☆-- how that story ended. (AIM Log) - COMPLETE
WHO: Tseng (black_honor), Elena (suits_me), Reno (stray_redbird).
WHAT: Their first training session together; testing the water and making discoveries.
WHERE: A warehouse in Hong Kong.
WHEN: After the welcome party.
black_honor: Tseng hides his surprise even if he shouldn't be. Elena just can't keep a secret. So when she showed up at the designated training location (an empty warehouse) with Reno all he got for a greeting was a resigned sigh.
"Reggio Calabria's own Bonnie and Clyde." He stated flatly. "But we all know how that story ended." Secretly he's pleased. He thinks having the redhead will help him out in the long run. "Elena. Have you remembered everything that I told you?" He took a few steps towards them while drawing a katana from it's ebony sheath. He tossed the blade onto the ground between him and then in a silent challenge. He'll let them use it on him. If they can reach it.
suits_me: He wasn't the only one who was hiding what he was feeling, though Elena might be slightly less successful at it. She was nervous, but having Reno there did make her feel better. At least until she thought of the possibility of him getting hurt because of her. That thought brought with it a wave of sickness which she fought back down again.
Her posture tensed when Tseng approached them after drawing his blade. She was actually holding her breath until it clattered against the warehouse floor. She understood. "Every word Sir." She murmured in response. For once, the less talking, the happier Elena would be. She just wanted to get this over with and see where they stood when the dust settled.
stray_redbird: Reno, on the other hand, wasn't remotely nervous-- if he seemed fidgety, it was pure restlessness. He'd been practically dying to see how he'd match up with Tseng, ever since the other man landed a hit on him the night he and Elena orchestrated fire works. His eyes were even more vibrant than usual, electric blue with fierce energy.
"C'mon, 'Lena. Let's do this," he gave his parter a little pat on the back, maybe a bit rough-- put only playful so. That's what this was to him, after all. Play.
black_honor: Tseng gave a slight smirk before turning to take a step away from them. Maybe he was taunting them by showing the 'enemy' his back. It was only briefly though. Tseng spun and moved towards them with both grace and speed.
He still had the katana's sheath in his hand. The end of it was thrust towards Elena's stomach. He knew exactly how much force would send her to one knee and how much would send her to two. His goal was one and he was confident he'd do just that. The black laquer scabbard spun to the other other hand before he aimed a smack with it to the redhead's face.
That one Tseng was less sure about. And he was curious for the results. "You can use this pain." He murmured a reminder to the young woman.
suits_me: Elena blinked but managed to stand her ground at Reno's slap to the back. Geez, he must be excited! "Right." The word was said mostly to herself. One last breath and then... Then nothing. Tseng was in front of her before she could even finish the thought. Her eyes widened at his speed before she felt the sudden pain to her midsection.
She dropped, but her knee hovered just an inch above the floor. Elena winced but sprung back up again. There would only be a few seconds where he was facing Reno. She'd tried to seize the opportunity for a kick to Tseng's back.
stray_redbird: It was too late to try and defend Elena-- Reno mde the split-second decision to defend himself the instant he knew he wasn't fast enough to protect her. That one second saved the redhead's face from what would no doubt be a broken nose, the scabbard flying back him so close he could feel the air between it and his cheek as he twisted out of the way, off-balance for another split-second from the abruptness of the movement.
A quick glance told him Elena was already back in motion. He hoped that her attack would distract Tseng the few seconds he needed to regain his footing.
black_honor: Tseng arched a brow as Reno avoided his attack. Even quicker than he expected. His back was squarely to Elena. She was on her feet again sooner than he expected. Especially when he knows she's still smarting. Good.
His hand jutted back suddenly to stop her kick. He gripped her ankle and just held it for a moment. His almond shaped eyes slid to the side before looking back at Reno. Tseng smirked before twisting her ankle. Just enough to cause her pain and let her know that he could've broken it if he'd wished. "Even if you lose a limb, you should keep fighting."
With that advice he flipped her back with as much effort as tossing a ragdoll. Tseng slid forward again and threw an elbow at Reno's throat.
suits_me: Elena tried to bite back the pain, but a strangled cry escaped despite her best efforts. She fully expected to hear the cracking of bones and feel the heat in her ankle go white hot. But before that could happen she was airborn, flying a couple of feet away from them before landing on her stomach. Elena tried to catch her breath while looking fearfully towards Reno.
But she saw something else before her eyes could even reach them. The unsheathed katana. Her eyes narrowed on it. Bruised stomach, twisted ankle, to hell with all that. The blonde scrambled towards it.
Ironic that she'd always wondered why people still liked blades in this day and age. Suddenly she felt like she understood. Her hand closed around the hilt so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She might not be overly skilled with it, but she knows that the sharp edge cuts!
stray_redbird: That smirk, coupled with the strangled sound of pain his partner gave, sparked something like anger in Reno's expression. He bared his teeth, meeting Tseng's forward movement with his own. His movements in close combat were reckless, fluid as if Reno himself didn't even know where he would move next.
He attempted to dodge again, relying on his speed to protect him-- perhaps a little too much. The blow caught him in the sternum, harder than he expected. He flinched under the force of it, taking a half-step back. But gritting his teeth, he crouched low, swinging a long leg out to try and off-balance his opponent.
black_honor: Every detail is being noted in Tseng's head. Only a half-step backwards. And he's immediately on the offense. Tseng's face remains a mask of calm, even when Reno's sweep makes him stumble backwards a half step of his own.
The kantana in Elena's hand sliced through the shoulder of his coat and grazed his skin in the process. The two of them together had managed to shed a few drops of his blood. That hadn't been done in years.
Tseng turned his head and licked the drops from the blade before he pushed it away. It tore the fabric of his coat and caused the sleeve to flutter to the ground. He advanced on Elena and reached for her arm. It was twisted as he moved behind her, the blade in her hand now pressed against her own throat. "Do you surrender?" To either of them.
suits_me: Elena's eyes widened as she felt the sword met the resistance of Tseng's body. She thinks she got him! Though it would've been much nicer to have pierced his shoulder through. She didn't have enough time to recover when he forced the blade away. The feeling of his chest pressed against her back made her eyes narrow. And at the suggestion of surrendering?
"Fuck off." Elena jerked her head forward before slamming it backwards against his nose. Hopefully it'll give her a little room to try and slide down and free of the blade. She crouched there, staying low in case she ended up in the middle of a Reno/Tseng sandwich.
stray_redbird: Reno actually hesitated-- a rare moment of indecision in the middle of a fight-- when Tseng spoke of surrender. He probably had never considered surrender in his life before, but for a moment, the thought crossed his mind. He was spared saying it out loud when Elena resisted, a pleasant surprise.
Quirking a grin that was all sass, the redhead lunged forward. Favoring the use of his legs for their length and agility, he gave Elena all of a second to crouch as he swung his leg high for a kick at the other man's head.
black_honor: Tseng was definitely caught off guard by that. He had expected defiant words from Reno, not Elena. He was forced to jerk his head back and the blade just barely grazes her throat as she slides down.
When his head snaps forward again it's turned to the side by the force of Reno's kick. He shakes his head to clear to clear it then seeks to show him how it's done. He spins and aims a kick of his own at the other man's head.
The action tears something free from his coat pocket though. A picture flutters through the air and lands on the floor. At first glance it appears to be a picture of Elena. But a closer look will prove that it's not.
suits_me: Elena scampered between Reno's legs and shakily gets to her feet again behind him. A hand instinctively reached up to her throat. The skin felt a bit raw but thankfully unbroken. She smiled a bit, as satisfied that Reno's kick connected as if she'd done it herself. But then Tseng tried to return the favor. She clutched the katana again, ready to go in if he fell.
Her eyes were so tuned in to any movement by Tseng that she coudln't help but notice the falling picture. Her eyes settled on it for a moment before she blinked and reached down to pick it up. Elena stared at it, distracted while the two men were fighting.
"...Why?" Her brown eyes looked to Tseng for an explanation. "Why do you have this?"
stray_redbird: Not back on balance from his own kick, Reno had no time to use his speed to dodge the next attack. Tseng's foot caught him square on the side of the head, sending him staggering with a loud curse. Fuck, that hurt, even with his thick skull and the mako.
He recovered into an offensive position but stopped when he realized Elena wasn't in the the fight anymore. She was holding something, but from where he was standing he couldn't clearly see what it was, except that it was a photo. But apparently Tseng wasn't supposed to have it.
black_honor: Tseng watched Reno's recovery and the setup for a grand clash between them. But things came to a grinding halt at Elena's inquiry. He locked eyes with her as he took a few measured steps away.
There was a knowing look on his face. He doesn't say exactly why he has the picture of her older sister. It's enough to let her play the "what if" game in her head. But emotion can be as useful as pain if channeled correctly. "You look like her." He comments casually. "And you move like her too." He paused and smirked very very lightly. "I wonder if you do everything the way that she does."
suits_me: Elena continued to stare back at him for a moment, he expression unreadable. It was like a curtain fell down over her eyes at Tseng's suggestive last words. The katana was tossed towards her partner.
She hadn't come to this 'training' without a little something extra up her sleeve. She had no intention of letting either of them getting seriously hurt or worse. She held her arm out from her side a bit, turning it at an angle so that the single-shot derringer slid from it's holster around her upper arm, down her sleeve and into the waiting hand. Without a word Elena lifted the weapon and aimed it at Tseng before pulling the trigger.
Yeah, much better. <3
stray_redbird: It took Reno a second to understand what was going on, his head still on a high rush from fighting and the adrenaline making it hard for him to slow himself down enough to figure things out. Elena's sister.
He didn't get too long to think about it, because Elena was suddenly drawing a weapon out of what seemed like nowhere. Was she going to...? Holy shit.
Reno moved fast, in motion just as the derringer slid into Elena's hand. She was squeezing the trigger; he was tackling their potential teammate like a football player. The contact with the ground jarred him, but not enough to shut him up. He was shouting the second he could get his mouth open.
"What the fuck was that, huh?" he demanded, sitting up, "You were the one that said we weren't allowed to kill him!"
black_honor: It didn't take Tseng long to calculate the situation in his mind. And it was bad. A slight surprise registers on his face when he sees the gun slip from Elena's sleeve and into her hand.
Fortunately he's been shot at a few times before. He was ready to move, certain to avoid it. What he hadn't counted on was a redhead to the rescue. Tseng's eyes widen as he's tackled and he grunts softly when they hit the ground together. The bullet whizzes past and ricochets off the back of the warehouse. He lifts his head and looks calmly at Elena. "I might make a killer out of you yet."
suits_me: Elena stared at them unblinking as a wisp of smoke curled from the end of the small gun. The corners of her lips turn down in a slight frown for Reno's sake. She knows she has to answer to him.
As for Tseng... Elena's gaze snaps back to him. "I'm sorry I disappointed you Sir." The gun, now without it's only bullet, fell harmlessly to the ground. "Next time I won't miss."
She lifted a hand and wiped away a little blood from her mouth. She must've bitten down while taking aim. She turned away from them and made her way back to the warehouse door.
stray_redbird: Reno made an irritated noise, already reaching for his cigarettes and his lighter as he got up off the ground, starting after his partner. "'Fuck this. 'Lena, wait, Jesus," he griped, lighting a cigarette irritably and taking an inhale. Well, that had been a jolly good fucking time.
If she had been planning to shoot the bastard, she could've at least let him have a go instead of telling him to behave himself. Plus, the damn flight out to Hong Kong would mean shit if they killed the guy anyways.
black_honor: Tseng got to his feet and brushed himself off. He just watched them go. He thinks it went rather nicely himself. And he's definitely more interested in the Turks than ever.
He takes a step forward and picks up the picture if Elena didn't take it with her. "I'm finished here." He speaks into his phone before going out the back door to wait for the limo that will arrive shortly.
WHAT: Their first training session together; testing the water and making discoveries.
WHERE: A warehouse in Hong Kong.
WHEN: After the welcome party.
black_honor: Tseng hides his surprise even if he shouldn't be. Elena just can't keep a secret. So when she showed up at the designated training location (an empty warehouse) with Reno all he got for a greeting was a resigned sigh.
"Reggio Calabria's own Bonnie and Clyde." He stated flatly. "But we all know how that story ended." Secretly he's pleased. He thinks having the redhead will help him out in the long run. "Elena. Have you remembered everything that I told you?" He took a few steps towards them while drawing a katana from it's ebony sheath. He tossed the blade onto the ground between him and then in a silent challenge. He'll let them use it on him. If they can reach it.
suits_me: He wasn't the only one who was hiding what he was feeling, though Elena might be slightly less successful at it. She was nervous, but having Reno there did make her feel better. At least until she thought of the possibility of him getting hurt because of her. That thought brought with it a wave of sickness which she fought back down again.
Her posture tensed when Tseng approached them after drawing his blade. She was actually holding her breath until it clattered against the warehouse floor. She understood. "Every word Sir." She murmured in response. For once, the less talking, the happier Elena would be. She just wanted to get this over with and see where they stood when the dust settled.
stray_redbird: Reno, on the other hand, wasn't remotely nervous-- if he seemed fidgety, it was pure restlessness. He'd been practically dying to see how he'd match up with Tseng, ever since the other man landed a hit on him the night he and Elena orchestrated fire works. His eyes were even more vibrant than usual, electric blue with fierce energy.
"C'mon, 'Lena. Let's do this," he gave his parter a little pat on the back, maybe a bit rough-- put only playful so. That's what this was to him, after all. Play.
black_honor: Tseng gave a slight smirk before turning to take a step away from them. Maybe he was taunting them by showing the 'enemy' his back. It was only briefly though. Tseng spun and moved towards them with both grace and speed.
He still had the katana's sheath in his hand. The end of it was thrust towards Elena's stomach. He knew exactly how much force would send her to one knee and how much would send her to two. His goal was one and he was confident he'd do just that. The black laquer scabbard spun to the other other hand before he aimed a smack with it to the redhead's face.
That one Tseng was less sure about. And he was curious for the results. "You can use this pain." He murmured a reminder to the young woman.
suits_me: Elena blinked but managed to stand her ground at Reno's slap to the back. Geez, he must be excited! "Right." The word was said mostly to herself. One last breath and then... Then nothing. Tseng was in front of her before she could even finish the thought. Her eyes widened at his speed before she felt the sudden pain to her midsection.
She dropped, but her knee hovered just an inch above the floor. Elena winced but sprung back up again. There would only be a few seconds where he was facing Reno. She'd tried to seize the opportunity for a kick to Tseng's back.
stray_redbird: It was too late to try and defend Elena-- Reno mde the split-second decision to defend himself the instant he knew he wasn't fast enough to protect her. That one second saved the redhead's face from what would no doubt be a broken nose, the scabbard flying back him so close he could feel the air between it and his cheek as he twisted out of the way, off-balance for another split-second from the abruptness of the movement.
A quick glance told him Elena was already back in motion. He hoped that her attack would distract Tseng the few seconds he needed to regain his footing.
black_honor: Tseng arched a brow as Reno avoided his attack. Even quicker than he expected. His back was squarely to Elena. She was on her feet again sooner than he expected. Especially when he knows she's still smarting. Good.
His hand jutted back suddenly to stop her kick. He gripped her ankle and just held it for a moment. His almond shaped eyes slid to the side before looking back at Reno. Tseng smirked before twisting her ankle. Just enough to cause her pain and let her know that he could've broken it if he'd wished. "Even if you lose a limb, you should keep fighting."
With that advice he flipped her back with as much effort as tossing a ragdoll. Tseng slid forward again and threw an elbow at Reno's throat.
suits_me: Elena tried to bite back the pain, but a strangled cry escaped despite her best efforts. She fully expected to hear the cracking of bones and feel the heat in her ankle go white hot. But before that could happen she was airborn, flying a couple of feet away from them before landing on her stomach. Elena tried to catch her breath while looking fearfully towards Reno.
But she saw something else before her eyes could even reach them. The unsheathed katana. Her eyes narrowed on it. Bruised stomach, twisted ankle, to hell with all that. The blonde scrambled towards it.
Ironic that she'd always wondered why people still liked blades in this day and age. Suddenly she felt like she understood. Her hand closed around the hilt so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She might not be overly skilled with it, but she knows that the sharp edge cuts!
stray_redbird: That smirk, coupled with the strangled sound of pain his partner gave, sparked something like anger in Reno's expression. He bared his teeth, meeting Tseng's forward movement with his own. His movements in close combat were reckless, fluid as if Reno himself didn't even know where he would move next.
He attempted to dodge again, relying on his speed to protect him-- perhaps a little too much. The blow caught him in the sternum, harder than he expected. He flinched under the force of it, taking a half-step back. But gritting his teeth, he crouched low, swinging a long leg out to try and off-balance his opponent.
black_honor: Every detail is being noted in Tseng's head. Only a half-step backwards. And he's immediately on the offense. Tseng's face remains a mask of calm, even when Reno's sweep makes him stumble backwards a half step of his own.
The kantana in Elena's hand sliced through the shoulder of his coat and grazed his skin in the process. The two of them together had managed to shed a few drops of his blood. That hadn't been done in years.
Tseng turned his head and licked the drops from the blade before he pushed it away. It tore the fabric of his coat and caused the sleeve to flutter to the ground. He advanced on Elena and reached for her arm. It was twisted as he moved behind her, the blade in her hand now pressed against her own throat. "Do you surrender?" To either of them.
suits_me: Elena's eyes widened as she felt the sword met the resistance of Tseng's body. She thinks she got him! Though it would've been much nicer to have pierced his shoulder through. She didn't have enough time to recover when he forced the blade away. The feeling of his chest pressed against her back made her eyes narrow. And at the suggestion of surrendering?
"Fuck off." Elena jerked her head forward before slamming it backwards against his nose. Hopefully it'll give her a little room to try and slide down and free of the blade. She crouched there, staying low in case she ended up in the middle of a Reno/Tseng sandwich.
stray_redbird: Reno actually hesitated-- a rare moment of indecision in the middle of a fight-- when Tseng spoke of surrender. He probably had never considered surrender in his life before, but for a moment, the thought crossed his mind. He was spared saying it out loud when Elena resisted, a pleasant surprise.
Quirking a grin that was all sass, the redhead lunged forward. Favoring the use of his legs for their length and agility, he gave Elena all of a second to crouch as he swung his leg high for a kick at the other man's head.
black_honor: Tseng was definitely caught off guard by that. He had expected defiant words from Reno, not Elena. He was forced to jerk his head back and the blade just barely grazes her throat as she slides down.
When his head snaps forward again it's turned to the side by the force of Reno's kick. He shakes his head to clear to clear it then seeks to show him how it's done. He spins and aims a kick of his own at the other man's head.
The action tears something free from his coat pocket though. A picture flutters through the air and lands on the floor. At first glance it appears to be a picture of Elena. But a closer look will prove that it's not.
suits_me: Elena scampered between Reno's legs and shakily gets to her feet again behind him. A hand instinctively reached up to her throat. The skin felt a bit raw but thankfully unbroken. She smiled a bit, as satisfied that Reno's kick connected as if she'd done it herself. But then Tseng tried to return the favor. She clutched the katana again, ready to go in if he fell.
Her eyes were so tuned in to any movement by Tseng that she coudln't help but notice the falling picture. Her eyes settled on it for a moment before she blinked and reached down to pick it up. Elena stared at it, distracted while the two men were fighting.
"...Why?" Her brown eyes looked to Tseng for an explanation. "Why do you have this?"
stray_redbird: Not back on balance from his own kick, Reno had no time to use his speed to dodge the next attack. Tseng's foot caught him square on the side of the head, sending him staggering with a loud curse. Fuck, that hurt, even with his thick skull and the mako.
He recovered into an offensive position but stopped when he realized Elena wasn't in the the fight anymore. She was holding something, but from where he was standing he couldn't clearly see what it was, except that it was a photo. But apparently Tseng wasn't supposed to have it.
black_honor: Tseng watched Reno's recovery and the setup for a grand clash between them. But things came to a grinding halt at Elena's inquiry. He locked eyes with her as he took a few measured steps away.
There was a knowing look on his face. He doesn't say exactly why he has the picture of her older sister. It's enough to let her play the "what if" game in her head. But emotion can be as useful as pain if channeled correctly. "You look like her." He comments casually. "And you move like her too." He paused and smirked very very lightly. "I wonder if you do everything the way that she does."
suits_me: Elena continued to stare back at him for a moment, he expression unreadable. It was like a curtain fell down over her eyes at Tseng's suggestive last words. The katana was tossed towards her partner.
She hadn't come to this 'training' without a little something extra up her sleeve. She had no intention of letting either of them getting seriously hurt or worse. She held her arm out from her side a bit, turning it at an angle so that the single-shot derringer slid from it's holster around her upper arm, down her sleeve and into the waiting hand. Without a word Elena lifted the weapon and aimed it at Tseng before pulling the trigger.
Yeah, much better. <3
stray_redbird: It took Reno a second to understand what was going on, his head still on a high rush from fighting and the adrenaline making it hard for him to slow himself down enough to figure things out. Elena's sister.
He didn't get too long to think about it, because Elena was suddenly drawing a weapon out of what seemed like nowhere. Was she going to...? Holy shit.
Reno moved fast, in motion just as the derringer slid into Elena's hand. She was squeezing the trigger; he was tackling their potential teammate like a football player. The contact with the ground jarred him, but not enough to shut him up. He was shouting the second he could get his mouth open.
"What the fuck was that, huh?" he demanded, sitting up, "You were the one that said we weren't allowed to kill him!"
black_honor: It didn't take Tseng long to calculate the situation in his mind. And it was bad. A slight surprise registers on his face when he sees the gun slip from Elena's sleeve and into her hand.
Fortunately he's been shot at a few times before. He was ready to move, certain to avoid it. What he hadn't counted on was a redhead to the rescue. Tseng's eyes widen as he's tackled and he grunts softly when they hit the ground together. The bullet whizzes past and ricochets off the back of the warehouse. He lifts his head and looks calmly at Elena. "I might make a killer out of you yet."
suits_me: Elena stared at them unblinking as a wisp of smoke curled from the end of the small gun. The corners of her lips turn down in a slight frown for Reno's sake. She knows she has to answer to him.
As for Tseng... Elena's gaze snaps back to him. "I'm sorry I disappointed you Sir." The gun, now without it's only bullet, fell harmlessly to the ground. "Next time I won't miss."
She lifted a hand and wiped away a little blood from her mouth. She must've bitten down while taking aim. She turned away from them and made her way back to the warehouse door.
stray_redbird: Reno made an irritated noise, already reaching for his cigarettes and his lighter as he got up off the ground, starting after his partner. "'Fuck this. 'Lena, wait, Jesus," he griped, lighting a cigarette irritably and taking an inhale. Well, that had been a jolly good fucking time.
If she had been planning to shoot the bastard, she could've at least let him have a go instead of telling him to behave himself. Plus, the damn flight out to Hong Kong would mean shit if they killed the guy anyways.
black_honor: Tseng got to his feet and brushed himself off. He just watched them go. He thinks it went rather nicely himself. And he's definitely more interested in the Turks than ever.
He takes a step forward and picks up the picture if Elena didn't take it with her. "I'm finished here." He speaks into his phone before going out the back door to wait for the limo that will arrive shortly.