get your rng on.

[attentionboys]

THE RANDOM SCENARIO MEME 3.0

- Post your character, name, and series in the subject. Include any preferences as well.
- Go to RNG and enter 1-6 for a scene type, and 1-20 for a scene to play out.

TYPE OF SCENE.
① Action → Gun fights, bar brawls, fights to the death are all possible scenarios.
② Angst → Characters suffer emotionally or physically from relationships breaking up, death, injury, etc. Hurt and comfort themes are included.
③ Crack → Genderswaps, super powers, sudden compulsions are all possible outcomes.
④ Fluff → Something that is devoid of angst. It's light-hearted and might have the overtone of romance.
⑤ Gen → General fun, things that didn't fit in the other categories.
⑥ Sex → First times, kinks, even dubcon are all possible themes of sex related scenarios.
⑦ Your choice → Think of your own scenario, choose one of the above or make a combo even!

ACTION.
① Zombies → It's the zombie apocalypse, lock and load!
② Bar brawl → You had one too many drinks, said something wrong, and now you're being asked to take it outside.
③ Chase → You're caught in a high speed chase.
④ Gun fight → You're caught in a big shoot-out.
⑤ Fight with a friend → You're fighting with a friend, all out.
⑥ Interrogation → You're being interrogated for some offense you've done.
⑦ Aliens → Aliens are attacking and you're not going to take your probe laying down!
⑧ Final battle → This is it. The battle that will end all the fighting for you. Will you win? Will you get that peace you want?
⑨ Training → You're not actually fighting, just training for the inevitable.
⑩ No hope → You know this fight has no hope. It's not going to end well for anyone involved, but you can't turn away.
⑪ Sneaking in → You're stealing a diamond or sneaking in to kick some bad guy butt, but whatever it is, you have to practice stealth.
⑫ Blue wire → You're faced with a bomb that needs to be disarmed.
⑬ Fight for honor → You've been disgraced or someone you care about has, so it's time to fight for honour.
⑭ Showdown → Time for a cowboy-style showdown. Whoever draws the fastest wins.
⑮ War → You're caught in the middle of a war here. Remember to keep your chin up and keeping fighting.
⑯ Apocalypse → The apocalypse finally happened and now you're left to scavenge and fight for whatever is left.
⑰ Sabotage → It's time to sabotage someone's plan! How is entirely up to you. Do you set up a bomb in their toilet? Do you double cross them at the last minute?
⑱ Big damn hero → You know you have to handle this one alone, so that means disarming or knocking unconscious the person who wants to join you.
⑲ Fight club → You know the rules... you're in an underground fighting ring and you're fighting with all you've got.
⑳ Threaten → You've just been sent here to rough them up a little, threaten them into behaving.

ANGST.
① Injury / illness → Your character has become injured or ill! To what extent is the mun's choice.
② Last moments → You character has been gravely injured and this is their last chance to say their last words.
③ Depression → Your character is depressed, what actions they take is up to the mun.
④ Betrayed → You character has been betrayed by the other. How do they react?
⑤ Tortured → Your character is being tortured and needs rescuing or at least a sympathetic ear to help him through it.
⑥ Jealousy → Your character is feeling jealous and must deal with it, how will they do it?
⑦ Breakup! → This relationship has gone as far as it can, it's time to breakup.
⑧ Broken → For whatever reason, the character is broken, mentally or or physically.
⑨ Fight → You can't even be in the same room as your friend or lover without arguing anymore.
⑩ Lost → You lost the biggest fight of your life and now all you can do is try to pick up the pieces.
⑪ Worst nightmare → Whatever you fear the most is now real or maybe you're just trapped in a dream together, but whatever it is, it feels too real.
⑫ Addicted → You're addicted to something, alcohol, drugs, sex, whatever. It's destroying your life and you can't do anything to stop it.
⑬ Hurt you → You're being forced to hurt someone you love either by betraying them or even being forced to shout things you don't mean. It's for their own good in the end though.
⑭ Separation → You were forced to leave this person for their own safety and while you've been miserable without them, you really didn't mean to run into them again... maybe it was by accident or you were watching them from afar this whole time.
⑮ Becoming a monster → You are slowly changing, becoming a monster: vampire, zombie, demon, something you can't recover from and no-one can help you.
⑯ Frozen → You are entirely helpless, frozen, to stop some kind of disaster.
⑰ Prison → You were very bad and now it's time to pay the price by turning yourself in or maybe the law just finally caught up to you.
⑱ Fear → You're not sure why, but you are suddenly terrified and you can't deal with it. You need help.
⑲ Hated → You are now hated by the person you loved the most.
⑳ Down and out → You're living on the streets, you've hit rock bottom, and you don't know what to do.

CRACK.
① Sexswap → Uh-oh, you're suddenly the opposite sex!
② Forced confessions → No matter what it is and no matter how hard you resist, you're going to be compelled to spill some deep dark secret!
③ Mind-reading → You've suddenly got the ability to read minds!
④ Animal → You're suddenly part animal or transformed into an animal!
⑤ Awkward pick-up lines → You're compelled to use bad pickup lines on whoever is closest!
⑥ Back in School / Graduated → You're suddenly back in school! Or if you were already in it, you've aged and long since graduated!
⑦ Vampires, werewolves, and zombies, oh my! → You're suddenly a vampire, werewolf, or zombie! Maybe even a demon or a devil, whatever creepy crawly you can think of. What do you do now?
⑧ Ghost → You're suddenly a ghost or at least invisible. What are you going to do with this new ability?
⑨ Awkward conversations → So did you just fart or what? Any conversation goes, as long as it's embarrassing and awkward.
⑩ Crossdressing → For whatever reason, you're suddenly dressed in clothes of the opposite sex.
⑪ Suddenly naked → Oops! Your clothes are suddenly gone.
⑫ Suddenly a kid → You're a kid again! Have fun with that second childhood.
⑬ Fortune cookie → You've suddenly received a note with something that will happen in the future, either precise or vague.
⑭ Super power → And suddenly you're like Superman! Any power goes.
⑮ Bodyswap → Somehow you've changed bodies with the other person.
⑯ Back in time → Somehow, you wound up in the past again. Do you try to correct something or just sit and wait for time to jump? Maybe it jumps to various points in your life or maybe you actually think you're back in the day. Have fun, run wild with the idea!
⑰ To the future → Is it everything you've dreamed? Is it horrible? Whatever happens, you're here to witness what happens to you in the future. Either you take the place of your future self or you're just there to watch. Might cause some confusion if people start seeing double though...
⑱ Angels, mermaids, and fairies! → You're not necessary something dark or evil. You're just something different. How do you deal?
⑲ Locked in a closet → For some reason, you're locked up in a closet with someone else. Do you make nice and try to figure your way out or what?
⑳ Finger trap → You're caught in a Chinese finger trap... with somebody else! You can't figure out how to get loose either... have fun with that.

FLUFF.
① Cuddling → For whatever reason, characters feel like being close and cuddling.
② Pillow talk → After the main event, characters are up for some pillow talk.
③ Celebration → Anniversary or some other big event is taking place and characters want to celebrate!
④ Love confession → Someone has finally decided to confess their love and today is the day!
⑤ Appreciation → You feel the need to show appreciation for that person closest to you, even if it's just a pat on the back.
⑥ Apologies → You made a mistake and now it's time to make it up in some way you know the other can't refuse!
⑦ Get back together → Why did you break up again exactly? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mistake and you both know you can work through it.
⑧ Date night → You've planned for a wonderful night together and you can't wait to get it started.
⑨ Family → You've either found out you're pregnant or you've already got that addition to your family.
⑩ Marriage → You're just about to get hitched or maybe you're enjoying your honeymoon. Maybe you've been together for years now! Whatever the case, it's time for that next big step.
⑪ Meeting again → It's time for that happy reunion finally!
⑫ Love at first sight → For whatever reason, you are now insanely in love with the first person you set eyes on.
⑬ Flirtation → You can't resist to do a little bit of harmless flirtation all of a sudden.
⑭ In the snow → Look outside! It's a winter wonderland, so why not go out and play in it?
⑮ Engagement → You've planned it all out and now it's time to finally pop the question.
⑯ Friendly games → You've set up the game station or board games for a friendly competition!
⑰ Gift → Time to give that special someone a gift just because.
⑱ Recovery → You're taking care of someone who's just recovered from some illness or injury.
⑲ Healing → Time to help mend that someone who's been through hell and back.
⑳ Better than ever → You've finally got everything you've ever wanted here. What is your ideal life and who does it include?

GEN.
① Nice meeting you → It's your first time meeting this person! You bumped into each other on the street, in a bar, at work... whatever!
② Drinks → You're out for drinks! Or just chilling at home with some beers. Wherever!
③ Lost → You're lost and you kind of need help finding your way to where you're going. A little help with directions?
④ Costume party → You're at a costume party, both of you are wearing masks. Do you keep the anonymity or take it off and see whose company you've been enjoying?
⑤ Wrong number → Oops, actually you didn't mean to call that person...
⑥ Drunk → You're already drunk! Drunk dialing, stumbling into someone, showing up unexpected... what type of drunk are you anyway? Aggressive, loving, happy? How does the other react?
⑦ Old friends → you haven't seen this person in a long time!
⑧ Rivals → you're suddenly rivals! Or maybe you have been all along...
⑨ Problems → you've got a problem with each other, just got in a huge fight, whatever. Try to work it out!
⑩ What are your intentions... → This person? They're dating a close friend, family member, etc. You need to find out if they're going to hurt them! Or you need to discuss your friend/family's dating choice.
⑪ I saw you → you saw the other person doing something bad and you need to confront them about it.
⑫ Sorry but no → the other person has feelings that you just don't share. They don't necessarily have to be romantic... maybe you just don't agree with their sudden desire to quit their job and start a business making tiny, fuzzy teddy bears.
⑬ My hero → you need to tell this person how much they mean to you. They've been your best friend or your role model your whole life and they need to know.
⑭ Enabler → you're enabling the other (or each other) to do something bad, really bad. Addiction, stealing, killing, or just any other self-destructive behavior.
⑮ Cooking → Time for an impromptu cooking lesson!
⑯ Oh, sure, I remember you... → It's that awkward moment when someone comes up and seems to know you, but you have no idea who they even are!
⑰ Rescue! → One of you was in trouble, but you came to the rescue!
⑱ Boss → One of you works under the other. Is your relationship good? Are you scheming things? Or do you hate each other?
⑲ Perfect crime → You and the other person have just pulled off the perfect crime... or you're planning to! What are you doing? The heist of the century, an assassination?
⑳ Movies → movie night! Maybe it's a sleepover. Whichever the case, it's time to eat a lot and have fun.

SEX.
① First time → it's your first time together or your first time ever! Enjoy the awkward times!
② Bondage → You and your partner decide to experiment a little with ropes or handcuffs or whatever you'd like to tie your partner up with.
③ Rough / Aggressive → Your characters want it rough.
④ Romantic → Slow and gentle, meaningful, that's how characters want it.
⑤ Dubcon → Character A wants Character B and it doesn't really matter if Character B wants it as bad or not.
⑥ In public → Characters feel like taking a risk and doing it in a public place.
⑦ Roleplay → Naughty nurse fetish? Pirate kink? You and your partner decide to try it out now!
⑧ Healing → You've both fought hard or gone through a rough time and it's time to get some R&R in.
⑨ Last time → This is the last time you're going to this because you're breaking up or maybe your lover is running off to sacrifice their lives in some heroic way. The possibilities are endless, but you better make this one count.
⑩ No strings attached → You're just friends with benefits. Nothing wrong with that, right?
⑪ Anonymous → You met in a restroom or bar, any location of your choosing, but you don't even know each other's names.
⑫ Toys → You're eager to try something new, so why not toys?
⑬ Aphrodisiacs → You've been slipped a strong aphrodisiac somehow and now you absolutely cannot control yourself.
⑭ Show → You're putting on a show by either doing it right in the club or filming it for a bunch of people.
⑮ Ménage à trois → It's time for that threesome you've always dreamed of.
⑯ Non-penetrative → Frottage, handjobs, whatever you want to try out.
⑰ Controlled → You are under mind control and must do whatever your lover asks of you.
⑱ Hate sex → It's not just rough or aggressive, you absolutely cannot stand each other.
⑲ Extreme → Fisting, knife play, whatever you can think of so long as it tests the boundaries.
⑳ Fantasy → This is just a fantasy, a dream, and you know it, but what is your ideal fantasy and how willing is your partner?

Comments

[orcsurfing]

Every explosion came with ringing in his ears and dulled his hearing for the seconds to come, but not his sight. As Buck jumped down and took out the terrorist that remained on his feet, Legolas had a clear shot at another, peeking out from a room ways away behind Buck — readying for a shot at his very much exposed teammate — and just into Legolas's line of sight. He shot, reloaded a full magazine, and followed down when the confirmation came, his own landing quiet as if he weighed nothing at all.

There was one clear advantage of not using a sniper scope, or really, any other scope but the iron sights. It made the weapon as effective in close quarters as it was in long distance.

Nothing could be done about the sounds the humans made as they moved, but the bright side was their enemies were humans just as well, their senses not so sensitive at all. They knew they were coming, though, so it was a bit moot, but not from where and that was important.

Four potential targets, five bullets in his magazine. More than enough. And with the extra ten in his pistol, they should be fine if he was fast enough. But this was neither time nor place to sass Buck about that remark, and instead he simply nodded, before looking away when the stun grenade was tossed inside. He waited only a second after, to turn back and get inside— no fancy combat rolls that took too long, nothing of the sort, a brisk walk with his rifle ready and picking the targets.

One, two— in a quick succession, and nothing. He did not turn to look behind him, to see how Buck was faring, but instead quickly ran up to check behind a stack of boxes. Third. One who managed to avoid the worst of the stun and hoped to surprise them. Which he did, and he almost took out Legolas's ear. A second shot, however, he was never meant to take.

"Right clear," he called out dully, feeling the icy cold chill give way to heat again. The man's poor shooting and his own quick reflexes were the only things that saved him.

Not even waiting for confirmation, Legolas moved to unstrap the defuser and get to work. His motions felt sluggish and awkward to him, though not so much for the onlookers. The strange thing, however, was the silence.

[sk12]

Four shots, two for each body that hit the floor. They managed to only get a shot off in return, which hit low, hitting him squarely in the ceramic plate he wore in his ballistic vest. It stung, almost to the point he wanted to drop down to a knee, but the adrenaline kep him focused, scanning the room for any further threats.

When the shots finally stopped he sighed, dropping his rifle down to a side, and running a hand back through his hair as he surveyed the aftermath. Legolas had already gotten a start on the first bomb, and he took the time to breathe, relax for a moment, change mags and count the supplies he had left he had left. A deep breath in, and then he returned back to alert, rifle at the ready in case stragglers came in to try and stop them.

"I need a drink after this, once we've dropped the children off and left them the paperwork." It was his usual dry tone, with almost no inflection or waver that would indicate he'd just been through a firefight. The ceramic had stopped the bullet, but the impact would still leave a bruise as the ache spread through his ribs and down his chest. "One down, and then another to go. You trust a FNG to handle it, or shall I take the lead?"

The rookies provided ample backup, placing down a deployable riot shield and watching the hallways. He had little complaints, nothing that couldn't be fixed with a few weeks of training and a few operations under each of their belts. "They're doing well, somme toute. We may have to start thinking up appropriate nicknames at this rate."

[orcsurfing]

Seconds passed as they holed up and waited for the defuser to finish, Legolas glanced up at Buck from where he crouched watching the progress. The comment brought a smile to his face, a small one, but a smile nonetheless, and he spoke softly, with a sing-song quality to his voice. A front to cover the tension that stole into his entire body. "That makes it two of us, I may even change my choice of poison tonight." Perhaps something stronger than wine, so at the end of it he could feel at least a little tipsy. Wine could never do the trick, and it wasn't like Legolas ever really wanted to get drunk, but perhaps whisky or something similar would. "Especially if it is your treat."

There was no mention of that whatsoever, Legolas knew, but he shot Buck an impish grin all the same.

Finally, the defusing finished, the bomb neutralised for the time being. After the premises have been secured by them, another team would come to take it apart once and for all, so it would not pose a threat anymore. That would be later, after they secured the second bomb and exfiled the hostages.

Standing again, Legolas brought out a tablet and found the blueprints of the building that have been shared with them in debriefing. He found the basement, and swiped his fingers on the screen so the entire floor fit on the small screen. "We are here," he pointed to one room, "The next room over is clear, else we would have heard them by now," with the other floors clear as well, that left it with one room that would be large enough to hold not only a bomb, but a bunch of people inside. "I think this is the place. It is large enough and it is defensible.

"There is no better test than a situation as sticky as this, and if you trust them, so do I. Let them show what they learned."

There was a bit of a selfish motivation behind it all, though. Legolas was not too keen on testing if his luck had already ran out for the night.

[sk12]

"No complaints in choice of drink then." Compared to the other demands the rest of Rainbow often made: only top shelf, only tequila, only drinks poured out by big, busty women... picking up the tab was incredibly tame in comparison. It'd be a low key night of drinking, hopefully one not ending in the usual fistfight picked by their more rambunctious American counterparts.

When it came to letting the recruits show their mettle, he was more than okay with the idea. His own test had been a bank heist gone wrong, broadcast on live television in case the team's anxiety wasn't already high enough. A simple secondary defusal and HVT rescue was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing but Rainbow's bread and butter. "We'll leave it to them," he said after a moment, rolling his shoulders back to release the built up tension. "It's a team effort, and we can't carry them all the way." The team chuckled at his remark, enjoying the levity of the moment until Buck cut it short with a quick call to attention.

He made it clear that like Selection, he'd be watching to see how each recruit lead and how they functioned as a unit without direction from superiors. He and Legolas would be around in case of a true fuck up, but he made it perfectly clear that if either of them had to intervene, certain careers would be cut extremely short. As far as motivational speeches came, it was harsher than necessary, but far less coarse than anything the SEALs could have spat out. If Frost met the stereotype for polite Canadian, Buck only ruined it. The downside of being Quebecois, apparently.

"Good job back there." He muttered privately to Legolas when the recruits huddled to plan, watching them cautiously out of the corner of his eye. His sardonic quips, often about his skill or the teams, were often just throwaway remarks, given as a reminder that no one was infallible. "I suppose a drink is the cheapest way of saying thanks." He fell silent for a few minutes, waiting for the newly appointed Romeo-Actual told them to move.

"Tout est bien qui finit bien," he muttered as he acknowledged at the order to move, giving a hand signal back to let the recruits know they'd bring up the rear. Playing as back up was a rare occurrence, but he wasn't complaining.

[orcsurfing]

The recruits moved out as a team — more than likely, spurred into doing their absolute best by Buck's little speech —, each second seeming a little less like kids at play, and a little more like actual professionals. It still made Legolas a little nervous, even if it was his own decision, to let someone else than Buck or himself take charge, but it was not the first nor the last time, and these recruits needed the experience to be able to save a lot more lives in the future. All's well that ends well— indeed, the words were no balm to take away all the worries, but they soothed them considerably.

Little by little, Legolas relaxed into the familiar motions. Reload, get ready. They came out last, the rear, the back-up, making sure that no one would sneak up on them from behind. Legolas kept his ears open, for any door opening or for steps. Though he couldn't help shooting back in a murmur, with a smile — genuine this time, warmer — scarcely visible from beneath the shadow cast by his hood. "I knew you had my back, so I could focus on my own task," he always gave credit where it was due, and this was most certainly one of such cases.

Then, the rest was said over the comms, their private channel, as they separated a little farther apart. Certainly farther than murmuring would reach. "But you will not hear me denying you that show of gratitude, or truly, any other," — was it even five minutes that he managed to go without teasing? — "And I promise not to complain."

He looked towards the recruits, gestured that the back was clear and quiet, and watched just long enough to see the next orders from the lead.

The cries and yelling were inevitable, and shots were fired, but only two— Legolas stayed put where he was, with a view of both the corridors down here, and the staircase leading up into the main building. He heard steps too, just before the hell broke loose momentarily, above them and beside them. The terrorists had the time to prepare, and now they were trying to flank them. Legolas glanced to Buck and motioned for him to watch the stairs, while he took position at the corridor.

[sk12]

It took him a while longer to notice, trying to differentiate the sounds of their own boots echoing through the hall, and the footsteps that belonged to someone else. He gave signal that he copied, and dropped to a knee, sliding behind a conveniently located column to keep from being fully exposed.

The change in position didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the team, and they moved into place to guard the defuser and dragged the HVTs into a safer place, hidden behind reenforced walls. Not bad, he thought, silently approving of their efficiency. The team lead was still working on the bomb without distraction, and the rest made sure it stayed that way.

The seconds felt like an eternity as he waited for the terrorists to move first. No need to give any indication the team had caught on to their plan, and he kept his rifle at eye level, one eye in ACOG and the other open in case of telltale movement. He didn't expect them to open with a smoke grenade, hearing the tell-tale sound of two metallic clinks as it tumbled down the stairs and started to hiss, filling the corridor with an near instantaneous smoke. It didn't stop Buck from hearing the sound of heavy boots and commands being exchanged, and even through the smoke he took his shots, aiming for anything that resembled a standing silhouette. The correct targets became obvious as they began to fire back, muzzle flash tearing through the smoke to at least give them a good indication of where to aim. and he took his shots haphazardly, continuing to cover until the magazine hit empty.

He switched to his sidearm, waiting for opportune moments before firing, face drawn into a hard line as he waited for the return fire to stop, or the smoke to clear. The rookies had cleverly fallen back into the room the moment they lost clear vision, leaving only the two of them in a precarious position.

[orcsurfing]

On his side of the matters, Legolas seemed to only have one target. Neither too quiet nor particularly crafty, and were it not for the smoke that reached him as well, he would have been all too easy to pick off. On the bright side, the smoke offered Legolas ample cover as well. At least that. And so the approaching man saw nothing coming, not until a bullet hit him squarely in the forehead. At that point, it was already too late.

However that one single shot was enough to draw some fire to him as well. Their targets realising that there was two of them lying in wait.

Silently, he ducked behind cover which put him right beside the dead body. Still warm, still bleeding profusely, and some of that blood got on his uniform, but Legolas paid it no mind. It was shitty cover, he realised as the smoke cleared and the firing stopped, especially against someone with even slightly higher vantage point than his own. There was nothing for it now but to make himself as small as possible and as close to the stack of crates as he only could.

A single, small attempt to glance over the cover earned him a few more shots fired his way. That just wouldn't do.

He glanced at the body, and it didn't take much thought to move its leg into full view— predictably, it did draw fire again, the men thinking it was his own. Legolas used that momentary distraction to peek from above the crates instead. He had not known their positions, but this one single second was all he needed to find his target, aim and shoot, before he ducked down again.

[sk12]

On the brightside, difficult jobs meant they'd always have a paycheque, but that was little solace when shots came so close he could hear them zip inches from his head. He'd guessed they'd managed to eliminate more than half the targets so far, and that the rest were either faltering, and reconsidering how much this particular mission meant to them.

The team provided adequate suppression, making their job that much easier, and he waited for was the signal that the bomb was defused so they could concentrate on one job, not two. His skeleton key was perfectly capable of taking out any straggler who got too close, but it was a risk he didn't want to take, especially considering he had no idea how the team would react. He peeked his head out, nearly lost an ear for his trouble, before ducking back and blind firing from a shoulder.

The shout that the bomb had finished defusing finally came through, and he nodded to himself, knowing that at the very least, they'd finished the bulk of their mission. The smoke had cleared by now, revealing that there were still two left, looking more concerned about about escaping with their lives than defending their dud of a bomb any further.

"Shall we let them go?" He asked grimly over comms, knowing that soon the stragglers would either start a tactical retreat, or attempt to take down the rest of their team in one explosive final stand. As impractical as it was to chase down runners, it was tactically expedient, if old hearted. Being blacker than black meant the Geneva Convention was of an afterthought, and not a strict policy on rules of engagement.

Still, he doubted this particular terrorist cell would have any success in any further recruiting or takeovers, not when 90% of their members were dead in one single attempt. The team had gotten the hostages gathered and hard formed a barrier around them, in case any stray bullets went flying their way. A clean mission, even if things had gone completely awry. A few final shots went their way, each shot receiving twenty in reponse. He told the team to wait, to hold their position until they knew what the response would be.

[orcsurfing]

Legolas knew his own answer right away, but he withheld saying it out loud for a few moments to hear what the rest of the team wished. Once upon a time he, and those like him, had hunted down each and every creature spawned by the old evils. They did not question it, in those days, certain in their assessment it was for the good of all. Was it not the same right now, though? These Men might not be vile, evil to the very marrow of their bones, but they were still a threat, and allowed to walk freely, they would remain a threat. They could not recruit, but they could be recruited, and now they knew their faces, they knew some of their tactics. Were they worth their salt, they could become a great problem one day...

The recruits proved themselves to be softhearted. Unsurprisingly, it was their first. One that did not go as smoothly as it truly should, but no one of the team or the hostages died, no one was even injured. As far as first operations went, this was an easy one. A walk in the park, as they said.

"The majority has spoken," he said, finally. "I am uneasy with this decision, but so be it."

His was not a jaded outlook, mind. Had any single one of them surrendered without a fight, they would see mercy. They hadn't, and retreat did not necessarily mean a change of heart on any matter.

"They linger still, right above us, and so it is a waiting game now and their fate is in their hands."

[sk12]

"I could blow out the ceiling," he said conversationally, looking upward with his rifle, and wondering how much of a shitstorm it would cause. "They wouldn't be expecting that." Plenty of falling debris, plenty of ammunition spent and always the possibility of biting off more than they could chew. The groan from the team made it clear they disliked that idea, and he chuckled, making it clear it was just a thought.

"Don't be surprised when they ambush us during exfil, then." He said with a shrug, waiting for them to move. It seemed their opponent was doing the same, falling silent as they plotted and talked amongst themselves. He kept his eye out for any who were curious enough to poke out their heads, taking a shot whenever he had opportunity. Turns out, mercy didn't mean ignoring prudence.

A few shots continued to be exchanged, with neither side feeling like they had much worth dying for. The echoes from upstairs grew louder as they ran over them, and Buck waited at the ready, but they didn't stop, as the enemy chose to run, to maybe fight another day. He wasn't too concerned; their follow up mission would be almost guaranteed to be a terrorist hunt, to find and eliminate the rest of the threat.

They waited for retaliation, but even the stragglers on their floor seemed to up and vanish, covering their retreat with a tactically placed claymore to deter any following. Buck sighed, loosening his ACUs by a button and letting the built up tension leave him. "You sound rather upset." He said privately to Legolas as he counted up his remaining mags, in an attempt to suss out how the team felt.

[orcsurfing]

Among all the groans there too was Legolas's laughter, as he found the idea — or perhaps just Buck mentioning it and his tone — plenty amusing. The recruits' reaction was just as funny, though. Put upon and tired sounding about the thought of more shooting. For all their good work today, that was a mark against them, Legolas thought to himself. He could understand wishing to get out of a tense situation as soon as possible, but it should never be at the cost of their own safety and always with a healthy dose of wariness.

Nothing happened for a good several minutes, and before long Legolas couldn't hear anything anymore. Last it was steps heading away from their position, the whispered voices unfortunately too distorted by the distance and layers of concrete and wood that he couldn't make out the words. So they were in the dark about whether they retreated for good, or only to prepare an ambush outside.

"In a firefight mirth and amusement are easily spooked beasts, my dear friend. There is a hole in my hood, I have been sitting in a pool of blood for the past several minutes—," he responded simply to Buck's non-question. Two things that should speak for themselves. One, a near miss straight to his face — how lucky for him that it was one of the few who did not pick a shotgun as his weapon of choice —, the other a simple discomfort and an annoyance. "Not my own, that is."

He sighed and pushed himself up to stand, now that it was safe to do so. His clothing, grey in any normal circumstance, was now stained pitch black along the outer thigh and knee. Neither was the fabric thick enough, nor did he wear enough layers, to not allow the dampness to seep through and make it stick to his leg unpleasantly.

"And I do not fancy walking out into a welcoming committee out there," he said, no longer over the comms, approaching his teammates, "But there is absolutely no certainty."

A few of the recruits close enough took it as a chiding remark, though they did not grumble openly, their expressions soured. Whether it was one or not, it was difficult to tell. Legolas spoke softly, as he always did, with some dry humour laced through the words. He took in the sight of his teammates, Buck and the recruits, and the hostages as well, but could see no visible injuries, nor did anyone seem to be in pain. A good sign.

"I will scout the area, hunker down here in the meantime and await my signal." No more parents and kids, only a team.

on multiplayer perk

[sk12]

"Better theirs than ours," he repeated a tried and true, if morbid, mantra. It was unsanitary, probably smelled even worse, but they couldn't ask for more than a clean mission, with no injured or KIA.

He didn't like the idea of Legolas going ahead alone, even if he knew what Legolas could handle himself. Still, there was no argument from him, just a short grunt of acknowledgement and nod, before turning to the rest of the team and telling them to get a move on. They didn't need a second warning. The team gathered and took the time to look after each other, doing quick armor checks and triage for the hostages.

Everyone looked liked they'd just gone through hell and back. They were all covered in a grimy layer of dirt and gunpowder, and there was a tear where a bullet had gone through the fabric and caught on the ceramic plate. Fortunately the hostages looked none the worse for wear. They shivered and cried, but the more empathetic of the team was already busy comforting them, telling them that they were safe and in good hands.

For Buck, 'hunkering down' was never easy. He preferred to be on the move: either in the action, or scouting it out. Still, he couldn't just ignore a request (technically a command) just because he wanted to, so instead he busied himself with a quick report back to base, giving them the quick summary on a mission completed and requesting exfil. When asked where, and if immediately, he paused, turning on comms to ask.

"We clear to leave this trash can?" Some phrases were just lost in translation. Valkyrie would have given him pure shit for it, and he would have sighed and explained how you couldn't call something just trash in French. Linguistic faux pas aside, it was a legitimate question.

8D?

[orcsurfing]

Only Legolas needed was that acknowledgement. He knew Buck would carry it out to a T, so he didn't waste any time. Instead of stairs, he went back to the hole they blew in the ceiling of this level and floor of the one above. If anyone was lingering, they wouldn't expect this, and for Legolas it was a no issue at all to leap onto the wall and higher to grab the ragged edge of the floor. Blessedly, the leather gloves protected his hands from any possible splinters. And from that point onward, it was easy enough. He moved without sound through the floor, heard and saw nothing, and got to the second then third before looking outside.

The street was as abandoned as before, if not even more so now with the darkness falling fully. Everything was quiet and empty, though Legolas still changed his positions a few times to get a good look from different angles. He had to be absolutely sure there was no ambush awaiting them.

"Most certainly! Take the stairs and the main entrance to exit," he let the strange wording slide for now, focusing on the business side of things. "Request exfil on red smoke, parking lot on north-east side."

Soon they would be out of here, and they would be able to relax properly. A nice shower, a change of clothes, drinks and the inevitable teasing. Perhaps, too, he should ask Buck to teach him that funny dialect of his. French itself had no secrets from him, Québécois on the other hand could be quite amusing at times and not always very clear to him.

Legolas waited only long enough to get a confirmation, before he attached the rappel and slid down to the lawn beneath. He jogged to the parking lot, cracking a flare as he went to toss it smack dab in the middle. It was large and it was empty, about the only place where it was possible for a chopper to land in the vicinity.

[sk12]

The team got the message, and moved without a reminder from Buck that time was a-wasting. In a matter of seconds they managed to assemble, all gear packed and accounted for so cleanly that it was like they hadn't ever been there. Buck idly picked up a spent 5-7 casing out of the folds of his clothing and tossed it, following after the team to make sure no one fell behind or idled.

Extraction was swift, the chinook landing in a matter of minutes once the pilot spotted the signal. Buck gave the pilot his usual cursory greeting, and nodded blandly when asked about how the mission had gone. All bodies were present and accounted for, with several picked up along the way. A job well done, evident by the smiling faces, even if Buck's was permanently locked in a gruff look.

He liked his job, enjoyed the action and being around like minded people, but the usual post celebratory parties were something he always tried to avoid. It took time for him to warm up to the team, and while he could stand drinking with some, he couldn't shake his standoffish attitude towards newer members. It was a rite of passage in the special operations community; newcomers had to earn their place. So far, the recruits had earned a spot on the team, but not his friendship.

He said little on the ride back, busying himself with rifle maintenance, and texting the rest of Rainbow back at home, sending dry quips to Frost and inquiring if the GIGN felt they could have done better. All he received in return was a rude snapchat, captioned N'importe quoi!. The words were kinder than the image he got back from the Americans who'd send a quick video of a middle finger, telling him they could have done it in half the time.

"Looks like it's just us drinking tonight," he said conversationally, leaning over to show Legolas the slew of messages he'd gotten from the rest of the team back at home. There were enough swears to make even a sailor blush, but none of it contained any real venom— insults were how the team congratulated each other, and kept their egos grounded. "Reports aren't due until tomorrow morning, plenty of hours to drink until we regret our decisions."

[orcsurfing]

The lull in all conversation — except for their HVTs who chatted animatedly among themselves — was appreciated. It wasn't silence, mind, but it was still enough to let his mind wander, when he didn't have to focus on anything in particular. He sat still and quiet himself, eyes at half-mast, staring off into space, memories less violent at the forefront of his mind.

At least until Buck spoke up and leaned closer. Without a hitch or pause, Legolas shifted his gaze to him and pulled himself back to the here and now. It was his face and his voice that got all the attention first, and Legolas just shrugged in response, the playfulness and teasing returning full force to his voice and bearing, "Am I supposed to complain about having your charming presence all to myself tonight? I could, but to make me lie is one of the greatest cruelties."

Finally, his gaze dropped to the phone and the messages from their teammates back at the base. Halfway through, though, he leaned back suddenly, unable to keep looking at the sheer ugliness of the swears. He laughed, though, rolling his eyes theatrically.

"I think I will have to start carrying soap around, to offer you all to wash your mouth," he shot back with a sideways look at Buck, smiling and shaking his head both. Eyebrow arched, he questioned further, "Assuming your message to them was no better than what you got in return." Though he knew perfectly well that Buck was capable of exactly the same — and none of it serious, none of it with hatred or dislike or true malice, in the case of all of them.

Still.

"I will need plenty of drinks to clear my mind of what I just read."

[sk12]

"Nothing cruder," he said with a shrug, scrolling up to verify just in case, before tucking his phone away. "I only mentioned we may have done a better job than all of the continentals combined, with half the team, n'oubliez pas." No one would admit to it, but there was a sort of running contest between North America and the entirety of Europe to who produced the better teams. Nothing too serious of course, but what was life without a little competition?

He chuckled as he settled back into his seat, resting his eyes as he reclined back, thinking about how nice it'd feel to be back on base, changed and preferably with a fifth of liquor. "Sacres are how we communicate best. Someone gives you shit, and you ah— tell them ferme ta gueule. To shut up." He fell silent for a moment, rolling his neck before continuing. "We'll make an operator out of you one day, in one language or another. Drinking's only half the requirements."

He lost track of the time on the ride, drifting between being half alert and falling asleep every few minutes. By the time they touched down, he was more than ready to change and sleep, but promises were promises. "I need thirty minutes. If you haven't fallen asleep by then, I'll show you the worst bar in Herefordshire."

He gave Legolas a lazy salute, before turning to the remaining recruits and telling them they moved as fast as his grandmother fucked. It might have been partially for Legolas' sake, maybe to elicit a swear from him, in case a clever insult was all that was needed to get him in the mood. The team hustled, and he trudged off, dismissing them with a wave of his hand and scowl.

Thirty minutes was overkill, but enough time to get showered, changed, and almost looking presentable. He and the majority of Rainbow would never be able to shake the look of being pure military. The neighbors might have hated them for the mess they made of the neighborhood, but the bars certainly approved of the spike in customers. "Shall we?" He asked mildly, crossing his hands over his chest and looking far more refreshed than he'd been all day.

[orcsurfing]

Legolas left the area with the tips of his ears tinged pink. Blessedly they were covered by layers, of hair, of cloth, and he had his back to Buck and he was leaving, so it would remain a secret from all. Elves had their swears, mind you, but they were never quite that crude, and never sexual.

Either way, he wasted no time to strip off the gear, and more importantly, the filthy clothing the very moment he could, from the second the door closed behind him. All equipment put aside, to be cleaned later, clothing already beginning to soak in icy cold water to get the blood out, and he took a quick but thorough shower, skipping washing his hair. Half an hour was not nearly enough to give it the proper attention it demanded, after all.

However he did pull off the tie from the braid, once dry and dressed again, and let it fall loosely over his shoulders and back. Long, smooth and, from having been kept in a braid, wavy, his pride and joy, contrasting starkly with the deep navy of the blazer he picked to wear. Over a simple white dress shirt, and a pair of graphite jeans. Simple, and yet still likely overdressed. But the point of a matter was, Legolas tended to always be overdressed, for just about everything. So it was with someone who enjoyed beauty, and enjoyed looking well.

"Lead the way!" He gestured with his hand in a wide sweep of some of the surrounding, open, area, "I do believe I am at your mercy tonight."

[sk12]

When it came to fashion, the majority of Rainbow lacked it. Buck wore a shirt he'd gotten from the last JTF2 field day, a faded grey shirt with nothing more than facta non verba silkprinted on the front. "Rangers lead the way." He corrected while walking, "we merely follow them to the valley of death."

The walk was a short one, a short two kilometers from base to a quiet side street hidden behind a falafel stand. It wasn't the diviest of bars, but it certainly wasn't the fanciest either. The only other customers were two older men sitting in a corner and Montaigne, who gave them a cursory look and nod. He chose a seat by the bar, waving over the barkeep for two beers. "We'll need something stronger, but a beer is customary, at least where I come from." If there's one thing Quebecois never shut up about, it's Quebec. Buck wasn't any different, and he took pride in codeswitching often enough to irritate even the most patient members of the team. "Beer, tourtiere, and we'd have a proper celebration. Once we've put ourselves out of a job, I'll have to show you the culture that we're missing."

He fell silent to take a few sips, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before reconsidering, and picking up a napkin. The promise was part hyperbole; they'd always have a job, as long as people had causes they felt were worth dying for. Still, going back to Montreal was a nice idea, even if a pipe dream.

"Is that the shirt you're going to wear when you meet my parents?" He raised an eyebrow as he drank again, making it clear he was teasing. "Ne t'inquiètes pas, they'll be thrilled that at least one of us has manners."

[orcsurfing]

It was a lucky thing that Legolas had some degree of self control, else that question would have had him choking on his own beer. Buck's timing was impeccable, asking the question while Legolas was swallowing a mouthful. Thankfully nothing went flying, nothing was snorted up the nose, Legolas managed to calmly put down the glass before licking his lips, smiling with eyebrows arched and a sideways glance to his companion. This sort of teasing he didn't exactly expect, but he met it head on all the same, giving as good as he got. Or at the very least, trying to.

"I suppose those manners of mine would not only thrill them, they would also make them hopeful! That they would rub off on you. But ah! I would have expected a romantic dinner first, fine food and drink by the candlelight, some heartfelt confessions that reveal what I already know...," but it was all a double edged sword. He felt a little too flushed saying it all, himself, and for this reason, the dim light in the bar was a godsend. Still, he continued smoothly and evenly, allowing mirth to lace every word. "Before you asked me to meet your parents."

He paused to take a sip, wet that dry mouth of his, and continued a bit more seriously — he would truly like to explore Montreal again, and with such a proud guide! — but not without continuing with that line of teasing.

"A tour of Montreal with you as my guide? I think that would prepare me well for it, but you could begin by teaching me that français québécois of yours."

The dialects held enough similarities that Legolas could understand it well enough, the European French and the Québécois French, but they also had enough differences that it was far too easy to commit some sort of faux pas at any time.

[sk12]

"A lost cause, I'm afraid." He sighed as if it were a great shame, giving his beer a sad swirl, before continuing in the same somber tone. "A good dinner is one we've killed, preferably earlier in the morning. I doubt the romance would survive even the cleanest field dressing. Your shirt certainly wouldn't." He didn't take Legolas to be vain, but even the most extreme of survivalists found gutting a caribou to be a messy task. Decades later, and the smell bothered even him.

He couldn't help but chuckle at Legolas' reaction, knowing that his ribbing would be perfectly returned in kind. Some things he could always count on, and easy banter was one of those rare things. It was a new skill for him and he could never meet it with the same fluidity, but it was nice to flex the skill every now and then, just to see how far he could push.

At the mention of Quebecois, he made a noise as he drank, wondering how to describe how it differed from plain continental French. "It's not so different," He said finally, finishing his drink. "We understand French perfectly, it's the French who struggle with our language." He motioned for a second drink, and told the bartender to bring him another beer, along with a bottle of whiskey. "We care far less for manners, unless we're speaking to our grand-mère. Your grasp on French is good, all you've truly left to learn is our colloquialisms. Lâche pas la patate, you're a quick study. Worst case, you can always ask us to speak English."

Asking for English, the ultimate sign of giving up. It was self deprecating in a way; he'd given up ages ago trying to pick up whatever form of Sindarin Legolas knew.

[orcsurfing]

Maybe the picture Buck painted wasn't the standard most would consider as romantic, but ironically enough — and funnily too —, it was something right up Legolas's alley, as they say. It reminded him of the old days, of the good times in the past. Hunting and feasting on the game they caught and fruit they gathered, only wine something traded that the forest could not provide with. True enough, the gutting and cleaning was hardly pleasant, but it was the sad necessity to have something better later.

"Star lit dinners in the wild are just as romantic, although in a different manner," he shrugged, smiling a little softer — as if he was about to suggest they should actually do it — but still with that edge of teasing to it, "And the hunt, the preparation, they are precious in their own right. Do not think me so squeamish that I would be bothered! Or be unwilling to stand a stain or two on my shirt. It is hardly pleasant, indeed, but for a good cause!"

It helped he had enough money to buy a new one, of course, but even so! For an elf of Mirkwood, or Eryn Lasgalen as it was called after the war, to be squeamish of the hunt and the field dressing, it was unheard of.

"Lâche pas la patate," he parroted next with a laugh, his accent smooth but in the very continental French kind of way, but his tone was confused, as he tried to make sense of the phrase, "I think that one you will have to explain, unless I should always keep a potato on my person to not let it drop!"

Beer was one of those drinks that was deceptively easy to down quickly. Granted, not for him, but he had witnessed many a time that those who drank the quickest, wound up napping their intoxication away under the tables the soonest. Granted, again, most, if not all, of Rainbow were quite seasoned drinkers, so that happened rarely. All the same, Legolas arched a brow a notch, at Buck's pace, but matched it anyway, least someone got it in their head he could not keep up.

[sk12]

"Very few things we say should be taken at face value." He explained offhandedly, while wiping off his beard for any residual beer foam. "It means to not give up— the true meaning behind the potato has been lost to time." When you're a tiny contingent of fur trappers and prostitutes stuck in a providence while the rest of the continent is English, you tend to come up with your own funny sayings.

There were three things operators enjoyed more than anything else, and they were the three Bs: brawls, bullets, and booze. Two beers and a fifth of whiskey was just the start of the night for Buck, and it usually wasn't until the third shot before he started to feel the familiar buzz. Two beers were just enough to get him a little more conversational than usual. Drinks made conversation easier, and those good natured jokes easier to respond to and think of.

"It's a plan then. When you feel the need to experience the true terror of the Canadian outdoors, let me know. We've earned a few vacation days after today's debacle." He poured himself a shot, not bothering to measure but filling the glass to his own satisfaction. He gestured for Legolas to slide his own shot glass over, holding the bottle up to indicate his intention.

[orcsurfing]

What kind of friend would he be, if he did not use this opportunity to its fullest! Without digging too deep, or too personally, of course, but he did enjoy it when those less chatty ones opened up a little. Even if only in teasing. It was nice, a lightness contrasting the tension and stress of all that their job came with. No casualties this time, but they were not always this lucky, especially when taking this many newbies into the field.

Chasing away the darker thoughts, Legolas slid his own glass obediently, quirking a brow. "In this case—," oh, not taking Buck at a face value at all, as instructed, "Is the 'true terror of the Canadian outdoors' harmless rabbits and cosy walks in the park?" That was the one option, the other had to wait a sip and the burn of the whiskey to pass. "Or perhaps is it the ease to mistake you for a bear in the dark forest? Having one on your face, I can see how it could happen."

All the same, if it was a serious offer, Legolas wouldn't think twice about taking it, regardless of the context of it. There was no better way of taking mind off of Things than to go and stay out in the wild for a little while. The climate didn't bother him, the wildlife was no worse than what he knew too well. And if the company was good, that was all he needed.

"Regardless, I will be sure to dress appropriately for it."

[sk12]

"Hah," Buck chuckled as he downed his shot glass, taking extra care this time around to make sure no liquid got stuck in his beard. "When I've let it gone as unkempt as Blackbeard I'll accept that criticism. Until then, all I can think is you're giving me shit for the hell of it."

The curses dropped more liberally after a few beers, when normally he was cautious to rein them in when in public or with Legolas. The normal frown he wore was replaced with something easier and more relaxed as he finally let the stresses of the day fall away. It was the company too— drinking with the rest of the team tended to be more chaotic, with drinks and punches thrown as often as insults.

"Quebec is a good place to be." He finished, sounding as if he added a sudden afterthought. "I would have been content to finish serving at home if I hadn't been called away. Hazards of the job, j'pense." At the very least home was just a flight away in his case. He'd never been interested in asking his coworker for personal details, and even now he wouldn't change his habit. Still, he was always curious as to where Legolas' home, something that sounded like one of the hundreds of books he'd read as a child. One didn't grow up on Call of the Wild and other nature books without dreaming of a world outside of modern civilization, after all.

[orcsurfing]

True enough. Blackbeard, as his nickname implied very much, was more akin to a dwarf than Buck could ever dream to be. Still, beard was beard, especially when one let their drinks and food get stuck in it— which Legolas was glad, Buck was trying to be mindful about. He grinned in response, broad and cheeky, betraying just how true Buck's words were. Teasing just to tease! For one, it was really none of his business, and even if it were, he found Buck's beard, at least, suited him perfectly well.

The alcohol burned going down, almost painful in the first second, before it settled into pleasant warmth that just spread throughout his body from the belly. Relaxing and soothing. Though it was his companion's words that softened his expression into simple, warm amusement.

"Your love and pride of your home is admirable," he remarked, "Few in this day and age admit openly to such sentiments."

Then again, maybe it was a quality often found in those who would risk their lives for the fellow citizens, and more than that, for the fellow humans.

"I think you should go and visit, at least," take it from one who no longer can, but there was no need for such guilt. Legolas kept those words at bay, and continued easily with something else, something equally genuine. "We will hold the fort in your absence— unless the invitation stands, and you would take me with you. Then, I suppose they will still manage, if barely!"