interstellar5555 | Locked in a Room

[He's the worst person to run off with, but she's not really any better. It's probably easy for him to think so but that's only proof that he's had the best parts of her so far. She hasn't been selfish or demanding or unforgiving with him and there are a lot of reasons for that, not the least of which is that, well, she'd actually like to continue this stilted, sometimes charged friendship they seem to have going. For as shitty as a person Xanxus is sometimes he's the kind of guy that helps her keep on the straight and narrow because she can't help responding too that shittiness.

It's a weird dynamic, one more active on her end, admittedly.

She loves the idea of running off to escape, but knows it won't happen. Right now it's enough that he would promise and give a drunk, very emotional young woman some comfort. She reaches up to take his hand, attempts to slide it from her head to her cheek. The heat on her skin is the telltale alcohol flush, the only sign she can have since her skin is just a tad too dark to discolor any.] Thank you.

[A pause, and then:] You're really cold!

[... If they were having a moment it might have just flown out the window there, even as she lets go of his hand, grinning a little crookedly in Xanxus' direction.] Tell me something you've always wanted to do but haven't yet.

[Honestly, she's only seen the bestish of him. He could be a lot worse, but she does bring out a better part of him. Probably because she's such a great lay when it does happen. That's all that really matters in the long run and probably why he agreed. That and she's drunk. She's so drunk and he wonders if he really will have to pick her up and carry her back.

His hand touches her face and he sort of looks off to the side when she comments on his body heat. He'd not noticed it until now. It was like he was supposed to be warmer than he was. Like he was embers and not an inferno like he was supposed to be. However, he didn't want to think about it too long. Surely, his sudden silence spoke volumes.]

Well, you're in no state to warm me up. [ He won't take advantage of her like this. Not at all. But when he hand is released he does lightly push a strand of her hair behind her ear. It's a strangely tender moment. ] Something I've wanted to do but haven't... Take over Lesedi Santiago's place. Running a music company can't be that hard. Barring that, punching her in the face. I don't appreciate being lectured to like I'm seven. Barring that...I'll let you know when I come up with something.

You don't look like you want me to! [She pouts at that but doesn't seem too broken up about that. She's a little drunk, sure, but she's not quite at the blackout levels, yet, and she still knows where all of the directions are and can ... Probably count up to one hundred! Right now that's a tad impressive for her. But, overall, the comment is innocent in and of itself and certainly the result of that little hair-tuck move. It's suave and a little endearing.

She lets herself get back on topic, though.] You didn't pick anything that I could actually surprise you with! Don't be so unfair.

[Ahh, but!] Then again it would be like you to go big or go home. I'm not sure I can manage to take over Santiago's office, though, I won't even try unless you buy me jewelry. Really gorgeous jewelry. And we don't really have that going on for us.

[Ultimately she wants to do something nice for him because he's going out of his way to be nice to her. He doesn't have to, she'd understand if he just never wanted to speak with the random girl he fucked that one time after a twitter discussion. Shit like that happens, and it's not worth losing sleep over. But he's actually managing to be comforting (which is amazing, really) and she appreciates it. So it only makes sense to want to return the favor. That he didn't intend any of this doesn't really matter - Nariko gives back what she ends up taking.]

[ She always pouts so nicely and any other time he might steal of hell of a kiss just to make her stop. Any other time. Not right now though it's damn tempting. Besides, he still has alcohol to drink and he's making quite an impressive bit of headway towards inebriation though he's nowhere near her level of intoxicated yet. ]

See, Nariko, that's just the problem. I'm always unfair. Though since I know you're trying to surprise me now... maybe a steak dinner and a lap dance, not necessarily in that order. [ He might or might not be teasing. ] You're right though. I tend to want what I can't have.

[ A shrug and a laugh because she's right. He's not really the jewelry type. He vaguely recalls owning a ring at some point. Just half of it. There was another half somewhere... who had the other half? He couldn't remember, but it seemed really important. Where had that ring gone? Last time he thought about it, it had been on a chain around his neck...

Oh well. Not important. It was probably just some trashy piece of costume jewelry anyway. ]

I can do earings for you but the rest, you'll have to get out of your adoring fans. I'm sure they'll shower you with all sorts of shiny shit if you tell them you like jewelry. Until then, I'll just be right here, waiting for my steak and lapdance and looking for the right moment to steal you and get away from this hellhole.

Probably, but I'd be taking advantage of them that way. [And with Xanxus? He probably couldn't be taken advantage of unless he allowed it in the first place so there's a serious lack of guilt in that respect. That, and she's not actually serious about any of it, and if he did buy any of it he'd probably get an incredibly unexpected reaction.] But it's funny to imagine you walking into some high class place and saying ... [What would he say?] 'I need something to buy a hot chick' and then just totally leaving it to the attendants. [Look, don't question her humor because that's really not the sort of thing that should be amusing or endearing to her and yet!]

But, hey, as long as you don't need the steak to be cooked by me, I can definitely manage that, and a complimenting bourbon to go along with it. And the lap dancing part would be easy. I'll just surprise you with both on a random day and unprecedented time!

[And if he knows what's good for him he won't assume that she's kidding. It might take a week or months but this will happen, because she owes him and because it sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday. She drapes herself over the bar again, head in her arms because she's switching between mild exhaustion and unbearable excitement. When she looks at him it's surprisingly intense, but very momentary. When she sits up her limbs drag, but she reaches over and pokes his forehead lightly, and holds the tip of her finger there.]

You and me, another life and another time. [But in this one they'd only ever be what they always were. She lifts her finger off of him.] I saw Luci a bit ago, but how is everyone else in your band doing?

[What was all that other stuff about? He won't know! But hopefully it'll be attributed to her drunken state even though she'd been in well enough control.] Also, you should be at least a third of the way as screwed up as I am or I'm going to feel lonely!

What's fame if you can't take advantage every now and then. But you have me pegged. I'd totally ask them to find something for the hottest chick I know. They probably have better taste than me. If I picked it, fuck only knows what sort of shit I'd give you. You're better off without jewelry from me.

[ There's a little laugh ] Nah. You don't have to cook it. So I guess I now have something to look forward to. [ Definitely a great way to spend a weekend. Specially with that look she gives him. Even if that look is followed by a fingertip in the middle of his forehead. He can only laugh. Another life and another time indeed. ]

As good as to be expected with this bullshit. [ A shrug because he's going to keep his promise to Luci. He's not going to tell anyone about the crap that Luci shared with him. ] We're Carnies. We thrive on crazy. I'm sure we'll have a shitton of great songs from all of this. Maybe I'll even write a song about the sexy woman at the bar.

And I know I am. I'm trying to catch up, but someone has to be able to carry you back. Let me just some rocket fuel and I'll catch right up. [ He stands and starts around the bar, his hand sliding over her shoulders as he heads around to grab the Everclear. ] Wish me luck. I'm about to make my liver hate me more than it already does.

Thank goodness, I'm a terrible cook. [As far as how things are going with his band, ahh, well, it's incredibly obvious to her that he's keeping his mouth shut for a reason. But that's band loyalty at its fiercest so she can't blame him even if it does make her worry about Luci. Who wasn't any more likely to give her a straight answer, either. The idea of trusting a bunch of emotionally questionable punk rockers to deal with anything logically is just unrealistic.

But fighting them every step of the way isn't any better. So she moves it along, and that song comment is enough to make her grin and drink even more.] Oh, please don't! It's bad enough that you and Luci already have songs on my end, you guys have made me pathetic!

[Since he's wandering his way over to his own bottle she can go back to the tequila. While she's supposed to be wishing him luck Nariko beats her own previous record. She'd showed off earlier in the night but now it's as if she's determined to get to the very bottom of the bottle. Even though she doesn't quite make it there's an obvious dent, it comes at the cost of her dignity because her throat feels raw, and she coughs a little while grinning kind of manically.]

You're gonna need luck to close in on me!

[In about, oh, five minutes, she is going to be completely hopeless.]

[ A small raise of the eyebrows and not much more. He honestly doesn't care if he's sharing Nariko with Luci. He's not the jealous type at all. It's just a fun time anyway, even with the promise to run away together. In the end, he's probably the worst person to want to hook up with permanently. Consenting adults do what they want. ] No? But you'd get to hear me sing. I don't let just anyone hear that. But if you insist, I won't. [ She'll get the lyrics as a poem under her door instead, just to see the expression on her face. ]

I don't know. 110 proof [ points to her bottle ] 190 proof [ points to his. ] So I'll be catching up right quick. [ And trying not to kill himself because even he can't drink that much alcohol. Yet there he goes, drinking something that can drop a 200 pound man in six tiny shots straight from the bottle ] I'll just name my inevitable hangover after you. [ Though he'll quit when she's had enough and hope he's still coordinated enough to help her back. If not, there's a couch large enough for the two of them to crash on. ]

Hey, I never said that. I always want to hear singing.

[She tries to point a very serious finger at him!! But she's wobbling a little in place so it's hardly a threatening gesture in any sense of the word.] When guys write songs about women everyone always thinks it's awesome, if it's the other way around then it's just cliche. [She didn't really give a shit if he knew about Luci, nor did she care about changing much of anything. What Nariko couldn't stand, and what she would always loathe was to look desperate. She couldn't adore anyone enough for that.

In any case she has to squint at the numbers and then visibly attempt to do some math in her head. She's so not logical right now, and it takes a long second for his point to click.] Ohhhhh! Oh! Oh, man. No. Don't die.

[That's the moral of the story! Don't die.] I mean, I kind of want to see at least one shot go down but still.

[If the force of that alcohol wasn't being exaggerated then just sipping it might smack her into next week by accident. But since that's just a little too dangerous and scary she might as well egg him on!]

[ He reaches out to catch her finger softly. He holds it for a moment while she rants about the unfair gender norms in the music business. It's hard to keep hold when he's sort of focused on his bottle of certain liver failure. ] Then I'll make it so that only you know who it'll be about. And maybe I'll just sing it to you. A private concert.

[ He lets go then to focus totally upon that bottle waiting for her to realize just what he's about to go and do. He ends up laughing. It's a loud boisterous thing that fills the room. ] I promise I won't die. Not when I have something worth living for right in front of me. So, a toast, Nariko. To the path that led us to this place and to the path that will lead us back and to the music we share with each other and with the world. Salute

[ He raises the bottle to her and then takes a bold chug. It's not as long as his drinks of tequila and he slams it back down only moments later. ] GOD! It's like drinking lighter fluid! [ And miracles of miracles, he's swaying just very slightly. ]

Now you're just overselling it.

[A song just for her, and being something worth living for? It was like romance 101, except she can't do anything but grin at such distinctly sweet words. But she raises her glass to his anyway, because there's nothing wrong with hearing the words even if they don't really have a home with her in any real way. Salute, indeed, though she doesn't push herself so terribly this time! She's already heading for Drunksville and nothing is going to put a stop to that.

That and she has to watch him attempt this. And he ... Manages it!]

Holy shit, you're amazing. [Though obviously far more off balance than he was before. She laughs anyway, reaching out to try and steady him by his arm alone.] You did your obligatory one shot, don't push your system into overdrive.

[Because there was an incredibly high chance that he might not come out of it quite right, if he did.]

[ Leave him be. He was raised to be a smarmy rich gentleman before he got better and found metal. There are still times when he goes and acts like he's still living the high life where laying on thick with the ladies is expected and even encouraged. But whatever because she's accepting his toast. ]

Of course I am. You're only noticing this now? Damn. That means I'll have to do a lot better in the future. [ He takes two tries to get the bottle on the countertop. Her steadying hand helps a lot. ] Yes yes. I'm cut off. I still have to make sure you get safely back to your penthouse.

[Oh he's ... Yeah, he's absolutely done. If he tries to take even one more drink she'll have to smack him with a bottle and then he'll go down and they'll both have to sleep on the floor. She watches his struggle with the bottle like a cat paying attention to a lazer light, and she breaks out into a little cheer when he manages it!!]

If we're really gonna ... Y'know. Head that way? That - [She tries to point without letting go of Xanxus' arm. It doesn't really end well.]

That way. We need to go now. Like, now-now.

[Because she's already done for and he's on his way, so it's probably best to get a head start.]

[ Totally done. This is probably the most drunk he's been in a very very long time. There's almost a novelty to it. His hangover in the morning won't thank him for it but right now, it's a blast to know that yes, he can actually still get hammered. Guess all he needs is being enabled by pretty girls. ]

You're totally right. Might be best. [ He can still somehow manage to walk straight around the bar to stop before her but it takes every single ounce of his concentration. He offers up an arm ] Your chariot awaits bella donna.

[He's even throwing out different languages? That's what that is, right? Not that she's questioning something that slides off his tongue so wonderfully. Grinning, she tries to hop off the bar stool but just outright tumbles, kind of smacking into the side of the bar, which ... just makes her laugh.

She gets herself back up, though!] Okay, okay, we can do this! We're gonna win!

[Her hand brushes at his arm, and then she forcefully clings to it in order to avoid falling again.] On our way!!!

[ Well, welcome to memory regains, Nariko. Somewhere along the line, he picked up his birth language. Everything sounds better in Italian anyway. Especially nicknames. Too bad, you're going to be "beautiful lady" forever now. A beautiful lady having troubles standing. But she's also laughing so he's not too worried. ]

You bet your ass we're going to win! Victory is right in our grasp!

[ He wraps his free arm around her side, pulling her right next to him. Easier to balance the both of them and teeter their way back to the elevator. ] Next floor. Cosmic Indulgence. Going up.

[ Let's hope he hits the right button the first time because well... he might just hit a few trying to get the right one, so they might be in for a little elevator ride. ]

Man, you're just so determined to get me home on time! Look at you and your responsible-ness! [But let's face it, she can only get away with walking to the elevator because Xanxus is still able enough to know better. When they've gotten inside she kind of slouches against him and watches as he hits buttons.

... But then for every button he hits she reaches forward, unfocused and swaying all over again, to try and push some, too! They way they light up is just fucking amazing in her drunken stupor and she ends up giggling.

They are going to be in this elevator for ages.]

Xanxus. [She manages to sound serious for maybe five seconds.] Can we have cake. Is it almost your birthday? I could buy you cake and then eat it all.

[ ... Her brain is completely done.]

[ A snorting laugh because that's hilarious. Him. Responsible? God, he hopes not. But he's just trying to do right by her. Besides, pressing buttons is great. They're probably going to stop on every damn floor. Hopefully no one wanted to use this specific elevator. ]

Hmmm? [ Another laugh and he uses his arm to pull her even closer to his side. Any more and he'll just be picking her up. He's still almost stable enough to do it while drunk. ] I just had my birthday. It was in October. Did you know...I'm already 25! [ But that's wrong and he knows it. He knows he's younger than that. His 17...but he's also 25. Two ages at the same time. How's that possible? Whatever, he's drunk. Who cares! ]

But we can have cake. I want a whiskey cake. Cause then I could eat it with you. Or off of you. You know. Whatever's more fun.

[Do right by her, not let her exist in a corner as a drunken pile of limbs ... These all might be different terms for responsibility, Xanxus. Sorry, you're kind of an adult! In the elevator she ends up laughing entirely too hard at the suggestion of a whiskey cake. It sounds really, really good, but:] Do they even make those?! And I'm not sure I could stay too still if I had any of it.

[Because clearly eating it off of her would be fun, but as he could see now she was too happy and energetic a drunk.] Oh, oh, I could feed it to you!

[He'd have frosting all over the place but it is a possibility! But then for whatever reason she attaches to his age.] I didn't get you anything! Oh, man, that's so bad! So, so, so bad!!! Happy Birthday!

[She lets go of him to try and throw her hands up in -- celebration?? Something like that, but it just makes her wobble and smack into the nearest elevator wall.]

I don't know. If they don't make one, they need to. I mean they have cake flavored vodka so why not cake made with whiskey? And I don't mind if you moved around. That just makes it a challenge and I might end up nibbling on things that aren't cake. Fun for the both of us. So maybe next birthday...maybe yours.

[ He watches her wobble and collide and laughs a little. He walks towards her to wrap his arms about her and plant his chin on her shoulder. It's a way down for him since he's so tall. ]

And you don't have to get me anything. [ He turns a little to press a little kiss to her cheek ] I got what I want right now, so we're all good. Now, lean on me, we're headed up.

[ He'll not let go until they get to the right floor. Until then, he'll happily help as a stable object for her to lean against. ]

Maybe next week?

[Her birthday is in August! So it seems they're both very off and that's just no fun. But she takes the relative pain of hitting the wall with nothing more than a little whine, and she feels better when he comes and holds her anyway. She feels a little bad that he has to bend so much but she tries to make up for it by wrapping her arms around him, and letting one set of fingers pet and card through his hair rather affectionately. Tall people are just the best.]

Mm, no, no don't do all that. It can only go one direction. [The little kisses and the affectionate terms. But she'd being lying if she said it wasn't making her feel better.

That, and she does end up holding onto him for the entirety of the elevator ride, long as it may be.]

[ He's pretty much stuck like this now. Holding her, being held back. It's nice. It's warm. It's just too bad she's so drunk and he's s drunk as he's ever going to get. Because she's right. This can only go one direction and with how well their decision making skills are going, it's probably a very bad idea to go that way right now. But he's started so he's going to just milk it for all he can while he can. Cuddling her until the door opens back to her floor after stopping at nearly every single floor between the ground floor and that. ]

Final stop. Everyone off. Let me walk you to your door, Nariko.

[There's definitely a lot of milking, but with every floor they stop at, and every round light that goes out as quickly as it was pressed and subsequently brightened, she feels a little flattened, and grips him a little harder at times.]

Wahhhhhhhhhh!!!! [... Who knows what that noise even was, but it was grumbly and displeased, half released into Xanxus' shoulder.] I wonder if everyone's okay, though.

[Koumei hadn't been doing well, she hadn't seen hide nor tail of Richard, Terry was awesome as ever, and Garnet - well.]

[ He laughs softly at the sound. He slides a hand down to her lower back and murmurs. ] I'm going to pick you up... [ He's going to just sweep her up in his arms, bridal style to step out of the elevator towards her penthouse. ]

I'm sure everyone's just fine. You don't have to worry, okay, Nariko. I'm sure if they are having troubles, they'll tell you. Until they do, you just have to be you and know that we're all here. When everything else is going to hell, Pride stands together.

What?

[What?! But there she goes, shifting up from the ground and right into his arms because she is short, and unable to stop him in any meaningful way. She squeaks a little, but then has the good sense to get her arms around his neck.] You don't know them very well if you think they actually tell me stuff. Everyone's all 'don't worry the baby!!!!', 'she's the youngest so she can't handle anything!!' and all that shit.

[Is it possible to love people for protecting and looking out for you, while also loathing it? Ahh, well. The idea of just being herself in order to return things to normal, if even slightly? That sits incredibly well with her, and even in her sloshed state she's happy to know he feels the same way about their label as a whole.]

You're right. Definitely right. Just, y'know. Don't think you're exempt with all that cool guy badass stuff. Because you aren't. You're a Pride like me and Koumei and Yuffie and Sora.

[Everyone. But she couldn't possibly say all their names even if she does give it a fair shot.]

Locked in a Room

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