1st mission ☀ fun in the sun

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[Reno's one of the hardest working women in Edge, and lately it seems like there's been nothing but work in her life, especially since the city got trashed by those freaks. So when she dreams tonight, her mind drifts away to somewhere quite different: the sunny shores of Costa del Sol--not the most exciting place, usually, but a far cry from the gray skies and grayer buildings of the city.]

☀ #1:
[Miles of pure, untouched, sandy coastline--so tempting to mar it with beer bottles and cigarettes, which is exactly what Reno has done, putting out all her cigarettes in the sand and leaving the green and golden-brown bottles strewn around her, gleaming in the sun. She herself is stretched out on a towel, wearing a black bikini, sunglasses on her face. She's twisted one of her bikini straps around to form a makeshift holster for her Electro-Mag Rod. Because this is a dream, there's no need to worry about the redhead's nemesis: sunburn. She could lie out here all day without turning so much as pink. Lounging beside her is another woman, but at some point she gets up and wanders off. Reno grunts and lets her go, lighting another cigarette and slipping it between her lips. She's sure Rude'll be back later.]

☀ #2:
[There's a party on the shore: a bonfire, people singing and dancing. Reno isn't exactly attending. Instead, she's slinking around in the dark, setting charges in the sand. Once she's done her work, and the festivities are surrounded, she leaves the revelers behind. When she gets some distance between herself and the party, she turns back, just in time to see the explosives go off and the sand go up. And to hear the people start screaming. She grins.]

☀ #3:
[Now Reno, still in her bikini, has engaged in a heated bout of fisticuffs with a large (and suspiciously attractive) young man. She has a black eye and her fists are bloodied, but she clearly is enjoying herself, and the man is in much worse shape. He's covered in bruises, and his nose is bleeding, but she shows no sign of relenting.]

[[OOC: Feel free to encounter Reno at any point during her dream.]]

Comments

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Arrogance demands only one answer. Ami takes a large drink. She grins arrogantly, and her lips part to shape the word perfectly.]

Almost.

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[Reno laughs, genuinely amused by this.] Oh, I guess we'll have to find the doctor something stronger.

Here, I've got another one for you. [Reno has another glass now--this one's a layered shot, deep brown and deep red, whatever it is. It's also on fire. In fact, the glass seems to be glowing warmly in a way that's not quite normal.] Have a Meteor. [Either she likes drinks named after recent world disasters, or it's those less pleasant parts of her history rising up and making themselves felt in the dream in small ways.]

I think this is the start of a messed-up and wrong friendship XD

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She knows, still, not to drink too much, not to go over her head. She has a strong reserve of self-control. But she judges that her body, different anyway, should be able to handle the alcohol of the new drink.

So she takes it. She watches the glowing effect just long enough to appreciate it before she takes a testing sip of this one, too.]

And isn't that the best kind of friendship? ;3

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[A testing sip? Not on Reno's watch.]

Oh no, you're not a kid, you're a doctor. You're not getting away with that. [Her hand darts forward, repositioning the shot glass so that it tilts in what she believes is the correct angle, which would ideally send the alcohol into Ami's mouth and down her throat.]

You take all your medicine at once, doctor.

always. they need to get into so much mischief and trouble together.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She coughs, simply from the unexpectedness of the sudden burning her throat. She gives Reno a rather irritable look as soon as she recovers herself.]

Don't just do things so suddenly.

Yes, all the trouble!

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

Why not? That's what I always do. Sudden's the only way to do things.

'Sides, I've got your best interests at heart. Don't worry. [She smiles. Look how innocent she looks.]

It's better that way.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

If you're too impulsive, you won't be ready for the situations you find yourself in.

[Even to her, it sounds too serious and fussy.]

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding? Being impulsive's done me a lot more good than sitting back and thinking.

If I sat and thought about everything before I did it, I'd be dead by now.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

It's generally the opposite. Plans need a clear head to carry them out.

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you carry out the plan, but you've got to act fast when the situation changes, like it usually does.

Plans are just a guideline. What you need is instinct.

And uh, by the way, we're drinking in a bar here. There's not exactly a plan in effect.

I cannot. stop. laughing. at this thread. <3 thank you

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[It's the same she's been told before - in training, no less: stop overthinking and slowing herself down. Learn to trust those warrior's instincts inside her.

Funny how it comes down to a drink in a bar. She almost, almost smiles at herself.]

Then shall we enjoy our drinks?

Yay! I'm so glad. <3

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[For her part, Reno mostly gets told to think before she acts, but she'd hardly going to admit to that. Surely any criticism of her time-tested technique is flawed.

Reno leans back against the bar, satisfied with this, taking a long, deep swig of her beer.] Sounds good to me.

So, you got a boyfriend, doctor?

Re: Yay! I'm so glad. <3

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[A boyfriend? A sharp glance would catch the way her hand tightens around her drink; but she maintains her composure otherwise.]

Nothing like that.

I have other things on my mind instead. My career, for one.

[It has the faint ring of rationalization, as she pushes away thoughts of a man who might have been something like that. He's nowhere, now.]

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[She caught the slight tensing. She is a pro, and she's far more observant than she acts, but she gives no sign that she noticed.] Yeah, boyfriends are a pain in the ass. I've got a career too, and I don't want one either. But I know how to enjoy myself. You can't work all the time. That's just stupid.

[She nods toward the crowd.] You see any guys you like? [A pause.] Or maybe you already got one you like?

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[The repetition is slightly terse; no, tense.]

Nothing like that.

[Take the hint and switch the subject. She has no intention of being drawn into thinking about the person she's spent this long trying to put from her mind.

It forces her to glance around the room, as if to prove this. As usual with any gathering, there's a mix of types. She decides to turn it into a game, and smirks lightly.]

Want to choose one for me?

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[She doesn't believe that, but this sounds like something serious, and she's not in the mood for a serious discussion, so she's going to let it drop. For now. She might bring it up later, when she feels like it.]

You should.

[She thinks it over. There are a lot of people in the bar--it's her dream, so of course it's a great bar with the kind of clientele she prefers: entertaining and attractive. There's dancing, games of pool, gambling, and who knows what going on. Reno studies the crowd.] How about the one with black hair over there? He's pretty hot.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She looks, and something runs through her as she realizes what the black-haired man in question looks like. She covers her reaction by turning away, just a hair too quickly, and quirking her eyebrow at Reno.]

He can come to me - if he wants a chance.

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

Don't be like that. Come on, I picked him out for you, so now you go hit on him. It's more fun that way.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

And if I do?

[And if he rejects her? If he laughs?

No. She's done pretending to be nice. He will adore her

She'll make him.]

What do I get out of it?

[Despite the halfhearted protest, she stands up and heads that direction. Now that she looks, she can see his features are only similar to that person's. A moment later, the man in question is chatting her up with evident interest.

It's something she already knows isn't real anyway.]

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

If you do it, then you pick out a guy for me, and I hit on him.

That's the way the game works. [She plays it with Rude often enough, or tries to, though Rude isn't always willing to go along with it.] If you're lucky, you'll get some fun out of it. Or just get lucky. Either way. [She laughs.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She seems to hit it off with the strange guy; one might even call him entranced, the way he fawns over her. (Whoever said brainwashing was wrong again? When it gives her what she wants?) She basks in the attention, though of course it grows stale after awhile.

She ends up wandering back to Reno.]

In the end, it wasn't that bad. [For a short while. For no expectations. For nothing real.]

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

[Reno watches, interestedly. Ami seems to have a way with guys. Weirdly so. She may wonder about that, but she doesn't mention anything right now.] What, were you not that into him? [Not that she cares that much.]

Now you pick one for me.

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[She might let Reno in on her secrets - might. (Is it any wonder this girl will use different charm magic in another dream?)]

Let's see...

[She eyes the crowd, and picks a guy standing by himself, either the loner type or the type who thinks he's too good for anyone. Whichever he is, this should be a good challenge.]

Get him to buy you a drink.

[tasercopter.livejournal.com]

All right. Not a problem.

[Reno considers the guy she points out. Oh, guys who think they're too good for anyone. She knows them well. Not that he reminds her of anyone in particular, of course.

She prefers a direct approach for dealing with men of this kind.

Since this is her dream, she doesn't hesitate to approach him and put her tongue down his throat (not that she wouldn't be likely to do that in her waking life). He doesn't seem to mind too much. She slides her arms around her waist, enjoying herself.

No drink buying has taken place yet, but she's having fun.]

[waterfell.livejournal.com]

[Reno's definitely more outgoing; even as she is now, Ami can't help a quick feeling of surprise (or is it excitement? She isn't sure she wants to indulge a guy like that, but the idea of being that confident and free is so appealing).

But the deal was a drink, and Ami surreptitiously glances that way every now and then to make sure of it.

The guy who comes to hit on Ami is shot down with a few cold words.]