Taking her lead, Elliot glanced behind him, checking his aim before he sank into one of the chairs that were still bolted to the floor. "So you're saying you want me to take off my shirt and freeze? How thoughtful of you." It was hardly freezing in Madison Square, what with all the bodies packed together, but it was getting closer and closer to winter time and the air was noticeably chilly.
Elliot watched her with a bemused expression as she spoke of tattoo ideas. "If we come across a good enough artist, it could always be a combination of the two. A butterfly whose wings look like the rays of the sun." The irony of the nickname didn't escape him, nor did he feel the need to mention that he already considered her his own personal Rae of sunshine. That might be a little weird.
Laughing at the suggestion of it being a Men in Tights deal, Elliot said, "You know, the first time I got my brother drunk, I convinced him to sing that whole song when we went to the park. If you'd seen that, you definitely wouldn't be calling me a party pooper." He chuckled a bit more, then added on a little more serious note, "But you're right about that. There aren't really any rich people around anymore. Unless you count the people who go way overboard when it comes to looting."
"Poodle skirts aren't that different from other skirts. The only major difference is, well, the poodle." He grinned. "I guess I could pull off the Greaser look. As for the bookwormy look? I don't think I have what it takes to be a nerd." He poked his tongue out at her.
Ask him about anything else, and he was more than happy to make light of the conversation, or treat it seriously if the situation called for it. But whenever the subject turned to his family, Elliot was unable to keep it from affecting him. Tending to sick or injured people and joking with his friends were his method of detaching. It helped to get him through the day. Rae understood that, to a certain degree. She'd recently lost her mother, so he felt as though they could relate more in that respect. But she still had her father, whereas Elliot was alone.
Nodding, he did his best to let happiness fill his voice. It certainly helped that the story in question was an amusing one. "It was fun. The first time I took him, he was terrified. Kept crowding me on the wagon 'cause he didn't want to sit by himself. And I, uh," he peered up at her and grinned sheepishly. "I kinda got mad and shoved him off the wagon. After that, he was pretty much convinced that the spirits were responsible." If only he could go back to that time now. David wouldn't have come to New York for that stupid ghost-hunting thing. They'd both still be together. Maybe their parents would still be alive, too.
Elliot took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Tearing open the packet of Pop Rocks, he forced his expression to brighten. "What about you, Rae? What sort of trouble did you get into on Halloweens past?"