do note any errors and thank you very much.
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In his usual chair, the Turk sat quietly sipping the contents of his pungent drink, the scent arising up and filling his sinus' with the familiarity of alcohol.
Another bloody day at work.
It hadn't been life-threatening or anything out of the blue of office business, but the boredom of it all really brung the man down. To Rude, it was the same deal everyday. He never felt anything anymore. Working as a Turk for years, he'd lost his emotions during his first year. He could pick up his gun and shoot his best friend and not feel one ounce of remorse.
He wondered about that as he took another sip from his drink, picturing his friend in his mind. The absent-minded, red haired chain smoker he'd learned to live with for several years felt like his brother now, and he wondered if he actually felt the bond between the two or if it were just some illusion in his mind, replaying his past friendships that had been destroyed.
He could probably never be sure. He sighed as he finished the drink, turning around and looking around the pub. He sat at his usual seat, the second barstool from the right and there were a few regular SOLDIER members gathered around the tables nearby. A usual night. Rude had been coming here after work so much that on the days he didn't, the bar didn't seem quite right to the tender.
In truth, he was like a piece of furniture. He figured Reno would be in here soon since he'd mentioned he wanted a "good drink for once." Reno had been down lately about a certain lady...
Rude heard the door open and close, interrupting his thoughts, and figured that was the man there, but when he turned to greet him he was met by a nicely pressed dark suit with a shock of blonde hair framing a pretty face. The figure walked toward him, the usual elegant smile on her lips now mauled into a depressed grim expression.
"Elena?" He figured this was the first time in a long time he'd seen her here.
She nodded and sat in the stool to his left, her posture slouched and she called the bartender over. After ordering a large drink, she turned to the man beside her. He was a bit shocked to see the happy, pretty new Turk so down now. A bad day, perhaps, even though it hadn't been her that was called up to the President's office.
"What are you doing in this beer joint?"
She shrugged and stared into the glass on the table in front of her. "There's nothing left to do in my empty apartment. I wanted a good drink for once." She paused again, wavering her glass in thought and Rude frowned and watched the sloshing liquid with her in silence as she gathered her thoughts. "Rude, do you know what it's like to love someone at the office and have them completely unaware?"
A love problem. Not his area of expertise. He turned the other way and shook his head. "If you're talking about the lovely selection of women in the building, no." He swallowed, ignoring his tugging memories and looked back at her, glad for his dark sunglasses covering his exposed eyes. "You're a pretty lady, why can't you have this mystery man?"
"He's too expensive."
That rather gave it away, even if he hadn't known from her hungry glances and immediate silence in his presence. Rude sighed and finished the glass off, savoring the burn of straight liquor. "Listen, Elle, he may seem all-powerful and irresistible with his perfect rich-boy charm, but if he's anything like his father, he's someone to stay away from. And by the looks of things, he's much times worse."
She was still staring at her untouched drink. She nodded, as if accepting his words and looked up at him, her deep blue eyes deep in thought, her well proportioned ruby lips trembling slightly, as if muttering small words and he thought to himself, she really is beautiful. Ren-
"He fell asleep today, Rude."
He raised an eyebrow, not seeing the connection to his previous statement.
"He's just a kid, Rude. Just like me. How can he be so evil and malicious as everyone says he is? When he woke up, Rude, he let down his guard for a split second and he's just a frightened kid trying to take on the role of running the largest company in the world."
The male Turk shook his head and leaned over his drink, wondering how it had re-filed. "As innocent as he seems, he doesn't have a good soul. He'd love to crush your heart and tear your innocence from you if he knew about your little infatuation. There are many people who would hate to see that happen to you, Elena..."
The doors of the tavern opened loudly, hitting the wall beside them and falling back with a loud bang as the enterer ambled over to the two other Turks sitting by the stools. A cloud of smoke and a shock of red hair identified the man as the last Turk.
Right on time, Rude thought suddenly.
"Rude, Elena. How ya doin'." Reno's voice changing at Elena's name showed his surprise at her presence here. Pulling a nearby ashtray over, he tapped his ashes and hollered for the bartender.
As the tender walked over with a glass he gave the three Turks a raised eyebrow and muttered sarcastically, "What is this, a work party? What'll you have, mate?"
"Gimme some of your hard brew," Reno ordered, pointing at a barrel behind the counter. Crushing his cigarette he turned to Rude, "Lend me a fag, would ya? I'm fresh out."
Rude shuffled through his suit pocket, surprised to find a full pack there. He didn't smoke often, and probably carried the damn smokes for his friend since he ended up giving most to him anyway. Handing Reno the smoke, he noted his friend's sidelong glance at the lady beside him and he sighed, turning the other way.
Is this where they all were, with their comfort aides? Reno, smoking up a storm. Elena, drowning in thoughts of her boss. And Rude, sitting over a full drink. He closed his eyes and tossed back the rest of the beverage. It had been at least his third, but he hadn't felt woozy or anything. After years of drinking, he had almost become immune to the substance. Along with the constant murdering of victims. Blackmailing. Shameless lying. Overused drugs. Looking at the young female beside him, it made him sigh to see how aged she looked staring at the drink in front of her, as though wishing she were drowning in it. In a few years, she would be as hard as a rock. Like Scarlet...
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