tampered | She'd try anything once

She'd try anything once

When; Dec 3
Rating; Probably R
Characters; Chekov, Lucy, Korra, Li
Summary; A friendly game of never have I never
Log;

It's just a small sort of party, but Lucy doesn't have people over that often so she's excited. She spent most of the day cooking food that's appropriate for drinking like hot wings, chex mix, chips and dip, celery and carrot sticks with ranch, pigs in blankets and red velvet cake for dessert.

She straightened the house in a whirlwind, put the rabbit in his cage and picked some good music. she cleaned the stripper pole too, because that was always a fun party activity. The bar was open and she'd set clean shot glasses out. By the time the first person arrived, Lucy was ready, dressed in a pair of snug jeans and a v-neck tee shirt. She's barefoot and she's left her hair down in loose, bouncy curls around her shoulders.

She throws the door open with a big smile, steps back and invites the first arrival in. Bryant, the Newfoundland is in his normal 'we have company' spot under the table (he'll come out later when he's comfortable with everyone) and Masha, the brainwashed-by-a-time-lord, ginger cat is watching everything from the back of the couch.

"Come on in!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Korra frowns while she pours a shot of juice. Just juice.]

What makes it different from any other kiss?

[The Southern Water Tribe celebrates the end of the Polar Night and the beginning of the new year with feasts and stories. There's no kissing tradition.]

In Russia, we never mix things with vodka. [Still, he nudges his bottle towards Korra just in case she wants to try--after he drinks and refills his shot glass, that is.]

It is good luck to kiss at midnight at the beginning of the new year. [Li, how do you even exist.] You have never had a New Year's Kiss?

[Lucy made an exaggerated sighing sort of groan sound and rolled her eyes, nudging Chekov with her shoulder] You're such a stereotype, Pavel. [And she followed it up with a giggle.]

Also, supposedly whatever you're doing at midnight, you'll spend the rest of the year doing. I wouldn't mind a whole year of kissing.

[She poured bourbon in her shot glass and looked to Li then downed her shot glass in one gulp with the finesse of one who has experience with shots. She makes a slight face, but not much of one.] New Years Eve, I will kiss you because that just can not continue to happen. [She looked to Chekov.] I'm also kissing you. Be warned. [And then beamed at Korra.] Don't worry. I'll kiss you too if you want and it's your turn to tell us what you've never done.

[ Since the others have explained New Years' Kisses to Korra, he doesn't elaborate. Sheepishly, he shakes his head at Pavel. ] Well, it's not exactly a practice in Japan. Or China. The New Year I spent in Tokyo was more about bell-ringing, rice-cakes and kite-flying. Oh, and that symphony. What was it? [ Beethoven's Ninth. He hums a little of it, off-key. Cover your ears, pls. ] And Chinese New Year is a 15-day stretch. More about the lanterns and family gatherings and Dancing Dragons. [ Except it's been over a decade since he's celebrated a traditional Chinese New Year. Blame constant deracination and a misanthropic profession. ]

Wha--? [ At Lucy's remark, his whole face goes red. He pretends to be absorbed in his juice like there's a tiny oracle bobbing in the glass. ] Ah -- th-th-thank you. [ God. This whole evening isn't just bizarre; it's a whole new level of bizarre. The bizarr-o rocket has broken from the bizarr-o launchpad and is now launching into the bizzarr-o-stratosphere. ]

Edited 2012-12-11 03:18 (UTC)

The Chinese New Year sounds fun. [And gerk, it's her turn?

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH.]

I've.....never....uh.... [Where does she even start? There's so many things she hasn't done. Um. Um. Um.]

Celebrated Christmas?

[She still doesn't understand what Christmas is.]

[Chekov nudges Lucy right back, unconcerned with all of the kissing threats.] Someone needs to spread the joys of Russian culture. And wouldn't a full year of kissing be unproductive?

[to Li] You should go to Russia for the holidays. In Petersburg, the New Year is celebrated with kissing and eating and fireworks. [And concerts, but he doesn't want to encourage Li to hum again.] Then, at night, Ded Moroz and Sengurochka give gifts to children. We then eat and drink until Christmas, which is on January seventh, and then we keep celebrating all through Svyatki until the nineteenth.

[Russian culture, ladies and gentleman. You're welcome.]

[Chekov downs his drink again, wondering if he should take two shots since he celebrates Western Christmas now, too.] Are there other celebrations in your world, Korra?

Unproductive but so much fun. [Really that's what she's concerned with. She listens to Chekov's description of Russian new year. it sounds a lot like several American holidays smushed together to her.

She looks to Korra awaiting her answer to Chekov's question. She pours herself another shot of bourbon and tosses it back because she has celebrated Christmas.]

Isn't there something with lanterns? Or have I watched too many movies? Also, it's your turn Pavel.

[ Li knocks back his own drink, not like a pro but not as timidly as expected. He was undercover as a Chinese student at a Japanese Umitsuki flat. He's seen his share of Christmases. In Tokyo itself, Christmas, though commercialized and tweaked, is considered the most romantic time of the year. Fuck knows why. Must be the fairy lights and glittery trees. He raises his eyebrows at Pavel. Despite a few assignments to Russia -- mostly Vladivostok -- he's never witnessed the Christmases there. Not that he had a chance to soak up the culture. Naturally he won't say so. ] Sen-gur-ochka? [ He rolls the pronunciation out carefully. ] Isn't she the Snow Queen? I read about her in a fairytale, once.

[ He glances from Lucy to Korra, smiling expectantly. He's twigged in that there might be similarities between Korra's world and Chinese culture. Especially if her calendar is lunisolar. As he waits for her answer, he pops another candy in his mouth. Crunch. ]

Of course we do! There's the Winter Solstice, the Summer Solstice, the Spring Whale Festival... [She had always loved these holidays as a kid, but compared to what everyone else is describing, they sound kind of boring. They were basically an excuse for the various families of the Southern Water Tribe to get together and eat a lot of food. A few games, but nothing like lanterns or fireworks or Dancing Dragons (which seriously sounds like the coolest thing ever, she remembers that vision she had about Aang and Zuko and the dragons and it was amazing).]

Oh! And there's Harmony Day. Everybody celebrates that across the four nations. [It's the one celebration that exists all across the world -- a celebration of the day Firelord Zuko and Avatar Aang united the four nations into the United Republic of Nations and founded Republic City. She'd heard some of the White Lotus guards talk about how their hometowns celebrated it, and it sounded a lot like the parties Chekov, Lucy, and Li were describing.]

[Russians like to party. They just so happen to combine basically all party traditions into each one.

Chekov winces as Li crunches another piece of candy.] Snow Princess, but close. [and then to Korra] You celebrate many things. At home, we have the one celebration and then take life very seriously for the rest of the year.

[That might not be true. And his turn? He's been waiting!]

Never have I ever [newer haf I ewer] reached fourth base.

[Li has a remarkable talent for loud candy crunching.] I think we celebrate Summer and Winter solstice too but it involves more dancing naked under the moon. And is a witch thing. [Quickly to Korra] Not that I think you're a witch. Just...commentary. [Then to Chekov] It's because you're cold. I"m serious when I'm cold too.

[It all makes sense.

And then the gaping, confusion and trying to figure out which base 'fourth' is before her eyebrows shoot up.] Home. It's called home base because it's...the last base and sex, except not in baseball. The sex part. We should've played Seven Minutes in Heaven and we could have taken care of that never. [Pause for fighting the urge to grab Chekov by the shirt lapels and dragging him off to a bedroom. That would be rude.] Oh! [Pouring bourbon, lifting the glass up in a toast.] to Home. [And down the hatch. Also. She might be getting a bit tipsy.]

[ There's no real Dancing Dragons, Korra. Just performers. Sorry to disappoint. Still, Hei files the information of her world and customs away, same as with Lucy and Chekov. He nods politely at her. ] A Harmony Day, huh? The sounds interesting. I think more than a few nations in my world could do with it. [ Too bad human nature is petty, bloodthirsty and dictated by profit. ]

[ Stunned, he stares mid-crunch at Lucy. ] D-Dancing naked? [ Then nearly chokes on his candy. Not at Pavel's confession -- that was apparent from the outset, (Sorry Pavel), but Lucy's suggestion. ] S-Seven Minutes in What? [ He's mastered his gag-reflex like a pro-sword swallower, but this whole evening is making him queasy. God, it's such a charade, sitting with the three of them like he's a normal boy with tolerance for such nonsense. ]

[ He considers abstaining from a drink. Then decides -- fuck it. 'Li' may be a socially-inept twerp. But he's not a virgin. And the only thing virginal about Hei at this point is his left nostril. ] To Home, [ mumbled shyly, cheeks red, before he tosses his drink back. His gaze narrowly avoids Korra's like two cars mid-collision. ]

[Fourth base? Dancing naked? Home? Sex? Seven Minutes in Heaven? What are people talking about?!?!]

......................I'm confused.

["Dancing naked under the moon" momentarily distracts Chekov.

Oh, but home base--that makes sense. He hadn't been fully clear on the sports analogy, at least insofar as the name of the final base involving sex was concerned. Pavel will be sure to thank Lucy for the clarification as well as her offer (Seven Minutes in Heaven escapes him, but her offer is still understood) once she is sober (and so is he). Should she offer again when she's not inebriated...]

Li, really? [Okay, so maybe Chekov is the only obvious ~~wirgin~~ virgin the the room, but he was sure that, with all of Li's blushing and awkwardness, the odds were good that he wasn't alone. That just leaves Korra, who clearly needs an explanation. While Chekov is decidedly not drunk, he's sufficiently liquored up to discuss sex without any misgivings.]

Home base--never have I ever reached home base. This is part of an analogy that equates stages of intimacy to a sport called baseball, and going through a series of bases culminates in reaching home base, or engaging in sexual intercourse.

[There are reasons that Pavel has never made it to home. Not all of them have to do with a studious nature or looking like someone's little brother, as evidenced here.]

[Of course it's a distraction. That's why Lucy said it. If she didn't think it'd distract people, she would have kept her knowledge of solstice things to herself. Besides, she's probably wrong. She still doesn't care because of the distraction.

She's incredibly glad she can clear that up for Pavel. She's a bit sad that Korra is confused and is desperately pleased at Li's reaction. Really. This is a lot of fun. She also thinks Korra needs a visual demonstration to help out Chekov's rather sad explanation. In fact, she gives him a look. That 'you're not helping' look. She reaches out and grabs Chekov's shirt, pulling him closer.]

First base [She says to Korra just before she manhandles Chekov into a kiss.] Usually with tongue. I'll save the whole room the embarrassment of physically demonstrating the other bases and use myself as a road map. [She points to her boobs.] Second base. FYI where some of the breast cancer awareness shirts get 'Save second base' from. [She points down.] Third base and then you sliiiiiiide all the way into home.

[And oh. It's her turn] Never have I ever done shots of straight vodka because ewww. [A look to Chekov.] Sorry but it's got to be said. Russians are weird. Cute, but weird.

[ Hei is faintly irritated by how the conversation is devolving to sex with every shot. Isn't that always the case? So tedious and predictable. Still, he matches tick-for-tick -- a tipsy-loose air and pink flags on his cheeks, like the lightweight 'Li' is meant to be. ]

Um, ye-es. Really. [ Uncomfortably, he shifts on his pillow, nixing Pavel's question with a shrug, as if it's code for, Yeah Bro, but it was so-so (or more likely Shush, you'll get details away from, ahem, mixed company). When Lucy starts 'demonstrating,' however, his face cycles through fifty shades of red. Spontaneous combustion in 3 ... 2 ... 1. Dropping his gaze, he stammers, ] Th-that -- certainly clears things up. [ He refrains from taking a drink -- Hei's done straight vodka shots, but naturally 'Li' hasn't. To Korra, he extends a pretend-petrified smile and his candy-roll. ] The terms are all, um, Americanisms. I'm sure your world has its own share of euphemisms. [ Or bending puns, fufufu. ]

[Korra blushes hotly when Chekov explains the analogy, and looks away when Lucy decides to demonstrate.]

O-oh.

[Her blush deepens when she looks at Li. Of course he's fine, wearing that stupid scared grin and offering her candy. She wishes she could punch that fake smile off his face.

So instead she does a shot of juice. At least since Lucy already spoke, it's not completely obvious that she too, ahem, hit a home run.]

[Most of what Lucy says after the kissing flies right by Chekov (although yes, her explanation was much... ah, more colorful than his). He stays more-or-less where she pulled him, fairly sure that she's trying to kill him with talk about dancing naked and kissing and all of that gesturing.

Oh, but now vodka is being insulted. He moves just far enough to grab his glass and take a shot--yes, of straight vodka.] I will accept being weird.

[He doesn't actually want to hear about the details, Li, but he'd be slightly embarrassed too. You know, if it wasn't Lucy. But why is Korra looking at Li like that...? And which is she drinking to? Surely she's not a fan of vodka.]

[When Lucy is done with her demo, she flops back down into her seat then sticks her tongue out at Chekov at his acceptance of being weird. She tilts her head and watches Li and Korra for a moment. She looks back and forth between them.]

You two are being weird.

[This from the girl who just gave a visual for the various 'bases' of making out.]

[ Punch him, Korra, and 'Li' will fight fire with fire. Or, more appropriately, whiny little bitch tears. Or do you enjoy looking like a bully? In picture-perfect innocence, he glances at Lucy. ] Hm? [ He's determined to play dumb as if at knife point. ] We are? [ But all he did was offer candy to an embarrassed teenager! STOP JUDGING. He hesitates then extends the roll to Lucy and Pavel in turn. Please. Take some. For the sake of less crunching. ]

[ Also less questions. ]

[Dude, she doesn't care. She's beat up whiny little bitches before. Guilt is for people who realize not everybody is as strong as you are.

And they are not being weird!]

Isn't it your turn, Li?

[Chekov looks from Li and his candy to Korra.

And takes a shot straight from the bottle.]

Perhaps that is enough of this game...

[Lucy has no idea what's going on, but Korra and Li are acting weird and Chekov is drinking from the bottle and something is wrong and this is bad.]

Uhm...we can play quarters. Less confession, more aim?

[ Social interaction might not be Hei's strong suit, but perception comes to him as easy as breathing. He knows what Pavel is thinking. There's a brief, baleful glance at Korra -- Congratulations, Queen Of Obvious -- before he settles back, popping another candy in his mouth. ]

Quarters?

[ The crunch is less comical now. He can feel how the mood has shifted from pink to gray. ]

[SHE'S SORRY SHE'S NOT A COMPULSIVE LYING FREAK.]

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