all that jazz
theme 16: party!
Silence.
"… I think we made a mistake."
"…"
"You disagree."
"…"
"… you think I made a mistake?"
"…"
"… I hate you so much."
Oh my god.
Rude was carrying someone unconscious.
"Please tell me that's not Elena." Slightly mortified, Reno whistled at the female Turk.
"… 'fraid so." Rude gravely replied. "Party's over."
"Don't look at me like that!" Reno snapped, irritated and guilty. "It's not my fault!"
Rude's gaze could freeze the sun.
"Was it the gorgonzola?"
"… cheese is no enemy of hers." Rude shook his head, solemn.
"Was it the music that she was dancing to?"
"… no." Rude said, after a pause.
"Was it the alcohol?"
"…"
"Damn alcohol." Reno cussed, muttering under his breath.
"Reno. You were the one who knew she was a lightweight." Reprovingly, Rude reminded him. "And you took advantage of that fact."
It was supposed to be something innocent.
Well. Innocent enough that wouldn't mean any lasting damage the next day. Rude supposed, as he decided to check on Elena once more.
Drinking alcohol? Fine.
Dancing to music? Fine.
Tasting nibbles of Midgar's smelliest cheese? Fine.
Punching someone's face, the both of them clearly wasted?
Totally. Not. Fine.
"Come to the party, you said. You'll lighten up, you said. You'll have a great time, have some fun, you said. You'll thank me for it later, you said." Rude scowled, reaching for the remote, to switch on the television. Since he wasn't going anywhere, and neither was Reno, and the both of them weren't tired, they might as well make themselves comfortable on the sofa. "Has anyone told you that your predicting skills suck lately?"
It must be the alcohol, making him talk this much.
"… yeah, I bet 'Laney's more likely to sock me in the eye, than kiss me her gratitude." Reno mumbled darkly, slumping into the couch.
"You are such a terribly role model." Sighing, Rude was unable to resist poking Elena's red cheeks. Ditz.
"Which is why we have you, I'm sure." Lethargically, Reno replied, casting his head back. "You look out for us, but especially her."
"… she's going to hate you in the morning." Rude shook his head.
"Not as much as you hate me."
"…"
A pointed look.
"… I deserved that." Reno conceded.
So.
There was this guy. This kinda cute guy.
Although, that could have been the alcohol blurring her vision…
She couldn't see the harm in talking to him, dancing with him, but – there came a point when even cuteness cannot excuse behaviour.
The only logical point of action was to punch his brains out!
Although, maybe that was the alcohol blurring her common sense…
But… the fairies… the fairies wanted her to find the golden chocobo that sparkled blue in the moonlight!
How she became sidetracked from that mission was a mystery.
Although, maybe it really was the alcohol that had blurred her grip on reality…
Perhaps it's Reno.
Yes.
If nothing else, blame anything and everything on Reno.
After all, he's a very good scapegoat.
… before everything faded to black.
"Oh…" Elena did not want to wake up. Elena did not want to wake up. "My head…"
Rude was stroking her hair. It felt nice, and Elena's eyes fluttered shut, the light painful, the softest noises loud like a bullet of implosions.
"What happened…?" Moaning, she asked, curling up, with Reno (no one else had hair that long, or smelt like pineapples and vanilla; Rude smelt of toffee and caramel and other stuff that reminded her of burnt sugar and peppermint) as her teddy bear.
'Twas punishment.
"You tell me." Reno sighed, voice somewhat muffled.
There may or may not be a pillow there. But said pillow could also be Rude.
"I remember defending your honour." Elena mumbled, sinking deeper into comfortable pillow, renascent of purgatory. "And… yours too, Rude."
"Ah." There's an ambiguity that needs to be cleared up: if the defending was done separately or together, and if anyone else was involved, but that could be done later.
"Reno… I don't feel so well…"
"I know, I know, it's my fault, love." Reno must have moved: his warmth was gone, and Elena missed it already. She sneezed; Reno had tickled her nose. "You'll be alright. Promise."
"Yeah, but…"
Rude sighed.
"Reno, get the bucket, or do something useful. I can't move."