A/N: Whee! The first update in.. A while. o_O Hoorah! YAY! Hi everyone. o_o; Am I the only one who thinks Reno's voice actor would be David Lucas (Spike Spiegel [Cowboy Bebop], Roger Smith [Big O], Shizuma Kusanagi [Real Bout High School])? o___o it came to mind a while ago.
Disclaimer: And the bacon ran into Daisaku's house and stole FF7, giving it back to its rightful owner...BUT THE BACON WAS EATEN! NOOOoo
---
"C'mon, 'Laney. Give it up."
A red-haired Turk and a blonde one sat at the table in the Operations, arms crossed and fists clasped together, shaking with force; Yuffie was chanting and jeering for Elena, doing a short dance around the room and throwing dirty looks at Reno. A cool, controlled zeal dominated the short atmosphere in the arm-wrestling, though 'Lena's was slightly less obvious, frowning slightly in concentration. It seemed nearly impossible to beat the passive Reno at a game like this--if equal in strength, it all comes down to who has the most patience. Compared to Elena, Reno has it in spades.
Elena glared at Reno, who smirked calmly and, much to Elena's disdain, flipped the small tail he constructed out of his hair over his shoulder. How could she even the odds in her favor?... heh heh heh. In mock surprise, she shot her head up yet still trying to maintain a firm grip.
"OH MY GOD! IS THAT--TIFA NAKED!?" she shrieked. Immediately, Reno's head shot up; Tifa, who was half-asleep at her chair, suddenly sprung up in alarm.
"WHAT!? WHERE!?" Reno craned his head around for a look--and in this short moment in which his guard was down, Elena slammed his hand onto the table; Tifa sweat dropped and laid her head on the table (rather disgruntled). "Oh...Oh, oops. Sorry Lockheart--and as for YOU!" he yelled accusingly at Elena, wriggling his hand out of her grasp. "That was a cheap trick, harpy! Damnit!" He flailed his arms somewhat, and upon seeing Elena's uncaring reaction, slowly came to a stop, then his hands dropped uselessly at his sides. "Damnit. That was mean." He sniffled.
"I-I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Reno sniffled again, then leaned forward to rest his chin on the table, occasionally glaring at her; she shook her hand a little, her muscles a little worn from the struggle. Tifa took this moment to jut her elbow into Elena's ribcage, and the Turk chuckled nervously and shrugged. Thus resumed another moment of silence--lately, Tifa had taken to a bit of a friendship with the Turks, but most "meetings" were basically uneventful. Reno fiddled with the tail and then looked up.
"I'm bored. 'Lena, entertain me."
"Excuse me!?" Elena shot him another menacing glare, one that clearly stated that some type of appendage of his would be torn off sooner or later. Reno raised a brow at her in the gap between short, pointed strands that fell over his eyes. He shrugged and bent his head further down, staring at the table with crossed eyes.
"'Lena, you're no fun." he half-wailed, though his voice was muffled by his head's position on the table. "Why did you have to go off and gain confidence?" Immediatly, he felt a hand on the back of his head shove his forehead directly into the tabletop with a loud bang. "OW! Son of a bitch..." he grumbled, lifting his head to rub his temple. Yuffie snickered and batted him slightly with her hand. "Ow. Again. Why do girls find it funny when they hit a guy and it actually hurts, but when a guy hits a girl it's domestic abuse?"
"Feminine rights." Yuffie declared.
"So you're saying women are actually weaker and/or less tolerable of pain then men." Reno encouraged, making hand gestures to get his point across. Yuffie looked down at him and shook her head. "Okay then." Reno looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned, creating a peace sign with his fingers. "Masculine rights!" the Turk yelled, flailing his arms.
"Masculine rights?" Tifa mumbled from her monotonous state, her eyes shifting up to meet Reno's. He shrugged and grabbed a sheet of paper from Rude's notepad and his marker, writing "masculine rights" on it. He waved it around, specifically in Yuffie and Elena's direction and trying to grasp any attention to his...erm, movement. "The...wait...masculine rights?" she repeated incredulously.
"Anyone got a popsicle stick? I could make this one of those signs they have in protests and stuff." Reno went on, examining his "sign" carefully and darkening in the letters with his marker. He felt another hand make impact with the back of his head, and he rubbed his cranium and glared up at the offender, Yuffie, whose eyes were raised quite possibly to the ceiling. "Now, that was uncalled for." The Turk poked her sharply in her stomach.
"Oww." Yuffie whined, clutching her stomach. Immediatly, Barret came barging in, almost automatically and raised his fist threateningly at Reno. "He's picking on me!" Yuffie pointed at the redhead accusingly.
"Now what in the blue hell are you talking about, woman?" Reno yelled, flailing his arms in self-defense and slowly edging away from Barret. "I did NOTHING, Mr. T. I simply poked her in the stomach. Now if you would...uh, be so kind so as to back off...please?" Barret looked as if he was about to say something, but reluctantly glanced at Tifa, who shook her head. Acknowledging this, the large AVALANCHE member slumped slightly as if he was just itching to kick the ass of a Turk, and walked out, muttering swears. "Well...that was close. Damn brat."
"I couldn't resist." Yuffie chuckled. After another moments' silence in which Reno chose to eat the small, thin paper on which he had written about "masculine rights," Elena stopped doodling mindlessly on the table with her finger to look up at Tifa, who was in a dazed state--something different from being bored, rather focused...on what, who knows?
"You okay?" she asked slowly, raising a brow. Tifa didn't move for a second, then leapt up to glance at Elena. "Uh...that was delayed."
//I'm okay.//
"I'm okay."
-Really?-
"Yeah." Unfortunately, Turk or Ninja alike couldn't place why she had said that "yeah". It was probably nothing, and was dropped. Thus resumed another silence.
---
Should have been dead
On a Sunday morning
Banging my head
No time for mourning
Ain't got no time
Rufus glared icily at the ground beneath the Highwind, as if the Planet would shake on a whim, and then he frowned slightly as it didn't. He glanced at the bottle in his hand, and at the ground below, upon recognition that the Highwind guy parked near Rocket Town to visit Shera; he backed away from the rail, still staring at the bustling town in the distance, and in one swift motion hurled the bottle in the town's direction. Obviously, it didn't make it very far, but it didn't matter to him. Not a lot of things mattered to him anymore.
-How do you feel?-
(And I said oh) So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
(And I said oh) We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
Rufus walked back towards the rail, sticking his hands in his pockets and closing his fists for a lack of anything else to do. //Peachy.// he responded. The original Rufus would've sworn violently at the...voice...or take a couple of pills until he thought he wasn't hallucinating anymore. But like I said before, not a lot of things mattered to him.
Because he was changing. And he hated it with every fiber of his--former--being.
Former? What's the difference between then and now? he asked himself bitterly, staring at a broken bottle a little ways away from the airship. He sneered slightly and breathed heavily.
-Hmm...how 'bout miss Lockheart?-
//What're you, Cupid or some shit like that?// he snapped mentally, thrusting his hand to the side where his knuckles subconsciously cracked. He looked kind of strange, like he was getting pissed at empty air. //I don't believe in that kind of flowers and sunshine crap. Sorry.// The "sorry" was added somewhat boldly, more threatening then..."apologizing". He kicked at the rail, creating a resonating twang and a dent in the frames. He stuck his hands back in his pockets. //I don't believe in it, don't care for it, don't want it, don't need it. And I get by.//
-Tsk. I hope you know normal guys are all smiles when they find out a girl likes them.-
//If it makes you happy, then I'm not normal. Piss off.// Rufus "said" testily, his hands twisting in his pockets. For a little less then a second he contemplated shooting off his goddamn ear Van Gogh style, just to get the...voice...to shut up. He rolled his eyes. That'd be ridiculous.
-I know.-
Rufus awaited five or so more minutes, but heard no mental reply; he let out a relieved sigh and eyed the rail closely, then walked towards it and leaned against it again, staring off into the horizon. Suddenly, rhythmic thumping sounds approached from the stairs; Rufus glanced backwards slightly to stare at the offender of his peace. Barret loomed over him, even from a distance, sending him dagger-shooting glares--why, if you didn't know any better, you'd think Barret was gonna traipse merrily over to Rufus and strangle him, or possibly shoot him multiple times.
"Shinra!" Barret shouted, his voice lined with loathing and flaming hatred. "We goin' to Rocket Town, ter visit Mrs. Highwind! Don't do nothin' stupid!" he yelled commandingly. Rufus let out a very audible, disdainful sigh. Then he turned around slowly and folded his arms.
"No invitation, Mr. Wallace?" Rufus inquired, the question polite but the tone venomous. "I'd think that--"
"!%**! Don't go thinkin' you better then anyone else just coz' you was Shinra! You ain't Shinra no more--just some @%*@ ^@%*@."
"Au contraire. I believe the fact that I'm not...allowed...to come along on this lovely family vacation simply proves that you don't consider me an equal." Rufus stated simply, running a hand through his hair.
"!@#&*--damn righ' I don't! You ain't president no more, but you still ain't nothin' but a stuck-up piece of @%*$." Barret continued, then glared to the side and folded his massive arms; his teeth gnashed together, which most would consider a danger sign--but Rufus simply didn't give a damn. "Donno why the @%*( you stay here, either! Tifa's fine now! Go home or somethin'! #$&*--" Barret waved his arms as a "go away" gesture, and Rufus simply stared at him, his face a total desert--calm, desolate, void of emotion...not caring. "You better not @$&* around with Tifa, foo'. Bust yo ass..."
"Ooh. I quiver with fear." came a dispassionate response. No love. No care. No fear. Rufus knew all of this, and it was something he could recognize.
A large vein began to pulsate in Barret's forehead, and he looked like a pissed bull about to charge at some poor matador--but instead, he swore loudly and stomped back down. Rufus watched him go. Barret's reaction gave Rufus a small sense of sadistic pleasure, and in this way, today, he felt more like his old self. But was that really a good thing, now that he'd thought about it? And what of his "new self"? The old self, that had prompted him to stay still in the office that night of Diamon WEAPON's attack, not really giving a damn... That was today. Not caring. It felt more familiar to Rufus, but he began to doubt just a little.
-I am disgusted with your attitude.-
Rufus's fingers traced lightly the handle of his shotgun, and he stared off into the horizon again.
Maybe Barret was right. Rufus certainly wasn't a part of Shin-Ra anymore, and like hell he was particular to AVALANCHE. He had no attachment here now. Rufus glanced toward the rope at the side of the airship and walked towards it. He grabbed it and slowly let himself down, sliding his fists off the rope and lowering himself to the ground. Rocket Town was to the east, and that being so, he would go west.
I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
He placed the shotgun onto his shoulder and began walking off, in the direction the sun would be setting approximately 3-some hours from then. He craned his head around slightly, back to the Highwind, and gave a short nod, a tiny farewell. He felt something that had once died grow and flourish, but in that moment, in that argument with Barret and the voice in his head, it wilted and fell once more. It was... Too bad.
He was better off alone.
Disclaimer: And the bacon ran into Daisaku's house and stole FF7, giving it back to its rightful owner...BUT THE BACON WAS EATEN! NOOOoo
---
"C'mon, 'Laney. Give it up."
A red-haired Turk and a blonde one sat at the table in the Operations, arms crossed and fists clasped together, shaking with force; Yuffie was chanting and jeering for Elena, doing a short dance around the room and throwing dirty looks at Reno. A cool, controlled zeal dominated the short atmosphere in the arm-wrestling, though 'Lena's was slightly less obvious, frowning slightly in concentration. It seemed nearly impossible to beat the passive Reno at a game like this--if equal in strength, it all comes down to who has the most patience. Compared to Elena, Reno has it in spades.
Elena glared at Reno, who smirked calmly and, much to Elena's disdain, flipped the small tail he constructed out of his hair over his shoulder. How could she even the odds in her favor?... heh heh heh. In mock surprise, she shot her head up yet still trying to maintain a firm grip.
"OH MY GOD! IS THAT--TIFA NAKED!?" she shrieked. Immediately, Reno's head shot up; Tifa, who was half-asleep at her chair, suddenly sprung up in alarm.
"WHAT!? WHERE!?" Reno craned his head around for a look--and in this short moment in which his guard was down, Elena slammed his hand onto the table; Tifa sweat dropped and laid her head on the table (rather disgruntled). "Oh...Oh, oops. Sorry Lockheart--and as for YOU!" he yelled accusingly at Elena, wriggling his hand out of her grasp. "That was a cheap trick, harpy! Damnit!" He flailed his arms somewhat, and upon seeing Elena's uncaring reaction, slowly came to a stop, then his hands dropped uselessly at his sides. "Damnit. That was mean." He sniffled.
"I-I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Reno sniffled again, then leaned forward to rest his chin on the table, occasionally glaring at her; she shook her hand a little, her muscles a little worn from the struggle. Tifa took this moment to jut her elbow into Elena's ribcage, and the Turk chuckled nervously and shrugged. Thus resumed another moment of silence--lately, Tifa had taken to a bit of a friendship with the Turks, but most "meetings" were basically uneventful. Reno fiddled with the tail and then looked up.
"I'm bored. 'Lena, entertain me."
"Excuse me!?" Elena shot him another menacing glare, one that clearly stated that some type of appendage of his would be torn off sooner or later. Reno raised a brow at her in the gap between short, pointed strands that fell over his eyes. He shrugged and bent his head further down, staring at the table with crossed eyes.
"'Lena, you're no fun." he half-wailed, though his voice was muffled by his head's position on the table. "Why did you have to go off and gain confidence?" Immediatly, he felt a hand on the back of his head shove his forehead directly into the tabletop with a loud bang. "OW! Son of a bitch..." he grumbled, lifting his head to rub his temple. Yuffie snickered and batted him slightly with her hand. "Ow. Again. Why do girls find it funny when they hit a guy and it actually hurts, but when a guy hits a girl it's domestic abuse?"
"Feminine rights." Yuffie declared.
"So you're saying women are actually weaker and/or less tolerable of pain then men." Reno encouraged, making hand gestures to get his point across. Yuffie looked down at him and shook her head. "Okay then." Reno looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned, creating a peace sign with his fingers. "Masculine rights!" the Turk yelled, flailing his arms.
"Masculine rights?" Tifa mumbled from her monotonous state, her eyes shifting up to meet Reno's. He shrugged and grabbed a sheet of paper from Rude's notepad and his marker, writing "masculine rights" on it. He waved it around, specifically in Yuffie and Elena's direction and trying to grasp any attention to his...erm, movement. "The...wait...masculine rights?" she repeated incredulously.
"Anyone got a popsicle stick? I could make this one of those signs they have in protests and stuff." Reno went on, examining his "sign" carefully and darkening in the letters with his marker. He felt another hand make impact with the back of his head, and he rubbed his cranium and glared up at the offender, Yuffie, whose eyes were raised quite possibly to the ceiling. "Now, that was uncalled for." The Turk poked her sharply in her stomach.
"Oww." Yuffie whined, clutching her stomach. Immediatly, Barret came barging in, almost automatically and raised his fist threateningly at Reno. "He's picking on me!" Yuffie pointed at the redhead accusingly.
"Now what in the blue hell are you talking about, woman?" Reno yelled, flailing his arms in self-defense and slowly edging away from Barret. "I did NOTHING, Mr. T. I simply poked her in the stomach. Now if you would...uh, be so kind so as to back off...please?" Barret looked as if he was about to say something, but reluctantly glanced at Tifa, who shook her head. Acknowledging this, the large AVALANCHE member slumped slightly as if he was just itching to kick the ass of a Turk, and walked out, muttering swears. "Well...that was close. Damn brat."
"I couldn't resist." Yuffie chuckled. After another moments' silence in which Reno chose to eat the small, thin paper on which he had written about "masculine rights," Elena stopped doodling mindlessly on the table with her finger to look up at Tifa, who was in a dazed state--something different from being bored, rather focused...on what, who knows?
"You okay?" she asked slowly, raising a brow. Tifa didn't move for a second, then leapt up to glance at Elena. "Uh...that was delayed."
//I'm okay.//
"I'm okay."
-Really?-
"Yeah." Unfortunately, Turk or Ninja alike couldn't place why she had said that "yeah". It was probably nothing, and was dropped. Thus resumed another silence.
---
Should have been dead
On a Sunday morning
Banging my head
No time for mourning
Ain't got no time
Rufus glared icily at the ground beneath the Highwind, as if the Planet would shake on a whim, and then he frowned slightly as it didn't. He glanced at the bottle in his hand, and at the ground below, upon recognition that the Highwind guy parked near Rocket Town to visit Shera; he backed away from the rail, still staring at the bustling town in the distance, and in one swift motion hurled the bottle in the town's direction. Obviously, it didn't make it very far, but it didn't matter to him. Not a lot of things mattered to him anymore.
-How do you feel?-
(And I said oh) So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
(And I said oh) We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
Rufus walked back towards the rail, sticking his hands in his pockets and closing his fists for a lack of anything else to do. //Peachy.// he responded. The original Rufus would've sworn violently at the...voice...or take a couple of pills until he thought he wasn't hallucinating anymore. But like I said before, not a lot of things mattered to him.
Because he was changing. And he hated it with every fiber of his--former--being.
Former? What's the difference between then and now? he asked himself bitterly, staring at a broken bottle a little ways away from the airship. He sneered slightly and breathed heavily.
-Hmm...how 'bout miss Lockheart?-
//What're you, Cupid or some shit like that?// he snapped mentally, thrusting his hand to the side where his knuckles subconsciously cracked. He looked kind of strange, like he was getting pissed at empty air. //I don't believe in that kind of flowers and sunshine crap. Sorry.// The "sorry" was added somewhat boldly, more threatening then..."apologizing". He kicked at the rail, creating a resonating twang and a dent in the frames. He stuck his hands back in his pockets. //I don't believe in it, don't care for it, don't want it, don't need it. And I get by.//
-Tsk. I hope you know normal guys are all smiles when they find out a girl likes them.-
//If it makes you happy, then I'm not normal. Piss off.// Rufus "said" testily, his hands twisting in his pockets. For a little less then a second he contemplated shooting off his goddamn ear Van Gogh style, just to get the...voice...to shut up. He rolled his eyes. That'd be ridiculous.
-I know.-
Rufus awaited five or so more minutes, but heard no mental reply; he let out a relieved sigh and eyed the rail closely, then walked towards it and leaned against it again, staring off into the horizon. Suddenly, rhythmic thumping sounds approached from the stairs; Rufus glanced backwards slightly to stare at the offender of his peace. Barret loomed over him, even from a distance, sending him dagger-shooting glares--why, if you didn't know any better, you'd think Barret was gonna traipse merrily over to Rufus and strangle him, or possibly shoot him multiple times.
"Shinra!" Barret shouted, his voice lined with loathing and flaming hatred. "We goin' to Rocket Town, ter visit Mrs. Highwind! Don't do nothin' stupid!" he yelled commandingly. Rufus let out a very audible, disdainful sigh. Then he turned around slowly and folded his arms.
"No invitation, Mr. Wallace?" Rufus inquired, the question polite but the tone venomous. "I'd think that--"
"!%**! Don't go thinkin' you better then anyone else just coz' you was Shinra! You ain't Shinra no more--just some @%*@ ^@%*@."
"Au contraire. I believe the fact that I'm not...allowed...to come along on this lovely family vacation simply proves that you don't consider me an equal." Rufus stated simply, running a hand through his hair.
"!@#&*--damn righ' I don't! You ain't president no more, but you still ain't nothin' but a stuck-up piece of @%*$." Barret continued, then glared to the side and folded his massive arms; his teeth gnashed together, which most would consider a danger sign--but Rufus simply didn't give a damn. "Donno why the @%*( you stay here, either! Tifa's fine now! Go home or somethin'! #$&*--" Barret waved his arms as a "go away" gesture, and Rufus simply stared at him, his face a total desert--calm, desolate, void of emotion...not caring. "You better not @$&* around with Tifa, foo'. Bust yo ass..."
"Ooh. I quiver with fear." came a dispassionate response. No love. No care. No fear. Rufus knew all of this, and it was something he could recognize.
A large vein began to pulsate in Barret's forehead, and he looked like a pissed bull about to charge at some poor matador--but instead, he swore loudly and stomped back down. Rufus watched him go. Barret's reaction gave Rufus a small sense of sadistic pleasure, and in this way, today, he felt more like his old self. But was that really a good thing, now that he'd thought about it? And what of his "new self"? The old self, that had prompted him to stay still in the office that night of Diamon WEAPON's attack, not really giving a damn... That was today. Not caring. It felt more familiar to Rufus, but he began to doubt just a little.
-I am disgusted with your attitude.-
Rufus's fingers traced lightly the handle of his shotgun, and he stared off into the horizon again.
Maybe Barret was right. Rufus certainly wasn't a part of Shin-Ra anymore, and like hell he was particular to AVALANCHE. He had no attachment here now. Rufus glanced toward the rope at the side of the airship and walked towards it. He grabbed it and slowly let himself down, sliding his fists off the rope and lowering himself to the ground. Rocket Town was to the east, and that being so, he would go west.
I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
I cry out to God
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
He placed the shotgun onto his shoulder and began walking off, in the direction the sun would be setting approximately 3-some hours from then. He craned his head around slightly, back to the Highwind, and gave a short nod, a tiny farewell. He felt something that had once died grow and flourish, but in that moment, in that argument with Barret and the voice in his head, it wilted and fell once more. It was... Too bad.
He was better off alone.