juri that he didn't like the outcome one bit. The sight was almost enough to make Juri feel sorry for him- almost. Just as she was about to say something, however, several bright flashes shot out from behind the two.
"Is- Is that Adon Montri?"
"What's he doing dancing around like that?"
"Oh my god, he lost to a girl? The tabloids are gonna have a field day with this."
Alarmed, both Juri and Adon whirled around to find over two dozen kids and adults armed with cameras. Pictures were taken, videos were recorded and evidence was saved. These people had been around for some time getting some juicy dirt on Adon while he danced with Juri. Some individuals were snorting, others were flat-out laughing. It was not a good moment for Mr. Montri, and Juri could see that as plain as day. This was supposed to be a friendly bet between the two of them and now Adon's reputation was about to be marred by a bunch of shameless idiots with cameras. As much as Juri enjoyed his suffering at times, even she had to agree that this was too much to bear.
Juri wrinkled her nose in disgust and was about to threaten the group off when a thought hit her. Her lips curled up into the wildest smile yet as she focused on the power swirling about inside her left eye. It began to glow and let loose that trademarked shriek which caused a few of the camera-toting knuckleheads to gulp and tremble and Adon to snap his head in her direction. This was the sign that Juri was going to have plenty of fun at everyone else's expense! Once enough energy was charged up Juri brought a hand to her eye and unleashed the power in a brilliant flash of violet before anyone could stop her.
The effect was instant. Like an electromagnetic pulse Juri's eye caused every machine, light and device in the arcade to short out and die. Sparks flew left and right, children cried out and the throng of people looking to humiliate Adon even further by taking his picture would find that their cameras were now unrepairable pieces of scrap. The entire arcade was thrown into disarray, and that only intensified as darkness set in. With no lights to catch them and with everyone panicking, Juri grabbed Adon's hand and led him out of the arcade before anyone could fish out a lighter.
The two of them scurried away from the arcade and looked to one another before Juri started to laugh.
"Ha! Well, I guess it works!" Juri threw her hands up in triumph. "EMP bitches! Score one for Juri! Now those eggheaded nerds wi-"
"You just destroyed an entire arcade," Adon rasped out, breathless and quiet.
"Uh-huh."
"That'll take thousands and thousands of bahts to replace."
"Yeppers. And I did it all for you," Juri said in a mock-swooning tone. "Sure some little brat won't be able to get the high score on Street Fighter there anymore, and maybe you're right about all those bahts, but look on the bright side. Your moment of weakness?" Juri waved her hands. "Gone like it never happened."
Suddenly Adon looked pleased as if a great weight had been lifted off of him.
"My goodness… Juri, words cannot express how-" He sighed and smiled. Juri almost thought she saw a tear in there somewhere. "I don't know how I would have recovered from that embarrassment. For once I have to thank you and your habit of destroying evidence."
"But you're dead wrong this time," Juri replied in a sing-song voice. She tapped her left eyebrow in reference to her cybernetic eye. "This baby got a few upgrades since last time. I've got plenty of pictures of you looking all glum, jaguar boy. Whenever I have a bad day, I'll play back the footage and pinpoint the exact second your ego comes tumbling down."
Adon's eye twitched as he glared at the Korean.
"Y-you… you…! Rraagh… Feh…" He sighed and shook his head. "Alright, what do you want?"
"I'm not telling. I think I'll save this juicy bit of blackmail for later. For now, though, you've got a bottle of SangSom rum to buy for me!"
And so the high and mighty Jaguar king went and bought Juri that bottle of SangSom rum with his hard-earned fight money. Though he had lost a bet and felt that he would get blackmailed into something outrageous in the near future, Adon felt content with how things had gone. Juri was delighted, Adon was delighted, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had fun with the woman that night. Better yet, he was still having fun. The opening of the bottle of SangSom served as a reminder to the both of them that the night was still young, and what better way to pass it than by sharing a few drinks together?
Adon, ever the traditional man, let Juri know that he wanted to wait until the both of them got back to his hotel room before they got at the bottle of rum. There were clean glasses and plenty of ice to be found there, he said. Juri, however, just took one look at the man and choked down a shot's worth of rum straight from the bottle. My bottle, my decision, she cheekily replied. With that logic in place there was no room for Adon to question her anymore. With a soft smile he gave into the woman's shenanigans and took a swig from the bottle as well, all the while they made their way back to Adon's hotel.
While the law enforcement was usually spread thin at this time of night Adon didn't want to be picked up for 'public intoxication'. In order to avoid the odd, roving policeman or the ever-watchful eyes of the paparazzi Adon took Juri by the arm and led her down vacant alleyways as if they were two teenagers out past curfew and those alleyways were shortcuts back home.
After a few swigs back and forth the two of them were in no condition to be driving around, yet they were still conscious enough to walk around and delight in each other's company. With every drop of rum that passed into their systems their inhibitions were slowly being whittled away; soon allowing a few interesting personality quirks to surface in the both of them. Adon, while he wasn't nearly as loud or as arrogant as Juri thought he would be that night, became much more reserved and relaxed while Juri babbled every so often and leaned against the tall man for support. Through the haze of distilled sugarcane Adon couldn't help but note that her curvy body against his own… It felt nice, to say the least.
"Woah… I'm really feeling it now," Juri chuckled as she put the top back onto the bottle. "I uh… I'm cutting myself off… at least for an hour or so."
"I feel just fine. Pretty good, actually," Adon confessed.
"That's because you weigh more than me! And you got all these muscles!" Juri snorted back with added emphasis on the last word. "What's your- what's your secret, huh?"
"No secret. Just walked to the gym and back nearly every day. It's a habit I've kept for years."
"Sagat?"
Adon looked down at her and shook his head. Had he not had a few swigs of rum he would have snarled at the name, but tonight he shrugged it off.
"Before. I was actually a chubby little cub growing up. The other boys would pick on me for it." Juri held back a little snicker and just smiled wide as she pictured that in her mind. "Hard to imagine, eh?"
"For me, yeah. I was a short, spindly twig growing up- then puberty hit and all the girls were jealous of my rack." Juri let loose a sigh of nostalgia. "Broke a lot of noses back then. Those were good times."
"Yeah... They sure were."
A brief silence settled between the two long enough for the sounds of Bangkok's midnight hour to roll in. Shouting, honking cars, the sultry calls of men and women looking for something quick and dirty and broken bottles filled the void before Juri's low voice drowned them all out again.
"You know, after all the times we've fought and hung out, I... I don't really know much about you, Adon."
"Well, there are some things that are better left alone, and I think we can both agree on that." Adon fell silent for a moment before giving Juri a little shake. "You never wanted to get to know me before."
"I kinda want to get to know you a little better now. I don't know, man, I'm just curious."
"What are you curious about?"
"Who's your favorite artist?"
Adon paused, locked eyes with Juri and then began to break out into a chuckling fit.
"I'm serious. Come on jerk, what music does the infamous jaguar king like to jam to?"
"Michael Jackson," Adon sputtered. He was too intoxicated to feel any shame. "And you?"
"Oh man, he's one of my favorites too. Uh… Shoot, so many… Maybe Pat Benatar, Madonna. You know there's a lot of funky stuff coming outta America these days. I've been thinking about…" Juri's voice trailed off as her topic died off. She shook her head and picked the conversation back up. "Favorite actor?"
"Jackie Chan."
"Get outta here. You serious?" Juri beamed and gave Adon a playful shove. "Dude, J-Jackie Chan was like… my childhood hero. My god, he still is! I used to imitate his stunts and moves before I got into Taekwondo. Mom thought I was just going through a phase or whatever, but Dad, oh, Dad…" Once again, Juri's voice trailed off, but it was for a different reason. She was bringing up the past and all those memories again much to her chagrin. "Uh…"
"We've got a budding stuntm- err, actually, martial artist coming up here in Thailand," Adon interjected. "Gives Muay Thai a good name, and his movies are actually pretty good."
"Huh? Really?" Juri brightened up as if the man had just pulled her away from a dark pit. "What's his name?"
"Well, he goes by a different name these days, but I knew him as Tatchak-"
The cloud crash of a trashcan tumbling to the ground shook the two from their conversation. Looking up the two could see Adon's hotel standing tall at the end of the alley like a shining beacon in the darkness, yet there was a problem in getting there. Like insects, a group of six men scuttled out from cover and stood at the end of the long, wide alleyway. They wore disgusting, hostile looks upon their faces while some of them carried weapons like a rusty pipe, a switchblade or a broken bottle. But that wasn't the half of it for another six men came up from behind our two protagonists with one lone man leading the party. Adon turned and glowered at the unseemly thugs while Juri held her bottle of SangSom close to her chest like a jealous owner.
This wasn't a mugging, it was a premeditated ambush.
"You wretched vagrants picked the wrong people to poach." Adon held his arms open in welcome. "And to whom do I owe the pleasure?"
The lone man leading the group stepped forward into the dim lighting of the alleyway and made no attempt to hide his face. It was the dark-skinned man from before, the very same one who had fought Adon in the ring in front of thousands of people and got knocked out for his trouble. He was bruised, beaten, haggard and drunk out of his right mind to the point where only blood could extinguish his flaming rage.
"I should've won," the drunken fighter growled with a grimace. He held up a bottle of cheap beer, took his final dose of liquid courage and threw it to the ground where it shattered. "To think… A miserable bastard like you getting all the glory… You, the disgraced student to the great Victor Sagat…"
"Ah, Chati. I was wondering when you'd show up." Adon snickered and brushed the insult aside. "So this is what you resort to? Using your precious father's money to hire a bunch of curs to attack me?" To the men gathering around him, Adon asked, "Just how much did he pay you all, hmm?"
Despite a few grumbles, growls, and muffled curses, the rowdy men were silent. At this Juri had to laugh and join in.
"Some hired help you idiots are! How inbred are you to trust this hack without asking for something up front?"
"And who the hell is this?" Chati turned his attention to Juri, as did many others. At first he was angry and insulted, almost provoked to the point of throwing his bottle at her, but then he noticed her body. "Oh. So you're out for a night of fun after your ill-gotten win, eh Montri? She's probably diseased."
"Actually, we were hoping to retire for the night before you lot showed up," Adon snapped back.
"What are we waiting for?" Juri nudged Adon's side and turned to focus on the men he wasn't looking at. "Come on, let's- *hiccup*- let's kick their asses!"
But Adon either didn't hear Juri or flat-out ignored her. Even as Chati advanced on him, he stood his ground. In due time the bitter opponent was right up next to him with a broken bottle and a fiendish sneer.
"Come on, hit me," Chati taunted as his boys drew closer.
"Get out of my sight, Chati," Adon replied in a low, rumbling voice. "This isn't going to end well for you. Let us pass, now."
"You think you're so high and mighty, huh? Oi boys! This pathetic cat and his little whore just wanna go home! They've got their appointments: him disappointing her and she disgusting him!"
"Alright, that's it-"
Juri was cut off by Adon's arm holding her back. She shot him a crazed, confused look as the hold on her bottle switched to an inverted position. Why was he holding her back? Did the alcohol really affect him this much? The man was tired and sore, and yet that wasn't a good enough excuse for not fighting back in his eyes, it seemed.
"Oooh, she's kinda feisty, isn't she? Where in the Red Light District did you pick her up?" Chati was still going at it as his 'hired help' guffawed and cracked their knuckles; eager for a fight to break out. When Adon refused to say or do anything outside of glaring at the man, Chati turned his attention to Juri. "Heheh… I bet you're a bargain. Why don't you drop this waste and come with us? We'll show you what real men are like- tell you all our names so you can scream 'em at the top of your lungs."
"You're not my type," Juri hissed.
Chati started to reach forward in an attempt to grab Juri's chin.
"Pretty lips… Wonder how they'd feel around my-"
Two things happened at once. The first was Juri knocking Chati's hand away as her left eye flared to life. She wasn't going to wait for Adon's blessing to unleash hell on these idiots; they were all going to pay for trying to ruin her night of fun. The second thing that happened took Juri by complete surprise. In the blink of an eye Adon had his hand clasped over Chati's throat before the belligerent bastard was sent down to the pavement on his back. It was brutal, sloppy, unexpected and, in Juri's eyes, uncharacteristic of Adon to say the least.
But with the sound of Chati whining and writhing there on the ground along with the shattering of his bottle, there was no time to think. Now was the time for action. There was a fight on their hands now, and Juri was nothing but delighted!
"No need to get touchy boys," Juri taunted as Adon stepped over Chati's form to attack an advancing goon. She placed her bottle of half-finished SangSom down on the ground and jumped in front of a few thugs to engage them head-on. She was going to make a game of this: protect her bottle, and whoever got to it and broke it would get the grand prize of a crushed skull. "There's plenty of me to go around!"
Though both Juri and Adon were more than just a little drunk and their fighting was somewhat sloppy as a result, they proved that they were far superior to a gang of thugs. As individuals, they would have had the group routed in a few minutes, but together they would be surprised if the fight dragged on for over a minute. They kicked and punched, bashed heads together, dodged haphazard strikes and even teamed up every so often to drive an unfortunate goon to the ground in an unconscious heap. Even Chati, who soon recovered enough to get back on his feet, was knocked out for good when Adon kneed him towards Juri.
And anybody with common sense knew that was akin to being shoved in front of an unstoppable, irrepressible force.
"Hoooah!" Juri kicked her leg up and hooked it around Chati's head to drag him down in a crushing slam. After the way his face hit the pavement, Juri knew that the only way Chati would get up again was with a gurney underneath him. "Jeez! Couldn't even last one minute with me, huh?" She turned to the few remaining thugs and purred in Korean. "Da-eum-eun nugu ibnikka? Come on, who's next?"
"We'll put you into the ground," Adon yipped as he took a stand next to Juri. "You cretins should do yourselves a favor and run along!"
With over half of the 'hired help' defeated and the leader left broken and bloodied nobody wanted to tempt fate by continuing. Like vermin the vagrants ran away in all directions until all that was left were a few twitching, groaning bodies.
"Hehehe, that was fun," Juri giggled as she relaxed. She picked up her bottle of SangSom and let loose a sigh of pleasure before turning back to Adon. "Short, but fun. Now come on big boy," she cooed as she reached for Adon's arm. "Let's go before the pigs sniff us out…"
And so the two fled the scene of the crime like bandits on the run leaving those broken fools behind to wallow in agony. They had to admit that it wasn't much of a fight and that parts of them were hankering for something more interesting and challenging, but nonetheless, they were both glad to see the night's conflict come to an end. Adon checked back into his hotel, made sure that his luggage and prized possessions were delivered by the driver from earlier (he even left a tip for the boy, whether because he was drunk or in a good mood) and soon made his way to the elevators. He hesitated at the doors when he realized that Juri was still with him, and given the way she was blushing from the alcohol in her system along with the fact that she took two more swigs of SangSom when Adon wasn't looking, she was in no condition to be going anywhere.
With a heavy sigh Adon decided it would be for the better if he accommodated Juri tonight. He didn't care that he was, in essence, harboring an international criminal. In his eyes, he was just looking out for a fellow fighter. When he sobered up in the morning he would chase her out of his den, he told himself.
He saw himself back into his luxurious middle-class room, locked the door behind Juri and collapsed on a couch before the woman could get a word out.
"Aw… The big kitty's all tuckered out," Juri cooed. She placed her bottle off to the side and sat down on the armrest to look the man over. "He had a big day, oh yes he did! Got himself all sore and sweaty too!"
"You had better not be mocking me," Adon groaned. He raised an arm and covered his face with his hand. "Look… You can stay here tonight, but please… don't trash this place. I'm not supposed to have a guest anyway."
"That's thoughtful of you. Augh, I could use a nice soft bed-"
"The bed is mine. You get this couch. No arguing."
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Just don't bloody it up," Juri grumbled. When Adon lifted his hand away to look up at Juri she continued. "What? You don't- you haven't noticed that you're bleeding?"
Adon stared blankly at Juri before looking at his arm. The back of his arm had a shallow gash from what appeared to be a switchblade and was trickling out blood at a slow but steady rate. The wrappings around the area were already stained a dark red; ruined and in need of being replaced. For a jaguar warrior like himself, the gash wouldn't pose any trouble to him, but still it hurt and proved to be as uncomfortable as it was troublesome.
"You idiot," Juri sighed. She got up and made her way to his luggage in the hopes of finding a bandage or extra wrappings. "Come on, let's get this cleaned up."
Too tired, sore and drunk to the point of being reticent Adon said nothing in reply. He pointed to a bag with his bandages in it and watched as Juri fetched them along with a clean cloth and, to his great confusion, that damned bottle of rum. The Korean had to pull Adon up into a sitting position before she sat down next to him and began pulling at his wrappings.
"You're pretty bruised up… Even for official fights, that's a lot of welts."
"It's worth it," Adon replied.
Juri scoffed at that and nodded as she continued to work. She too was tired, but she had something on her mind that was nagging at her.
"So uh… Do you mind telling me what happened back there?"
"Back where? At the receptionist's desk?"
"I think you know what I mean."
"No, no I don't think I do," Adon grumbled in genuine confusion.
"Jeez, do I have to spell it out for ya?" Juri's forced smile soon faded as she finally removed the obstructing wrappings. She then took the man's arm and began to wipe and scrub at his wound with the wet cloth. "Back there at the alley. You gave off these odd vibes like you didn't want to fight those idiots."
"I really didn't want things to turn out the way they did," Adon replied with a bow of his head. "The night was going so well… I was actually having fun. When Chati showed his face and his desire to start trouble, I thought I could steer him away."
"Ah, but you didn't. You, the guy who didn't want to start a fight, threw the first punch. Now I'm not complaining- really, I'm not- but I am kinda curious." Juri tossed the now-bloody cloth off to the side and produced another, cleaner cloth. She grabbed the bottle of rum and caught the odd look from Adon. "What? Whatever you got cut with was probably filthy with… with, I don't know, AIDS or something. Gotta disinfect the wound. Now hold still."
As Juri poured a bit of rum into the cloth she could see the gears turning in Adon's head as he mulled over his actions. She too mulled things over; no longer planning the next activity or the next cog she wanted to put in her machine of revenge. Instead, she put her focus on the man in front of him. There was no doubt that he enjoyed her company, and it came as a bit of a surprise when Juri realized that the man liked her for who she was (though he showed some degree of repulsion for the things that she did). In his eyes she supposed that a woman like herself- one who kicked ass and didn't back down- was as rare as finding an unspoiled child. By all means, their relationship was strong, but it wasn't going to advance from being friends in the most complicated of senses.
And yet Juri couldn't help but replay the moments when Adon would stare too long at her, or when his gaze traveled southward to her curves. She noticed it in great detail when she was dancing with him. It was as if he was hypnotized by her swaying, chaotic rhythm. Hell, the man even flirted with her, though whether or not he was genuine about it was unknown. She flirted with him too, as she did with nearly everyone else, but her words had more weight to them when they were directed towards him. When she opened her mouth to goad him on or to play with him, she wasn't doing it to be manipulative. Juri did it because she enjoyed Adon's company as well and wanted to be around him more often.
Maybe it was this line of thinking that brought Juri closer to Adon's side as she dabbled his wound with the rum-wetted wag.
"Tch… I don't know," Adon hissed.
Juri paused and looked back up at him.
"You don't know what?"
"I… I don't know why I did what I did. I just…" Adon shrugged and glanced off to the side. He was being truthful, even while drunk. "Eh... "
"That's okay. Don't worry about it; it's not important," Juri lied.
She believed Adon's answer, but even if he was ignorant of what he had done, Juri knew full well what happened, but whether it arose from a desire to defend her or pure jealousy was suspect. Juri believed the former. Though… The latter could be true if he- No, that was a silly thought. Juri shook her head and let loose a little chuckle of disbelief. There was no possible way that Adon could find her attractive. He may like her, that much was true, but to find her attractive? She was everything that a prim and proper lady wasn't; the kind of woman that would make any traditional man run for the hills or aspire to break her in.
Even if Adon was looking for a more intimate relationship, clearly Juri wouldn't be his type. A man like him would like someone more submissive, someone who supported him and waited on him hand and foot like the king or god he wanted himself to be. Yet Juri couldn't stop thinking about the man. He was the sole reason why she came to Bangkok in the first place, and to convince herself that it was all for good fun would be absolutely insane. A shiver of guilty pleasure shot up Juri's spine as she realized that not only did she enjoy Adon's company… she found him attractive.
This revelation shook Juri to the core and made her hands tremble.
"Th-there you go. All cleaned up," the woman said after the wound was disinfected. She wanted to get away from Adon to get her thoughts back together, maybe even figure out how she really felt. "Well, I think… I think I oughta get going."
"Wait," Adon mumbled as he held his hand up in front of Juri. "I said you could stay the night here. You had… plenty to drink tonight. Besides, nothing good ever happens after midnight."
"You don't have to feel obligat-"
"No no, I insist," Adon interjected. "It's the least I can do for tonight."
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Aren't you going to put some bandages on this?"
Juri wanted to tell him off, but the way he voiced that question caught her off guard. It wasn't an order and it lacked his usual arrogant tone. It was as if he knew what was going on, even in his drunken state of mind, and wanted Juri to be near him. She wasn't sure if it was genuine attraction or the feeling of having no inhibitions holding her back thanks to the alcohol… but she wanted to oblige his tacit request. Her mind was pleading for her to cut and run, to honor her status as an SIN assassin and to not get too close to anyone, yet her body was also pleading for sustenance.
The night was still young, her body told her, and there was room for just a little more excitement. Besides, said that dark and sensual voice within her mind, what harm could come from giving in?
By the time Juri was driven out of her dilemma she realized that she had already finished up on Adon's arm. She saw the pure-white bandages running up his arm and fumbled for words. The world spun before her, inhibition was thrown to the wind and before Juri knew it she was pressed tight against Adon's body as if he was the one good thing in Thailand. She would have chuckled at how idiotic that sounded- her showing affection towards the biggest asshole she ever knew- if it weren't for the fact that her cheek, chin, and lips were possessed by Adon. Rough hands that were capable of wanton destruction and violence were cupped around her features as if they were made of brittle porcelain while bruised and cracked lips enveloped her own. Though Juri had half a mind to push the man away, she knew deep down in her heart that she needed this.
Instead of fighting, Juri chose to give in. She was vaguely aware of the two of them taking a few more sips from that bottle of rum until it was all gone. The strong scent of cleaned blood and sugarcane washed over them before being doused with clean linen, and only then was that too pushed away when sweat and drunken passion came to town. They were careful with each other and fumbled about as if they were stumbling around in the dark, and if one of them cried out in anything short of delight the other would pause, make a little fuss and then ascertain that things were alright before resuming. Maps of their bodies were drawn in exquisite detail- the shape of Adon's gaunt features, the curve of Juri's hips and so much more. Only once these maps were finished did the two fall back against the covers of that plush hotel bed as exhaustion took hold.
Whatever the consequences of this were, neither of them wanted to dwell on them at the moment.
That only meant that once Juri awoke in the morning, blinded by the bright lights poking through hotel blinds and groggy from the haze of intoxication all the while, she had all the time in the world to groan, mope around and feel sorry for herself. The fit of self-deprecation never came to her, however. As curses bubbled up her throat there was the lingering sense of relief and pleasure that the night ended as smoothly as it did. When the urge to panic arose, the memory of personal comfort that could only come from two bodies being intertwined came up and shot that urge down. Even pride- that emotion that tended to run Juri's life more than she cared to admit- was corrupted and transformed to the point where she felt good about her decisions, however quick and ill-conceived they were.
She spared a glance to the fiery-haired man sitting at the edge of the hotel bed and wondered if he felt the same way; if he had gone through the same troubles as she had. As if she was afraid of being rejected Juri held her breath when Adon turned to look at her. The man's gaze was distant; he had gotten up with troubles of his own just as suspected. But once his spirited hazel eyes locked in on Juri's violet pools, the haze of unease that surrounded them both disappeared in an instant.
The first words out of his mouth were not about how Juri was topless before him, not about how they should have been more careful or that they had gone too far. No, Adon was a man who focused on what mattered in the heat of the moment, and that was one of the many reasons why Juri liked him.
"...Do you want breakfast?"
Juri smiled.