Manly Things for Men

[hellboy]

Time:9:00pm
Date:August 8th

He had already downed five beers, his stone hand fumbling with a near empty fourth, as he fired an errant shot towards one of his infamous Manning targets in the firing range. It missed wide to the left.

The suits in the room were nervous, glancing about carefully, unsure how best to handle the situation. Hellboy, drunk, with a gun.
Oh and Arkins was there too.

"I gotta stay strong you know? I have to be the man. I can't just go running back to her now that she's coming back home. I mean...no...coming back to the B.P.R.D. I don't even...you know she didn't write me? I don't even know if she's back for me," Hellboy said with a slight slur in his voice. He downed the last of his beer and crushed the can.

"That bitch," Arkins grumbled, a clear drunken slur to his voice as well. He was seated on the gun table next to Hellboy, nursing one of the demon's cold beers, and swinging his feet idly too and fro.

"You take that back you ugly bastard," Hellboy grunted, poking Arkins in the chest with his stone finger.

"No," Arkins firmly replied.

"Fine. You're right anyway. Total bitch move. No I didn't mean that. Don't tell her," Hellboy said slowly, pausing clearly between each sentence.

Arkins made a little whip movement with his arm, enunciating it with a "Wha-pish."

"Shut up, that's not true," HB said defiantly.

"No. Your girlfriend has you totally whipped. You deserve my whip making sound," Arkins replied.

"Wife. Elizabeth. Lizabeth. Liz is my wife," Hellboy grunted.

"You got married!? Congratulations! Have a beer," Arkins said with a broad smile, slapping a fresh can in Hellboy's open stone hand.

"I should go see her," HB muttered softly as he opened his beer.

"No you shouldn't. You should be a man. Man up. Be a... guy," Arkins said swiftly, taking a swig from his drink.

"Yeah! I'm a man dammit! She should have to come see me! I don't have to go see her. It's not my fault it's hers!" Hellboy shouted, slamming his giant pistol down next to Arkins. The scarred man, clearly interested in the customized hardware snatched it up to look at it.

The suits all rushed forward, drawing their guns to point at Arkins, as he peered up at them innocently.

"What? What's wrong?" He slurred.

"Put it down. Put down the gun. Prisoner Arkins, put the gun down slowly, do it now. NOW!" The guards all started shouting.

"What? Why? I'm not going to shoot anyone," Arkins muttered.

"Hey, back off. Leave my little buddy alone, he's not going to shoot anyone right?" Hellboy said gruffly, rounding on the suits.

"Yeah. I'm not going to shoot anyone. And if I did, it wouldn't be anyone that mattered," Arkins began. He pointed towards one of the suits, a young looking man. "It'd be you by the way. I'd shoot you. But I'm not gonna. So leave me alone."

"Okay no more gun for you," Hellboy muttered, gingerly snatching the pistol from Arkin's drunkenly clumsy hands, "There we go, back to your posts everyone. Situation: Diffused."

"H-hey! HEY! A-Aww..." Arkins exclaimed, reaching for the gun as Hellboy slid it carefully into his side holster. The scared prisoner glared at the suits, "Now look at what happened. I blame you. All however many of you there is."

"More beer," Hellboy grunted, slapping a cold can in Arkins' hands. Arkins' made a happy sound, and quickly lost interest in his 'threats.'

[Kasim Chionesu]

Kasim stood with the other suits patiently, watching his charge get tanked. Hey, it was better than standing for hours on end outside the cell and getting things for him. When Kasim had brought him, though....he hadn't exactly counted on the beer and the already half-tanked Hellboy. Thos were two variables that Kasim could have done without.

He had gone on a beer run for Red and Mars and returned just as the other suits called in to keep an eye on Arkins diffuse the situation. It was funny, really. Arkins and Hellboy had been in a fight less than forty-eight hours ago, and now they were drinking together. "More Tecate Light." Kasim said as he wheeled in the cart piled with the blue cans. "Don't get too grabby, Mr. Arkins." Kasim said before leaving the cart and returning to his fairly close post, locking his wrists together behind his back.

[hellboy]

"Tecate Light," Arkins grumbled as Kasim approached, "No offense to you and yours Red. But this beer is absolute horseshit. Gimme a Maccabee or a Goldstar or summin."

"Shut up. Your stupid foreign crap is crap," Hellboy grunted, downing his current beer before reaching over to Kasim's cart to snag another.

"You shut up you stupid red monkey. Don't insult my glorious homeland and it's beautiful, delicious, wonderful alcohol," Arkins slurred, poking HB in the chest.

Hellboy chuckled before letting out a loud belch.

"You know, Kasim, you're a pretty good guy. I'm sorry I beat up your coworkers and almost shot them in their heads," Anton said suddenly.

"Hey, scar-face, this is MY time for MY problems. Not YOUR time for YOUR crap," Hellboy grumbled.

"Fine. Hey, Kasim. What do you think the big dumb red monkey should do? I say he should be a man and make his wife come talk to him first. But he keeps acting like a huge baby and whining about wanting to go see her," Arkins shouted over to Kasim.

"I'm not whining. It's just been a few months. And she's my wife," Hellboy muttered quietly.

[Kasim Chionesu]

Kasim smiled softly and looked at the ground as Red and Arkins discussed beer. It was like a conversation some of Kasim's buddies at the FBI academy would have...and in this setting it was just comical. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud, but when Arkins suddenly spoke, he didn't need to worry about laughing.

>>"You know, Kasim, you're a pretty good guy. I'm sorry I beat up your coworkers and almost shot them in their heads," Anton said suddenly.<<

What was Kasim supposed to say? It was a really awkward situation. "Um...Thanks and....I guess you should apologize to them before I can give you clearance--" He was then cut off by Hellboy's assertion that it was his time. Which Kasim kind of agreed with. It had been a hell of a day for the man.

>>"Fine. Hey, Kasim. What do you think the big dumb red monkey should do? I say he should be a man and make his wife come talk to him first. But he keeps acting like a huge baby and whining about wanting to go see her," Arkins shouted over to Kasim.<<

"I'm not one to judge on relationships." Kasim confessed, shrugging. "I guess the real question is whether you want her to be contrite or whether you want to be contrite. It all depends on who goes to the other first."

"Or you could save yourself a lot of misery and go see Liz. You know, rip it off quick like a band-aid." Frankie entered the training room dressed in blacks slacks and a short sleeved cardigan. "Throw me a beer, Red." She said, completely ignoring Arkins, and coming to a stand on Red's other side. "Trust me, if you don't want to catch grief over it for the next twenty years...I'd go and see her."

[hellboy]

>>"I'm not one to judge on relationships." Kasim confessed, shrugging. "I guess the real question is whether you want her to be contrite or whether you want to be contrite. It all depends on who goes to the other first."<<

Hellboy and Arkins stared at Kasim in silence. Hellboy opened his mouth momentarily to speak, and then realizing he had nothing to say, closed it. Silence ticked by for a moment before Arkins finally spoke.

"What. What's contrite mean?" He slurred, narrowing his eyes at Kasim. Hellboy nodded drunkenly along with Anton.

But Kasim didn't get a chance to reply, as Frankie strode into the room.

>>"Or you could save yourself a lot of misery and go see Liz. You know, rip it off quick like a band-aid." Frankie entered the training room dressed in blacks slacks and a short sleeved cardigan. "Throw me a beer, Red." She said, completely ignoring Arkins, and coming to a stand on Red's other side. "Trust me, if you don't want to catch grief over it for the next twenty years...I'd go and see her."<<

"Bones," Hellboy grunted to Frankie, "Beer that woman scar-face."

"My pleasure," Arkins said, tossing a Beer to Frankie, "Fair warning, my fair British bird, the beer is absolute shit."

Hellboy shoved Arkins, who slipped and stumbled off the table.
"No thanks to your advice Bones. I can't go see her now, even if I wanted. Too drunk. Getting drunk is getting stupid."

"Also, she should come to him. She left, she comes back, problems on her. Not the big red monkey here," Arkins grumbled, sitting himself back on the table.

"Yeah. That too. Not my fault, her fault. I was good and let her be, now it's her turn to be good and come to me dammit!," Hellboy said firmly, slamming his stone fist onto the metal table, causing it to bend slightly.

"Okay monkey, calm it down eh?" Arkins said, a fair bit more sober than before.

[Kasim Chionesu]

Kasim waited for the first few exchanges and said evenly, "Contrite is a sincere feeling of remorse." He paused. "Though I'm not sure what you should feel remorseful about. Since...she....left." Kasim's speech became halted and slow. "So I guess she should be contrite."

Frankie caught the beer without saying a word to Arkins. The man had shot her five times in the head, she wasn't going to buddy up with him. She was surprised Red was doing so, and furthermore, that Abe wasn't there. With a hiss and a slight spritz, Frankie popped the top on her beer and took a sip. It was no lager, that was for sure. "I understand what you're saying, but listen to me Red. Unlike anyone else here, I was married for twenty-five years. And unlike anyone else here, I possess a girl thingy, which Liz does too. And I've been pregnant. Right now Liz is worried about cravings and her feet hurting and the babies and probably over whether or not your completely pissed, HB. Take it from me: Go see her. You don't have to say anything, but go see her and see what she says. After all, you are the one that stayed." She walked over to the table on the other side of Red, leaned against it, and took a long draught of Tecate.

[hellboy]

>>"Though I'm not sure what you should feel remorseful about. Since...she....left." Kasim's speech became halted and slow. "So I guess she should be contrite."<<

"Yes. Agreed," Arkins said firmly, nodding along with Kasim, "Also. Now I know what contrite means."

>>"I understand what you're saying, but listen to me Red. Unlike anyone else here, I was married for twenty-five years. And unlike anyone else here, I possess a girl thingy, which Liz does too. And I've been pregnant. Right now Liz is worried about cravings and her feet hurting and the babies and probably over whether or not your completely pissed, HB. Take it from me: Go see her. You don't have to say anything, but go see her and see what she says. After all, you are the one that stayed." She walked over to the table on the other side of Red, leaned against it, and took a long drought of Tecate.<<

"I didn't have a choice about the staying. Even if I left she still didn't want me coming with her. She wanted me to stay. She wanted me to away from her. That's why she left!" Hellboy said, clearly growing more angry.

"It's not my damn problem if she's worried. It's her own damn problem! She was mad at me or something, so she left me! She wasn't leaving the Bureau. She was leaving me! So now she's back...but she's not coming back to me! She's coming back to the Bureau!" Hellboy began to shout, clearly becoming more and more incensed. At the last sentence he crushed his nearly full can of Tecate in his stone hand, sending liquid spraying out.

"Aw crap," he muttered, looking down at his wet shirt.

Arkins wiped the sprayed beer from his face and patted Hellboy on the shoulder somewhat roughly.
"Calm down there big guy. Take a deep breath and drink more beer," he said somewhat calmly.

[Frankie Guidicini]

Throughout the following exhanges of words, Frankie sipped her beer thoughtfully, trying to make sense out of what Hellboy was trying to convey.

>>"It's not my damn problem if she's worried. It's her own damn problem! She was mad at me or something, so she left me! She wasn't leaving the Bureau. She was leaving me! So now she's back...but she's not coming back to me! She's coming back to the Bureau!" Hellboy began to shout, clearly becoming more and more incensed. At the last sentence he crushed his nearly full can of Tecate in his stone hand, sending liquid spraying out.
"Aw crap," he muttered, looking down at his wet shirt.<<

Frankie darted away just in time to avoid the spray of beer. Wow, Hellboy was...well, beyond tipsy. She'd had to be as soothing as possible. And maybe slightly buzzed herself. She threw her head back and drank the rest of the Tecate Light in her can. She let out a sigh and tossed the can with the others before snatching another from the wheelbarrow.

>>"Calm down there big guy. Take a deep breath and drink more beer."<<

"If you're gonna keep squirting it all over the floor, Red, I think you should save the beer. You know, until you actually choose to consume it. Otherwise it's just a bloody waste." She side-stepped the puddle of beer and rested against the table again.

"Think about it this way, Red." She popped the top on the Tecate and sipped the foam. "Just close your eyes and think on this: She's the mother of your two unborn children, mate. Think of 'em being born, growing up...Do you really want to maybe miss out on that because you won't go see Liz? You won't go see her because she didn't come see you straightaway? Come on, mate, that's silly."

[hellboy]

>>"If you're gonna keep squirting it all over the floor, Red, I think you should save the beer. You know, until you actually choose to consume it. Otherwise it's just a bloody waste." She side-stepped the puddle of beer and rested against the table again.<<

"Oh har har Bones," Hellboy grumbled, popping the top on a beer Anton handed him, "You finish off four more...no....five more of those, and then you can mock." He took a long swig of his new beer, downing almost the full thing, as Frankie spoke up.

>>"Think about it this way, Red." She popped the top on the Tecate and sipped the foam. "Just close your eyes and think on this: She's the mother of your two unborn children, mate. Think of 'em being born, growing up...Do you really want to maybe miss out on that because you won't go see Liz? You won't go see her because she didn't come see you straightaway? Come on, mate, that's silly."<<

"Okay. A. That is a valid point. One that I plan on helping the red monkey here ignore. B. Monkey, you're having kids? Who knew demons and humans would be compatible. There's hope for me yet. And C. Who invited your fine ass to man time my beautiful British bird? We are being men. With guns. Manly men. We violently deal with our problems in violent ways. It has terrible results, terrible awful results, but that is how we deal with it. No woman folk can change that," Arkins slurred, bending forward to look at Frankie around Hellboy.

"I'm not. No. I'm not gonna stay away FOREVER," Hellboy grunted.

"Yeah. He's right. We're not talking about the forever. Not the big picture. Just the small picture. The here and drunken now. So hop on board that train if you're gonna make your arguments. Also, as an unrelated note, I'm really sorry I shot you," Arkins rambled.

"Shot her five times. In the face. No. Wait. No. Shut up. No wait, good that you apolahgized. Apolo Gised. Apologized. But shut up about your crap. We are talking about my crap. Even though right now I agree with you scar-face," Hellboy said slowly, shoving Arkins again, who was too busy making a celebratory noise at Hellboy's comment to defend himself.
"Bones, get more drunk. Argue on our level, then maybe I'll be able to understand. But right now, you're too sober for me to take you seriously."

[Frankie Guidicini]

>>"Okay. A. That is a valid point. One that I plan on helping the red monkey here ignore.<<

Frankie scowled at Arkins. "Shouldn't you be somewhere killing tiny kittens or something?" The animosity and dislike of the man that she had ignored showed in her face. She really wanted to know why the hell Abe wasn't here but a man who had gone on a rampage in the last forty-eight hours was.

>>B. Monkey, you're having kids? Who knew demons and humans would be compatible. There's hope for me yet. And C. Who invited your fine ass to man time my beautiful British bird? We are being men. With guns. Manly men. We violently deal with our problems in violent ways. It has terrible results, terrible awful results, but that is how we deal with it. No woman folk can change that," Arkins slurred, bending forward to look at Frankie around Hellboy.<<

"I was coming here to practice my little gift. But I saw Red and beer and I got sidetracked. Plus, there's one thing that men just don't understand: No mater what, the woman is right. Even when she's wrong, she's right. Unless you two want unwarranted misery in whatever love-life you may have," she said this with a leer at Arkins, "Keep that in mind. 'Sides, you guys might need someone slightly sober around." She polished off her second beer and grabbed another. "Mind you, I said slightly."

"Since you've dived right in, Ms. Guidicini, please try not o be provocative. Or get into a fight with anyone." Kasim said anxiously. "But I think she may be right, guys."

>>"I'm not. No. I'm not gonna stay away FOREVER," Hellboy grunted.

"Yeah. He's right. We're not talking about the forever. Not the big picture. Just the small picture. The here and drunken now. So hop on board that train if you're gonna make your arguments."<<

"Alright, here's me hopping on that train." Frankie opened her beer and sipped. "Go to her while she's here and now. Ha! Argument made. Or maybe you should sober up first. Either way."

>>"Also, as an unrelated note, I'm really sorry I shot you," Arkins rambled.

"Shot her five times. In the face. No. Wait. No. Shut up. No wait, good that you apolahgized. Apolo Gised. Apologized. But shut up about your crap. We are talking about my crap. Even though right now I agree with you scar-face," Hellboy said slowly, shoving Arkins again, who was too busy making a celebratory noise at Hellboy's comment to defend himself.<<

"Let me shoot you five times in the face and I'll consider us even, wanker!" Frankie said sharply. "And though you apologized, I don't think I'll be forgiving you anytime soon. The fact that I could have very possibly died kind of makes me a bitch that way."

>>"Bones, get more drunk. Argue on our level, then maybe I'll be able to understand. But right now, you're too sober for me to take you seriously." <<

"Aye, aye, captain." Frankie threw her head back and drank the rest of her beer. When she finished, she covered her mouth to muffle a burp. "Getting there, Red."

Kasim, meanwhile, hopped on his com. "This is Agent Chionesu...We may need more agents down here...just as a precaution."

[hellboy]

>>Frankie scowled at Arkins. "Shouldn't you be somewhere killing tiny kittens or something?"<<

Arkins laughed, shaking his head slightly, but he did not respond further.

>>"Alright, here's me hopping on that train." Frankie opened her beer and sipped. "Go to her while she's here and now. Ha! Argument made. Or maybe you should sober up first. Either way."<<

"Eh. No. No I'm not going now. Drunk. Still a little pissed. Not my job right now. I played nice when she wanted to leave. Her turn to play nice if she wants to come back," Hellboy grumbled.

"Here here! For now, we get drunk. We make inappropriate comments, and have all the nervous guards get worried," Arkins said loudly, raising his beer can in the air as some sort of salute.


>>"Let me shoot you five times in the face and I'll consider us even, wanker!" Frankie said sharply. "And though you apologized, I don't think I'll be forgiving you anytime soon. The fact that I could have very possibly died kind of makes me a bitch that way."<<

Hellboy drunkenly giggled, mouthing the insult Frankie had called Arkins. The scar faced man, taking a proactive response, leaned over to the woman.
"Listen, girly. I've been called a hell of a lot worse than a masturbator. So grab on tight to something cruel and meaningful and then let that come flying eh?" Arkins said with a broad grin, "And let's be honest love, you'd have shot me five times in the face if I'd have tackled you in some secret foreign government base deep underground. A place of which you are a prisoner."

"The only difference would've been that your ugly ass wouldn't have got back up after," Hellboy said with a slight chuckle.

"Truth be to that. Mind you, I'd love some of that regenerating shit the two of you have. The minute some genius scientist type figures it out and boils it down - I want it injected right into my veins as fast as possible," Arkins slurred, finishing another beer.

Hellboy just laughed, and chugged the remnants of his own.

[Frankie Guidicini]

Frankie finished her beer yet again and shook herself. Ok, now she was beginning to feel the effects. Dear lord, she was getting old. Mentally, if at least not physically. She remembered cold winter night in Russia with a couple of mates and a bottle of vodka...Boy, was that fun. What wasn't so fun were the mornings after, when her body caught up with the damage done to her liver and she began spitting up acid. Good times.

>>"Eh. No. No I'm not going now. Drunk. Still a little pissed. Not my job right now. I played nice when she wanted to leave. Her turn to play nice if she wants to come back," Hellboy grumbled.<<

"Fine, fine. Just remember what I said about her being right tomorrow, if you remember anything at all. Maybe you should write notes on the inside of your hand so you don't forget." Frankie reached for another beer.

>>"Listen, girly. I've been called a hell of a lot worse than a masturbator. So grab on tight to something cruel and meaningful and then let that come flying eh?"<<

"I do like myself a challenge. Hmmm..." She closed her eyes and mentally thumbed through every rude and offensive phrase or name she had ever learned in any language. She found one and smiled. "Perhot' podzalupnaya. I quite like that one. I'll let you figure it out, mate." She popped the top of her latest beer and took a drink, grinning with satisfaction.

>>"And let's be honest love, you'd have shot me five times in the face if I'd have tackled you in some secret foreign government base deep underground. A place of which you are a prisoner."<<

"If I were you, I wouldn't have been so quick to be caught. You started shooting people, and guns make a lot of noise, mate. I would have cut through the cuffs, rendered the guards unconscious, and slipped out rather silently. Or, you know, let them think they killed me and waited for them to dispose of my body. Either way. But the moral of the story is that if I were you and you were me," She paused as if to regroup her thoughts. The alcohol certainly was working, "I would have been gone before I ever saw you."

>>"The only difference would've been that your ugly ass wouldn't have got back up after," Hellboy said with a slight chuckle.<<

Frankie laughed with Hellboy and slapped him on the back, the action slightly hurting her hand. "Thanks for clarifying, Red."

>>"Truth be to that. Mind you, I'd love some of that regenerating shit the two of you have. The minute some genius scientist type figures it out and boils it down - I want it injected right into my veins as fast as possible."<<

"Unless your used to the toll it takes on you, it'd knock you flat on your ass. I remember the first time I got shot in the head -- Lord! I slept for a week. My superiors thought I was going to die. I guess it's like muscles though, the more you use 'em, the stronger it gets. You might have done me a favor unloading five bullets into my head, Perhot' podzalupnaya. At least now I know that won't kill me!"

[hellboy]

>>"Fine, fine. Just remember what I said about her being right tomorrow, if you remember anything at all. Maybe you should write notes on the inside of your hand so you don't forget." Frankie reached for another beer.<<

"No," Hellboy grunted, "I plan fully on forgetting this entire affair in the morning. Except for the being a man part. Which I will continue to do."
Hellboy lifted his hand at the end of his sentence, and Arkins high-fived him drunkenly.

>>"I do like myself a challenge. Hmmm...Perhot' podzalupnaya. I quite like that one. I'll let you figure it out, mate." She popped the top of her latest beer and took a drink, grinning with satisfaction.<<

"Relying on a foreign language to insult? That's the easy way out. Mind you, English isn't even my first language. More along the lines of my third. I could get all vicious in Arabic or Hebrew, but that would be such a bitch move eh?" Arkins slurred

"You're just bitching cause you don't know what she said. Hell, I don't even know what the hell she just said. Bones, what did you just say?" Hellboy said slowly, stumbling over his words.

"Nah nah, give me a minute, I spent time in Russia, I'll figure it out. Gimme a sec," Arkins mumbled.


>>"If I were you, I wouldn't have been so quick to be caught. You started shooting people, and guns make a lot of noise, mate. I would have cut through the cuffs, rendered the guards unconscious, and slipped out rather silently. Or, you know, let them think they killed me and waited for them to dispose of my body. Either way. But the moral of the story is that if I were you and you were me," She paused as if to regroup her thoughts. The alcohol certainly was working, "I would have been gone before I ever saw you."<<

Arkins raised a brow sceptically at Frankie, shaking his head slowly.
"Darlin', I think I might bit of stuff would've happened had you been the prisoner rather that I, but I doubt you'd have made it out. The only reason I made a go of it the way I did, was because I wanted my magically bound cuffs off. But you should know that, it's what I was barking at you the entire time I had a gun on you eh? With my magic back on, it would've been easy to break out. You take away your little spikes and your regeneration and I think youd've had just as hard a time getting out."


">>Unless your used to the toll it takes on you, it'd knock you flat on your ass. I remember the first time I got shot in the head -- Lord! I slept for a week. My superiors thought I was going to die. I guess it's like muscles though, the more you use 'em, the stronger it gets. You might have done me a favor unloading five bullets into my head, Perhot' podzalupnaya. At least now I know that won't kill me!"<<

"All's well that ends well eh? You gain a bit more understandin' about your powers...but still with the grudge holding. You should let it go, is what you should do. I already forgave you for almost hobbling me and slitting my throat. No need to hold a grudge, gets in the way of work. Forgive and forget I always say. Life is too short," Arkins said, gesturing wildly. Clearly the alcohol was coursing strong through his veins, regardless of his complaints about the quality of it.
With sudden urgency Arkins raised his hands in declaration.
"I get it! I think. You said...piss hole? Piss hole...well I don't think I'm translating it wrong. I am drunk, and I only spent half a year up there...piss hole...dandruff? That can't be right...never mind...."

"Forgive and forget,' Hellboy muttered softly, preventing Arkins for continuing on. He shook his head, his face souring.
A few moments passed and Hellboy chuckled slowly to himself.
"You know...you're arguing like Liz and me...well...like we used to," He said somewhat soberly. A beat or two passed, and Arkins opened his mouth to speak, but HB interrupted him.
"I can't believe her, she just up and leaves me, and then comes back without even bothering to write? And she doesn't come find me, instead she's probably off...doing...doing...hell I don't know."

"Oy, monkey, it'll be okay right? She's probably just as nervous about coming to see you as you are," Arkins said, trying to be comforting as he patted HB on the arm.

"I'm not nervous!" Hellboy said loudly, "I'm just....I'm just....drunk."

[Frankie Guidicini]

Frankie took a long drink from her beer as Arkins and Hellboy mused over the nickname she had granted Arkins. She grinned as Hellboy asked what it meant. "If I told you, that would ruin my fun watching Perhot' podzalupnaya work it out, Red." She drained the rest of the can and crushed it in her hands. "And you know me. I don't usually get much fun by just simply calling someone a name."

>>"Darlin', I think I might bit of stuff would've happened had you been the prisoner rather that I, but I doubt you'd have made it out. The only reason I made a go of it the way I did, was because I wanted my magically bound cuffs off. But you should know that, it's what I was barking at you the entire time I had a gun on you eh? With my magic back on, it would've been easy to break out. You take away your little spikes and your regeneration and I think youd've had just as hard a time getting out."<<

"I suppose you're right. But they don't make dampeners for my abilities, or if they tried to suppress them, I'd kill someone before they succeeded. Sucks to be you, mate." She scratched the back of her head. "I also have strength beside my foremost abilities. That could be useful if I was just simply handcuffed, I suppose. But I think if I was normal, anyway, I would have been dead long ago and needn't worry about this stuff."

>>"All's well that ends well eh? You gain a bit more understandin' about your powers...but still with the grudge holding. You should let it go, is what you should do. I already forgave you for almost hobbling me and slitting my throat. No need to hold a grudge, gets in the way of work. Forgive and forget I always say. Life is too short,"Arkins said, gesturing wildly.<<

"Not for me." Frankie said darkly. "Dear Lord I need another beer! You would think alcohol would have happy effects on me, eh Red?" She discarded her crushed can and broke off another can from one of the six packs, popping the top. "'Sides, you were on my turf, and I think I have more than enough right to hold a grudge against you for almost killing two innocent suits. I mean sure the guys have high casualties, but they were just doing their jobs!" Kasim shifted nervously from his post.

>>With sudden urgency Arkins raised his hands in declaration.
"I get it! I think. You said...piss hole? Piss hole...well I don't think I'm translating it wrong. I am drunk, and I only spent half a year up there...piss hole...dandruff? That can't be right...never mind...."<<

Frankie was taking a sip of beer as Arkins poke and then snorted and laughed, spraying beer everywhere. "Oh bloody hell! My sinuses!" Frankie clapped a hand over her sinuses, unable to stop laughing even though the alcohol she had accidentally pushed into her sinuses burned like hell. After a moment, it passed, and she pulled her hand away, giggling madly.

>>A few moments passed and Hellboy chuckled slowly to himself.
"You know...you're arguing like Liz and me...well...like we used to," He said somewhat soberly.<<

That killed Frankie's giggling. She certainly didn't hope that Red was alluding to what she thought he was alluding. "Now listen here, Red--" She began, but then Hellboy spoke, followed by Arkins.

>>"I'm not nervous!" Hellboy said loudly, "I'm just....I'm just....drunk." <<

"Cheers, mate." Frankie said, toasting him with her beer can. "And I'm sure tomorrow, we'll all wake up with fine headaches from this lovely night. 'Cept me of course. I'll just spit up some acid to make up for the corrosion of my liver and be on my way...Is that too much information?" The drink was clouding her judgment.

[hellboy]

>>"Not for me." Frankie said darkly. "Dear Lord I need another beer! You would think alcohol would have happy effects on me, eh Red?" She discarded her crushed can and broke off another can from one of the six packs, popping the top. "'Sides, you were on my turf, and I think I have more than enough right to hold a grudge against you for almost killing two innocent suits. I mean sure the guys have high casualties, but they were just doing their jobs!" Kasim shifted nervously from his post.<<

Arkins considered Frankie's statement for a moment. Something he was not likely to do while not under the effect of alcohol.

"That...well that, is a good point. Can't imagine who I would've been stuck with if I had bothered to actually shoot one of these fine gentleman. Hell, if I had shot the seemingly only black man down here I'd be stuck with someone that I assume would be far more inept," Arkins slurred, nodding carefully along. Proud of himself for paying a (somewhat confusing) compliment to Kasim.

"Probably wouldn't be here right now. Probably be locked up in a tighter cell," Hellboy grunted to Arkins, who raised both brows and nodded understandingly.


>>"Cheers, mate." Frankie said, toasting him with her beer can. "And I'm sure tomorrow, we'll all wake up with fine headaches from this lovely night. 'Cept me of course. I'll just spit up some acid to make up for the corrosion of my liver and be on my way...Is that too much information?" The drink was clouding her judgment. <<

"Lucky you," Hellboy grunted, "I for one, will enjoy the coming headache. It'll stop me from getting in a shouting match with Liz right from the get go."

"Sounds like a fair plan," Arkins said, starting another drink, "Though I'd love the spitting up acid bit to cure what ails me. We had this psychic healer on the squad back in my military days. Bastard could reach right in you and fix your liver up after a hard days drowning of one's sorrows. Loved the bugger like a brother. Loved all those buggers like brothers."

"Thought you were in the service," Hellboy said, regaining some of his cheer and slapping Arkins roughly on the shoulder, "You carry yourself like a man who's done some dirty work. Like that about you, scar-face."

"Thanks you great ugly monkey. Hey, here's hoping we get sent out on mission together, I can show you my stuff. Make up for all the shooting at you I did," Arkins said with a loud laugh, punching Hellboy in the arm.
"You too, my pretty British bird. Though I'd prefer we be on a bit more amicable terms before I ask you to watch my back. Anyway I can speed up that process eh?"