interstellar5555 | I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out

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I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out

Who: Xanxus and YOU
What: after "mysteriously disappearing" guess who's suddenly back
When: 3 December
Where: Pride HQ and around town
Warnings: sighs Xanxus should be his own warning. Mentions of violence, physical injury/torture, branding, drug use, alcohol use, swearing, will add as needed.

I - Pride HQ
They finally let him out of the damn infirmary. Honestly, he probably should have stayed there a few more days, but Xanxus being Xanxus totally ingratiated himself to the nurses by hitting on them and thus, he had been shoved out the door to stop him from harassing them more. No big deal right?

Well, it should be because he's sort of limping his way from the infirmary back to the elevator in not but a hospital gown. But he's not embarrassed at all. No. He looks damn proud of himself, like he isn't wearing more cuts and bruises and stitches than any one person should have. He might even be whistling a little as he goes.

II - Chez Carnie
Shithole sweet shithole. It's sort of nice to get back to this place that he calls home. He doesn't really expect anyone there waiting for him. No...that's not these people. He has a fragment of that memory but he still can't put a face on the owner of those arms in that memory. Besides, he's not falling through this door. He's just going to walk right in as if he hadn't been gone. He's heading straight to his room. He needs his leathers if he's ever going to feel normal again.

III. Some bar in town
Should someone as heavily injured as Xanxus even be walking to some nightclub? Does it matter? Because what does a man want with his first night of freedom after unwilling captivity? Hit the clubs of course. Chicks dig bruises and scars and he can spin a hell of a lie if he wants to. Besides, he's itching for some alcohol that isn't monitored by the label. It's a pretty good chance that he'll be found sitting rather gingerly at the bar nursing a bottle of tequila. He ignores all the questions that might come his way with a "Buy me another drink and maybe I'll tell you."

IV. Wild card
Anything else you want to do, go for it!

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"Talk about nostalgia."

Nariko yanks the bottle of tequila from him, and if he wasn't in such a pathetic state she might have been genuinely worried about how he might react. Her outfit suggests that, at some point, she'd been dancing and having a good time, so it's reasonable to think that she saw him from the corner of her eye, and only in that moment realized that she hadn't seen him for days. Which, y'know, they were at least ... Friends? So it wasn't like they'd talk all the goddamn time but it had just rung oddly to her, maybe, an instinct that wouldn't be suffocated.

"Why are you here?" Because they can tackle the origin story, right now she wants an explanation for this truly ridiculous level of addiction.

She does something that is punishable by death in some third world nations...and some first world ones. She took Xanxus' alcohol away. Just took it. Right out of his hands. And he couldn't stop her. Mostly because he couldn't react fast enough with bandages and sutures and enough painkiller in his system to drop a horse. (Just not enough for him).

He hadn't expected anyone to be here, but there was Nariko. And it was pretty nostalgic. Last time they had been together, she had been the one getting utterly trashed with him not to far behind. Well, this time he had a head start.

He still glowers a little at her. Yeah, they're...friends or whatever. They bang sometimes too. But that doesn't excuse her taking his alcohol away. "Isn't that the question. Why are we here? Where are we going? What will happen when we get there? Philosophers have been debating that question for years and haven't found the answer yet. So don't expect me to know until I've had a few. So give it back, Nariko..." Turning towards her makes him fight a wince however.

"Stop being a little shit."

She doesn't expect the harshness in her own tone, or how quickly her eyes threaten to well with tears, and the only reason they don't is because she viciously bites at the inside of her own cheek. She's fucking exhausted by all of this, it was bad enough to have been tricked by Predator, it was worse to see Krieg in the hospital, and now Xanxus, too. All of it was threatening to snap her in a way that had been previously unheard of. Considering all that, she's not in the mood to baby him, good sex or not.

"What happened?" She doesn't really care why he's here because that's easy - he's a fucking idiot who decided to indulge in his vices rather than deal with anything outside of barely surviving it.

She actually snapped at him. He is surprised at that really. Honestly, he doesn't know what they are to each other, other than just a fun time. But here she is, calling him on his bullshit. Not only call him on it but ask him about it.

He stares at her. Just stares. At her and then at the alcohol she took from him. He wonders what he's supposed to say. Anything he says will come across as weakness. As his inability to take on the trouble he had bought for himself. His pride makes that nearly impossible. He clenches his jaw until it hurts so much that he can't think straight.

"Not here. If I have to talk about this, I don't want a goddamn audience..."

They're a little more than just a fun time if she gives enough of a shit to be irritated with him in the first place, but that in itself is a fact she knows to keep to herself. It's better if he doesn't pay too much attention to it. When he speaks she immediately deems that a reasonable enough request and nods easily. She still sets the bottle off to one side, out of reach as she opens her clutch to pull out a sizable amount of money. After getting the bartender's attention she pays for the bottle Xanxus had, and flirts her way into buying another.

"Let's get a car. You can have it when we're there, and alone." And the second one will be his reward for telling her the truth and being rather decent about her clicking her teeth at him.

As long as Xanxus is willing - or is still physically capable - to follow her out while she quickly orders a private ~~Uber~~ taxi on her personal phone they'll be alone quickly enough, and blessedly outside of a the club. But she keeps a moderate eye on him all the same, because he's been disappearing an awful lot lately, so she clearly can't turn her back, here.

She's a smart woman to set that alcohol where he can't reach it without having to work for it. He's in no shape for it. Instead, he just waits for her to pay and pointedly ignores how she uses sex appeal for another bottle. He's too busy trying to stand. He does he best not to wobble as he follows her but his limp is obvious. He should probably have a cane to stability but he's been too proud to use one.

He follows her out like that and once outside, he does his best to not use anything to keep himself proped. Instead, he sort of leans on her instead, making it look more comfortable than out of something he needs. He also tries to ignore the clamoring fans that will soon be surrounding them both.

He had his story practiced though. He was in a car wreck and then got sent to rehab, just like the tabloid said. He just gave a hopeful look to Nariko to keep the lie going until they could get away.

She puts an arm around his side because while she's considerably shorter Nariko is a little stronger than she looks and she can handle the weight he might end up pressing on her. When they're inundated with guests she smiles and puts on what Xanxus may now realize was always something of an act: She smiles so brightly it can look like she's hurting her own face, and her cheer feels genuine until you catch the way her body language occasionally shifts, she doesn't even think twice about going with what the newsbitches have reported. There's another truth but the public doesn't need to know that, such are their lives.

Mostly Nariko's just grateful that the car arrives quickly, and she quickly attempts to direct him into it first, standing somewhat protectively between Xanxus and the overeager crowd. She ends up having to take a picture with a Cosmic Indulgence fan but hopefully barring any other events she's in the car with him soon enough.

"Fucking hell," Deep breathes, but she speaks to the driver quickly enough. "Just go around the city, we're gonna be here for a bit."

And with that the privacy window goes up, and she returns Xanxus' tequila without any real fuss.

Nariko is amazing with the fans. Xanxus has to give her that. He's always pretty shitty to them. But that's pretty much expected of him. Most fans of the Carnival know and pretty much expect him to be an asshole to them. He's glad she took care of it because he can't handle them right now. He might just go off in the worst way ever. It's not the sort of meltdown he wants to have blasted all over the tabloids. The fact that they're leaving a club together is going to be spread around enough as it is.

He's even more grateful when she acts as a shield for him while he gingerly climbs into the back of the cab. He doesn't need the crowd to see how hard that was for him. He keeps a smug face until she's in the car and it's moving. Only then does he show how much it hurt. "God damn, I thought they'd never leave us alone. You're great with them..."

Is he already trying to change the subject. Probably. At least until the window goes up and his alcohol is back in his hands. He takes a swig right from the bottle and sighs. "All right...What do you want to know."

"They probably wouldn't have if we'd given it another few seconds." There'd been quite a few that were muttering over the fact that they were leaving a popular nightspot together, and that - to them, anyway - they'd pretty much been 'all over' each other. Hopefully Mr. Kim wouldn't get in a fit about it. "I don't really have any choice when it comes to them." Which wasn't to say she didn't love and adore their fans, obviously she did. They were the ones that made it all matter, the audience that could carry her voice in their hearts. It was just a little exhausting to be happy twenty-four seven for their sake, that was all.

But he didn't have any hope of changing the topic so it's good that he makes the decision to face it head on.

"Well, let's start with where you've been, and then explaining how you got there. We could also round this discussion out by explaining why you were in a club while severely wounded instead of, I don't know, calling Luci or Yuffie or me for help."

At least she had the sense to realize that, A: He wouldn't be the type to ask for help and, B: If he did, it'd probably come from his bandmates first, not her. That was just the reality of the situation, but none of it was an excuse, he had outlets, and no excuse for this bullheaded desire to remain apart from everyone else.

Poor Mr Kim was probably going to have to run a lot of interference because of this. Xanxus has a reputation after all. And he could just see the articles now. Shocking tabloids about him leaving rehab and the singer next to him being his new 'drug of choice' or some other bullshit. That or Nariko's reputation would be trashed, hanging out with a known junkie. "None of us do. It's that or punch them in the faces and I don't want to deal with the cops right now."

He shifts a little. He can't look at her, instead he stares straight ahead. Bruised fingers tighten around the bottle. "I was...fuck if I know. Some basement somewhere, I think. Maybe a warehouse. Couldn't really tell, you know. All I know is it belongs to Predator or someone they know. Because they're the ones that had me. I sort of burned their trailer to the ground at Vista." He doesn't sound guilty about that at all.

"Anyway, those assholes caught me alone and did...something. It was like back at the hazing. There was this...sound I guess. And then I was on the floor and then I passed out. I woke up wherever the fuck and I got the joy of playing sub to a bunch of fucking amateur doms."

He doesn't want to go into what all they did to him while he was there. Instead, he does finally look at her. "And say what? Hey, Nariko, I'm in so much pain that I can't function, get me something for it? This." He raises the bottle. "Is the best painkiller I've got right now. Plus, I'm not really in the mood for a lecture about my self-destructive behavior." He frowns. "You're not going to do that right? Because if you are, you can ask the driver to stop right here and I'll walk back."

Mostly because she's right. He's just too proud to ask for help and he's too stubborn to admit he even needs it. He just wants to act like he's fine.

It's a good thing the taxi is comfortable so that she can settle in for everything that he says. Nariko doesn't allow any outward reactions but that doesn't mean they're lacking. Her insides twist when he mentions being whisked off somewhere, and even though she hadn't expected him to feel guilty she's still irritated at him for provoking the senior band. But what really digs into her is the moment that he does finally look back at her, that her own knowledge is confirmed. It makes her feel ridiculous for worrying about him at all, for caring.

As such there's no immediate reaction. For two long, quiet minutes Nariko doesn't say anything. She looks at him, and then shifts her gaze out the window. They're on the highway so there's a great view of all the lights. Everything feels frustratingly dislocated, and she recognizes it as the verge of another flash or vision, whatever.

"You're a hypocrite."

She shakes her head, and laughs but the sound is cold, talking pushes her past that feeling. "You're going to make it worse if you don't rest, that's just a fact. If you don't get better you can't play, if you don't get better you can't keep pissing off Predator until they run you into the ground before you can do it to yourself." And that might sound like the beginning of a lecture but it's only a helpful bridge to her real point. "You can go out on your own terms or theirs, and right now you're letting them control everything. So fucking sue me if I think you deserve a little better than that."

Honestly, he's certain he's not worth worrying about. He remembers things that point to him being... well, there's a reason why he swears he's going to kill the members of Predator some day. But he doesn't want to say that. He doesn't want to point that out because it's sort of nice...to be worried about. Even if he doesn't deserve it in the least.

There's silence though. Heavy, oppressive silence. He doesn't try to fill it or break it. Instead, he just works his way through half that bottle of tequila. Half a bottle in two minutes, yep. He has a problem he's definitely not about to address.

When she finally speaks he can only let his head fall back to stare at the ceiling. She's nailed him all right. "I never said I wasn't." he counters softly. He's never acted like anything other than what he was. He's a terrible person and perhaps it had just been a matter of time before Nariko saw his true colors.

He considers checking out as she continues. Just nod and pretend he's listening. He's mastered that with his manager. But she's not that chimney. She actually matters so he actually listens. "I can't rest. And it's not just the pain." He's been having disturbing dreams. "But...you're right. You're right about everything." He hates admitting that. "All of it. Even that first part."

A sigh. "So what do you expect me to do about it?"

"I'd just like you to not die, mostly."

She fiddles with her hair, trying to give her hands something to do while her brain processes. "But if you want to know what I think might be best, a hotel is pretty high up on the list. You can do whatever you want without attracting more attention and making things worse for yourself and your band's image. You can get some rest," Because yes you can rest Xanxus, stop being ridiculous "And have whatever you want, barring an actual fight."

He couldn't possibly stay away from HQ but as long as he wasn't gone for more than a full day? It'd probably be fine, but she imagined that he didn't want to go back there until it was absolutely necessary.

Well, that's a pretty tall order right there. He's doing a pretty good job of it so far, jumping straight into danger, screaming YOLO along the way. But he still listens to her advice because he did ask for it. It's pretty sound really.

"A hotel hmmm?" Well, he had already gone back to the HQ because he had needed normal cloths before he had snuck right back out to have himself a nice long drunk. But she is right in that he doesn't really want to go back quite yet. Even if he knows vanishing again for more than a few hours will probably scare the shit out of Luci and the rest of the band. He should probably call them... Or better, once he's settled, she can do it for him.

"I guess there's that hotel I took you to... They know me and they don't ask questions. And I wasn't in the bar looking for a brawl. Trust me on that. I'm not going to be punching anything for a while. At least not until my ribs heal. I really was only there to get as drunk as I possibly could. So I can do that at the hotel or wherever we're going to end up. I'm in your capable hands, Nariko."

"I didn't think you were, I'm saying you should avoid anymore fights until you're healed." Because he looks like shit and all of that won't be healed in a night, but since he's not going to let her follow him around and babysit at some point or another she'll have to trust him to not go overboard. Which is unrealistic and won't happen, but it's like Nariko to hope in the face of utter darkness.

"That's a good start," And she means it, even manages a little smile for him. "How patched up are you, though? Is anything still bleeding?" And she's very quick to add, "I'm not going to take you to a hospital or anything but I should be able to help with most of it, if you snapped something back open or took off bandages. The last thing you need is a gross infection, I'm sure you can make the one-armed look work but let's not go there if we don't have to."

This is - Was she always this pragmatic? Something about it strikes her as a little odd, how easy it is to know what to do, to be utterly calm without losing any real warmth. She's not used to being so intense and yet it feels right.

That might be easier said than done. With his reputation someone will eventually pick a fight with him. It's bound to happen. He can avoid it, but only for so long. Mostly because as soon as someone tries to throw down with him, he'll have to step up to the challenge. If he refuses, he'll lose all the cred he's ever had.

He shifts a little more and considers. "The Pride medical team is shit, honestly. I got stitches and some staples. I had to bind my own ribs and there's nothing I can do for the burns. But what's a few more burn scars, right?" She's seen him naked. She's seen the state of him, of what his supposed stage accident did to him.

"I think I'm good. But I'll let you know if I'm not. No one wants a one armed bassist, even if that would be a pretty cool shtick." He pauses and tries to smile a little at her. "...For what it's worth..." He mumbles something that might be I'm sorry I worried you.

"Not much, in comparison to breathing." Her opinion doesn't count for much here but he knew how to work the scars, a few more wouldn't be terrible. She just didn't want to see him add so many that he might as well be in the ground. But for now it seems that he is genuinely somewhat cared for, or at the very least nothing she could do would really make anything better for him. She was about to thank him for his honesty when he goes and does that.

Whatever serious nature she had adopted drops instantly, the surprise brings out her age and she can't help smiling, too. It's probably better to avoid commenting on such a rare event, and so she closes the space between them and very, very carefully gives him a little kiss.

"I missed you, and I'm glad you're back, and if you don't have anything positive to say about those two facts, don't say anything at all!' And just like that she's back to normal, knocking on the privacy window so she can tell the driver where to take them for the night.

It was damn hard for him to say that. Even if just a mumbling. He hopes that she will never talk about it again. They can pretend that this was a normal car trip and they were going to a hotel to have a little private together time. Time that wasn't going to be happening until he was healed. But that was fine. He'll be glad just for a night of rest before he goes back to the Pride HQ.

The kiss makes him happy and he relaxes. He reaches up to make a lip zipping motion and then settles in for the rest of the short ride. He'll be glad when they arrive. He just hopes there won't be any fans around. Last thing he wants for Nariko is a huge tabloid about her being seen going into a hotel with him.

She presses back into her seat and is grateful in that moment, even though everything is still understandable grim, in a sense. When they make it to the hotel no one bats much of an eye at first but they are unlucky enough to be checking in at the same time as some Carnival fans. Thankfully the chick at the counter knows Xanxus well enough that Nariko's handed a key and she can try to pull them out of the way of attention as quickly as possible. It's a little difficult to do with an injured man, making it to the elevator becomes a near Olympic goal.

"The rumor mill is going to spin so hard half the city might be set on fire tomorrow." She sighs, looking up at Xanxus to asses whether he's comfortable enough or not. "Sorry. They're kind of like vultures." There's no real way to get rid of them no matter how hard they might try.

Fucking fans. He didn't need those right now. Not right now. He's hurting and he's carrying a half finished bottle of booze and he has a sexy girl on his arm. It's just a perfect storm of fan chaos. And they have to wade through it all to get to the damn elevator. It's his turn now to put on the charm, just like Nariko had before.

He reaches up into his hair to undo the feathers he had tied there. "Here. Take these and get the fuck gone." The little momento of seeing him seemed to work well enough and they seemed to leave them to go to the elevator unhindered other than a little ribbing to give it to her hard, Xan.

"This time they were mine. They're probably stoned out of their minds. Probably won't remember seeing us at all." He hopes for that but he can't be sure. One never knows with fans. "Hopefully they won't try to get into the elevator with us. My hands aren't in any shape to be punching anyone."

Which is why he sort of leans hard against the Door Closed button as soon as they get in.

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I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out

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well this got a little heavy

sorry~

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