Turkiversary - Ongoing - Closed

[suits_me]

WHO: Turks: Reno stray_redbird, Rude expert_stoic, Tseng black_honor, Elena suits_me, also Lulu chasing_fury
WHAT: Elena plans a little party to celebrate a whole month of survival for the Turks.
WHERE: Turk HQ (A little office attached to a warehouse)
WHEN: After Tseng helped her paint.

Comments

[chasing_fury]

At Rude's nod, Lulu rested a hand on the man's shoulder, shaking the can upside down as she moved to stand behind him--poised and ready to strike. She'd noted the darkening of his expression, though not at her, and she could just imagine...the hell these two must give eachother.

"I'm sorry," she said, leaning down to whisper in his ear as she dispensed the whipped topping on his handsome head with a flourish. Letting her eyes flicker to Reno just to make sure she'd applied enough before she tossed him the can.

Then it was both hands on Rude's shoulders as she bent over her work, letting her tongue slip seductively over the whipped cream, licking her lips as her hands massaged his muscular neck.

After that, she ignored the fact that they had an audience, though her movements were elegant and sultry as always--concentrating wholly on what she was doing. Moving her tongue in confident circles and firm strokes over smooth skin...taking his face lightly in her hands as she stepped around to the front and tipped his chin down--rather dangerously--in order to reach the last of the whipped cream above his brow.

Shooting Reno another wicked smirk as she licked her lips clean and then kissed the top of his baby's head before she took her seat. Taking a moment to take in their reactions--all the while looking as demure as if she did this sort of thing every day.

"I suppose it's back to you, Elena," she said finally, "Truth, Dare, or Drink? And after that we really have to get back at the ace over there," she added, shooting Reno another look.

[suits_me]

"..." It was like watching a carwreck -- no matter how bad it was, Elena just couldn't look away. She barely even blinked as Lulu applied the whipped cream to Rude's head. She kept thinking that any second now, one of them would back out. A hand slapped over her mouth when Lulu started licking him clean. And that's how she remained until it was over. Suppressing any words or sounds; wide-eyed and unblinking; and blushing slightly.

"Huh? Oh." Elena lowered her hand slowly and finally blinked a few times. "His time's coming." She shot the redhead a look. Rude just might kill him. Or thank him. She's not sure which.

"Truth." She shrugged, choosing that option easily. Most of her secrets don't stay secrets for long anyway.

[stray_redbird]

The funny thing was, Reno and Rude lived in a quirky sort of harmony, walking the line of an intimate and long-lasting friendship with surprisingly little trouble. And even though they were likely going to attempt to continue the vicious cycle of Truth or Dare vengeance, by the time they got back to the apartment, things would be at their usual balance again. Reno couldn't remember a time, even with his violent temper, that he'd ever stayed annoyed at Rude.

The redhead easily caught the can in both hands. He sprayed a little onto the tip of his index finger before lifting it to his mouth, savoring the pure sugar taste before setting the can of whipped cream beside him. A touch of jealousy curled leisurely in his stomach when Lulu began, but it wasn't unexpected-- a natural reaction, because Reno knew he'd come to think of his baby as well... His. Because it was Rude and Reno, Reno and Rude. For all their differences, they might as well have been brothers, born attached at the hip.

Not to mention, as an after thought, he was the one that usually licked Rude's head.

But, territory and asking-for-it aside, Reno was also infinitely entertained, because he had a sneaking suspicion that his best friend was going to be rather frustrated following the completion of the dare. That meant that he'd successfully gotten his revenge. This amounted to a deceptively nonchalant expression, Reno's vibrant eyes partially hidden under long lashes, though he never averted his gaze, merely watching with a faint look of amusement on his face even with Lulu flashed him her smirk.

He didn't speak though, just sitting back and waiting to see what Elena's question would be-- wondering if it would be something he hadn't pried out of her already.

[expert_stoic]

Rude didn't move a muscle while Lulu sprayed the whipped cream on his head and licked it off. Each stroke of her tongue made the sensation better and better, but he couldn't forget they had an audience and he grit his jaw in an effort to ignore what Lulu was doing. He was endlessly grateful for his sunglasses, but they didn't help him at all when Lulu came around to the front and leaned over to lick off the last bit of whipped cream. Suddenly, those beautiful breasts were directly in front of his face and it took will power to keep himself from just burying his face between them.

He was relieved when Lulu pulled away, but he was so distracted that he completely missed how the game was progressing. He shot Reno an unfathomable stare before he pushed himself up from the floor.

"...I need a drink."

[chasing_fury]

Right about then, Lulu was thinking they could all use a drink, after her little performance--but the show must go on.

So she kept her expression relaxed as she faced Elena, turning a few questions over in her mind, though she really didn't know any of them well enough to have many questions quite yet.

Finally, she said, "I understand the concept of being married to one's work, but tell me, how do you really feel about Reno's nickname for you?"

[stray_redbird]

Reno just smiled, all sass and a little affection, at the stare his friend gave him. He was expecting a little bit of a cold shoulder when they got home, or maybe a lecture. But he was confident about his ability to win Rude's good favor back-- nearly as confident as Lulu was in her own skills.

But, apparently, Lulu had more in store for him. The question was directed at Elena, but the redhead couldn't help but feel a little set up. He pursed his lips briefly. It was true that he called Elena his Wife almost every day, every hour. But he'd never bothered to ask her if she liked it or not-- other things led him to assume it was all right with her.

Guess he was about to find out for sure.

[suits_me]

She felt a twinge of sympathy for Rude, matched by an equal amount of irritation at Reno for putting him through that. Behind closed doors was one thing, but he didn't strike her as the type who liked an audience. Not many people did. She tried to focus on Lulu's question, thinking herself prepared for anything the woman might ask. But what she came up with caught the female Turk a little off-guard.

Her immediate response was a blink, followed by quickly lowered eyes. She had to think about that. Really think about it. Elena stood up and made her way over to the table with the various bottles on it, picking one of them up under the guise of reading the label.

"I don't mind." The blonde finally admitted. She was very serious about her work after all. But if only she could stop herself there. "I like it." She added. And that pause gave her a second chance to just shut up.

"I'd rather belong to him than anybody else in the world."

Elena unscrewed the lid off the bottle and poured a small amount of the amber liquid into a glass. "If I were that kind of girl." She finished with a deliberately casual shrug. "Which I'm not." She added more firmly, turning to face them again and taking a drink from the shot glass. It's contents made her wince a bit, but she fought her way through it. "Moving on. Reno, truth or dare?"

[stray_redbird]

Reno thought about asking Elena to pour him some of whatever she was having, but thought better of it after a second and reached over for his beer bottle instead. He wanted a cigarette too, but settled for one vice instead of alternating between two. He swallowed a good mouthful or two before putting his beer down and scooping up Peanut instead. The puppy tilted his head, giving Reno a questioning look.

Secretly, he was curious about Elena's answer. Even if she didn't like being called Wife, he wasn't sure he wanted to pick a different nickname, or if any other nickname would ever do. She was just Wife to him, or 'Lena if not that. Same as Rude was his baby, and Tseng was starting to become Boss (sometimes Princess).

He was a little relieved then that she admitted that no, she didn't mind the nickname. Good. Reno almost started to tune out to play with his dog, except ... She kept going.

Oh, great. What was a guy like Reno supposed to say to that? He liked to meander on the gray between friendship and more than friendship-- that was his comfort zone, where he could be loyal and intimate, but not any more committed than he needed to be. He liked knowing Elena liked him, and he was fond of her-- fonder of her than anyone, except Rude. But that was the extent to which he'd thought about it.

Fortunately, Elena spared him by giving him the game's options. Reno was finally getting some mercy.

"Dare," he answered without really thinking. He was itching to get up and do something anyways.

[suits_me]

Elena had tried to spare him from the very beginning. She'd told him exactly what it meant...and what it didn't mean. Because she knew him, probably better than he realized. Without a lot of strength or mako, her survival had depended on being observant. But it also applied to other things too. Everything that Reno has said or done in the past month has been been noticed, analyzed to a degree he would probably make fun of her for. Everything bad had been discarded; everything good absorbed. No wonder Tseng thought she was picking up too many of his bad habits.

She watched him now, if only because he seemed to be fidgeting and she found that kind of funny. But more than that she was waiting for his choice. The glass lifted to her lips again, the liquor stopping at her lips when he chose dare. At that moment her eyes pretty much said it all.

Gotcha.

Elena placed the unfinished alcohol aside, reaching back to rest her hands against the desk. She knew he'd pick dare. And in Reno's mind, he probably thought there was nothing he'd back down from. So even though she was dead serious, she was also a little amused at what she was about to dare him to do.

"I dare you to give me the stuff." There was no need to mention the mako by name. They'd had enough conversations about 'the stuff' for Reno to know. So she was trying to use a game for her own agenda. He could call it a dirty trick, call her a cheater.

She'd learned it from him.

[stray_redbird]

"No."

The word was out of his mouth before his brain had even fully comprehended what she'd dared him to do. The rejection was almost reflexive-- instinct bred from all the times he'd turned her down on the issue, probably. He understood all the advantages of mako well. He knew it made you faster, stronger, quicker to heal, and more resilient. He could smoke and drink all he wanted without facing physical consequences, and there were almost no illnesses that could touch him.

But he also knew the pain of the infusion, the high risk of death, and the loss of humanity. It wasn't something he really wanted for Elena. He definitely didn't want her to die.

"No, no, and fuckin' no," the redhead shook his head, a bit of an annoyed expression on his face. The irritation showed in his eyes, their brightness. "We're not gonna talk 'bout it here or now. You don't think I'll break the rules of a stupid game to turn you down on that?" His characteristic playfulness was temporarily gone. Even Reno was sharp when he wanted to be-- terribly so. "You want it that bad? Bring it up with Tseng-- he's takin' good fuckin' care of ya."

Reno's eyes narrowed faintly. He wasn't kidding around here. "My answer is still no."

[chasing_fury]

Even without fully understanding the implications, Lulu had known from the minute Elena laid forth the challenge that she'd just taken the game to a completely different level, and she wasn't sure quite what to think. Then again, she had so many multi-faceted reasons for being there herself, she couldn't really say one way or the other.

There was so much "stuff" rampant in the city it could have been a number of things, and though Lulu thought she had an idea what, hearing Reno's answer she knew it wold not be wise to ask questions. Better just to listen and wait.

In over your head much, Lu? she though to herself. Things were going swimmingly.

[suits_me]

"Goddammit Reno!" Elena's curse was almost as instant as Reno's refusal. She knew what his answer would be, it was just a convenient way to bring the subject up again. "I did everything you said! I got you your drugs, I even took care of you when they made you sick. There are other Turks now. And I could've closed that deal!" But at the last minute she realized how much Reno actually liked the chopper. He'd even given it a name. So she'd changed her mind. ...And now Tseng was picking up the tab for it.

Her next words died on her lips at the mention of Tseng's name. "What the hell does he have to do with anything?" Elena looked annoyed and confused all at once. But that pause for thought took some of the fire out of her.

"I get it." She shrugged before reaching for the bottle to fill her glass again. "It's fine to make deals with the rookie when you don't think she can actually do anything. And hey, if she does manage to pull it off, you can always go back on your word. What can she do about it, right?"

The blonde returned to the couch and flopped down unceremoniously on it. Her eyes were averted as she took a drink. "So, whose turn?" There was a touch of bitterness to a voice that would probably go silent.

[stray_redbird]

Reno's already freakishly bright eyes were illuminated with his temper, his brow slightly furrowed. "It's not that," he argued back at Elena, drawing out his pack of cigarettes now-- to keep himself still, because his hands and mouth had a mind of their own when he was annoyed. "You think I'd waste my fuckin' time with you if I didn't think you were damn capable? Believe me, I'm not that fuckin' generous."

He stopped for a moment to light his cigarette with a flick, flick of his lucky lighter. The flame gave an even more unearthly glow to his gaze before it dimmed to the tip of his cigarette. He took a deep drag before letting the smoke out as he went on rather irritably, "'Lena, you don't need it. Why the fuck do you wanna risk everything for some shit you don't even need?"

It hadn't been his choice. But it was hers. That was the most frustrating thing of all.

"Someone else go," the redhead didn't feel like doing anything but smoking his cigarette for at least one more turn.

[suits_me]

She tried to ignore him, not doing much better than the childish 'la la la not listening' inside her head. But somehow one of his words made it through anyway, forcing open the floodgates for the rest of them. Elena's eyes flickered to him and back again, but the frown on her lips was a hint that she was forced to agree with him. He wouldn't have partnered up with her if he'd thought her a lost cause. And she wouldn't have partnered up with him if she'd thought he was a total slacker with nothing to teach.

"Because--" Her reasons for wanting to risk it halted there. It's true that she wouldn't mind being stronger, wouldn't mind being able to take a few punches and give a few more back. But she had other things she could rely on, and confidence that she could only get better in those areas. Her main reason for wanting the mako would just sound so...stupid. Even Elena knew it. Most of the time she could barely admit it to herself.

"Mm." She'd already swallowed down one gulp of alcohol and held another in her mouth when she realized how strong the stuff was. Elena squeezed her eyes shut and forced it down. "Lulu, you go." She gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Maybe you can dare Rude to lick something off of you this time." Only now that she'd said it, he might not pick that option. But she's been wrong before.

[expert_stoic]

After Lulu's dare, Rude got up to get himself a beer and he idled at the table, drinking nearly half of the beer before he returned to sit down beside Reno. Elena's response was was a bit odd, but it was her dare that really got Rude's attention. He didn't interfere in their argument, but he did place his hand on Reno's back briefly after he explained why he wouldn't give Elena the mako.

He wasn't even sure that they were going to continue the game until Elena suggested that Lulu take another turn, but her suggested dare made him choke, since he'd been taking a drink at the time. He looked quickly between the two girls as a crease formed between his eyebrows.

He hadn't thought that this was going to be a torment Rude party, but it seemed like Elena was taking a cue from Reno, unfortunately.

[chasing_fury]

Lulu arched a brow at Elena's suggestion of a dare for Rude--not sure she's consumed entirely enough liquor to deliberately make sport of him on her own--especially when he started sputtering and frowning at them behind his dark glasses.

"Oh, come now," she said, "I hardly think that's fair. If Rude wants to get back at me and Reno, that's entirely up to him."

It was true, licking the whipped cream hadn't really phased her at all, nor was she squeamish about being licked. She just wasn't sure she was feeling quite that capricious yet. On the other hand...

"So what'll it be, Rude? Truth, or dare?" Of course, it was his choice, but if he did happen to choose the dare...Lulu was thinking body shots. That way, she would have to subject herself to a licking, and Rude would get to choose where it was dealt.