[R]Forget me Not - Ari/Thomas

[endejester]

He was back at that club where they first met, the beat of the bass rattled his teeth and he loved it, the grid and press of humanity as it half bludgeoned him any time you tried to make it through the press of things. Exhilaration at it's finest, the thrill of diving into some of humanity at its most base, drunken, intoxicated, liberated and dancing to mixes and remixes just because they had a good beat.

Lights strobed over everything turning them into flickering off color snap shots, some faces familiar others just a passing haze, a few he'd like to know better but most at least worth a smile and a wink. A time for being shameless and throwing everything away, he was less than responsible with himself, only when other people entered the picture did things snap back into place revealing harsh reality and dangerous choices.

Like there, just there... a flash of red hair, sweat soaked skin, feverish in her dance, drunken in her abandon and pressed against what even Thomas found distasteful. Well... more they were trying hard to dance with her, Ari though she was lost, and not in a good way... he pushed his way against the throng and towards her... one of the worlds most ironic life lines in what looked like a sea of self destruction.  

[kalindara]

Lights flashing, head spinning, sweat dripping, bass pounding, bodies moving, Ari lost herself in the haze of the club. There was only the music thrumming along her veins and the pleasurable haze of alcohol in her mind. Around her there were other bodies, pressing hopefully against her, but she paid them no mind. Unimportant. Neither grinding or touching or flirting reached her, she had all she needed without them.

Up on a table, half the dance floor seemed to have moved to accompany her, either down around the table or taking their chances up on top with her. The bass ground and thudded. Ari felt it like a pulse, moving her, thinking for her.

Steel unload, final blow
We the animals take control

The chorus of something mostly bass hit. She dropped, rose, riding it like a wave, deaf to the hollers and catcalls around her. Her movements and the driving beat formed something primal, dragging animal instincts to the fore.

Hear us now, clear and true
Wretches and kings we come for you

Ari didn't notice Tom enter. She didn't notice the loose hair plastered to her face, or the coming and going of potential suitors. It was clear that she wasn't pushing them away, though. Sooner or later, someone would refuse to be put off by Ari ignoring them.  

[endejester]

He pushed his way in, a wall of white and tight t-shirt over faded jeans, taller than so many of Destiny City and ripped at least as well as some of the body Guards though somehow the white and the length of his coat made him look deceptively slender.

He pinched a few asses to move them off and flashed grins at their curses, his dark eyes glittered with amusement as he soft muscled a few more away to take up prime real estate in watching Rome burn.

He actually got a few grins back when his hands wandered while he watched, he savored the freedom of too many hands and too many faces but a few were clever enough to see and they earned a smile but nothing more...not tonight. Tonight he was guardian angel and they would have to wait their turn while he tried to walk her out of Hell, after all it was a path he knew so well.  

[kalindara]

The hopefuls hadn't just been trying to get Ari to dance with them. They'd also been great about catering to her desire for more drinks, when it seemed like the bartender wanted to cut her off. 'Had too much' was an understatement right now. Not that Ari cared. Whatever stopped her from thinking.

Ari shrugged off an arm around her waist from behind. What the ******** ever if guys wanted to dance with her, but let her move on her own, okay? She'd found the best bass in the world, and some idiot wanted to hold her still and rub off on her? No thanks.

It seemed the guy didn't appreciate it, though. He tried slipping his arms around her waist again. In the middle of twisting, Ari was less than impressed with losing her rhythm. Scowling, she pushed him away. Either she didn't know her own strength, or the guy was just as wasted as she was, because he toppled off one side of the table.

Ari laughed uproariously, even as the force of her push had her tottering a few steps back. Her heel clipped the edge of the table, and then she was falling backwards herself...  

[endejester]

He reached up almost casual to catch her a tumble of cloth, perfume and wile red hair that tumbled into his arms with a mad laugh and no balance left... one person too persistent and strait into his arms. Somehow it just seemed right that way, like even the Universe gave a small nod to the strange dynamic that wound between them like thin red cords.

"I knew you'd fallen for me beautiful." He beamed down at her, standing still for a moment to let her catch her bearings if she could before he even dared move, he didn't trust the others...didn't think he could leave her in this crowd even if he'd come with intent to stay.

Here and now he'd found something to pull him back out, and someone worth pulling with him to safety, sanity and lots of water to drink. "You pang of Booze hon... you could poison yourself that way...bet you learn the hard way about Hangovers tonight." He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth like a mother hen and shook his head.

"Come on Princess...I think you need a bit of wringing out."  

[kalindara]

Ari landed with an "Ooof!" It hadn't been as hard of a landing as she'd been expecting. She peeked a look out from closed eyes, opening them further once she realised someone had caught her.

"Thaaank you," she drawled out, followed by a quick snicker. "Wanna dance? Put me back up." She gestured wildly in a direction that was vaguely indicating the table.

She squinted and peered closer as the guy kept talking. "You're kinda cute... 'n kinda familiaaaar." The hand that had been waving for the table now reached over and prodded at his face. Ari gave a tug to red-dipped white bangs - which finally sparked her drunken memory. "Tom!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck to squeeze tightly. "Hi! Let's dance?"

She was a bit confused about why Tom seemed to want to leave. Last time they'd danced. It had been fun. They should totally do that again. Hmm, but then last time they'd left after that and gone back to Tom's and then they'd...

Ari perked up further. "Okay! Leaving's good, too!" This pronouncement was followed by more mad giggling. Which Ari would staunchly deny doing once she was sober again - kickass fighters like Ari didn't giggle.

"Noooot a princess," she laughed as they left the crushing crowd of people. They slowly began to disperse, realising the show was over. "Crapiest princess eveeer."  

[endejester]

"You GIGGLE!" He said decidedly amused. "I think I need a recording of that!" He grinned at her perkily and headed back towards the door. Catch of the night, well worth the cover charge, and it wasn't like he lacked booze at home... he could have some too...hell if he kissed her he'd probably get drunk.

"I -saw- you Dancing." he grinned and his eyes flashed bright at the sharp tug on his bangs. "Let's dance with fewer people though al-righty? Besides...you can be MY princess, at least for tonight. What has you out and SOOOOO very VERY inebriated that the Kick boxing queen would -giggle- hmmm?"

He shifted her slightly in his arms for comfort letting her hang off his neck like a Bride on her wedding night, thank god he'd taken a car not the cycle tonight.  

[kalindara]

"Liiiieees," Ari denied, before bursting into giggles again. The recording aspect either passed over her head or she just didn't care while drunk.

" 'M a good dancer," she told Tom, sagely nodding. "Dancing's good... drinking's good..."

She trailed off. What had she been saying again? Had there been a question? She pondered this serious matter in between giggles as Tom carried her out of the club. The cold night air was a slap in the face. It brought a touch of sobriety with it - or at least, a few memories.

Ari's good mood fell. She drew herself closer to Tom, burying her face in his neck while her arms tightened around him. "Don' wanna think. Don' wanna remember. Just... forget everything."

If she could, for as long as she could.  

[endejester]

"We can work on that..." He assured her before carelessly propping a foot on the side of his car so he could open the door. Hell for the paint but he had things that were more important in hand right now.

"It's ok beautiful..let's you and I get somewhere with free drinks, water and better chairs...how's that sound...remember my place?" He offered "All the rooms...we can dip in the hot tub...you don't even have to change but we got suits... " not that suits really mattered at this point, but sobriety brought many moods. Reminders of time spent twined in more... liberated states might be less than welcome right now.


"You're safe with me you know that..." He said as he bent carefully to place her into the low slung car he'd driven today, oh his kingdom for something higher...at least tonight. But he wasn't drunk enough to order a Cab, and sometimes the want to save won out despite his more frugal nature.  

[kalindara]

"Soun's good," Ari mumbled as she was lowered into the car. Ugh, sobriety and thought, banes of her current life. She couldn't sleep without nightmares, she felt ill if she ate more than a snack, and when awake her brain just kept replaying scenes from the BMC's Great Idea No Really (TM). Or worse, offering dozens of 'what if' scenarios - Ari wasn't sure which were worse: the scenarios where everything went even worse, or the ones where she'd manage to prevent the worst by speaking up sooner. It was too easy to place blame, a fair ton of it on her own shoulders.

The only way she'd found to escape the guilt and the memories was to stop thinking entirely. And with that as the goal, Ari went out night after night, looking for whatever could accomplish that: booze, dancing... sex. Ari eyed Tom as he slipped in driver-side. Nope, no problems heading off with Tom, Ari smirked to herself. And mmmm hot tub, yes please.

It softened into something closer to proper smile as she thought on Tom's promise that she was safe with him. "I know," she slurred, resting her head back against the seat.  

[endejester]

He drove carefully back to his house, trying not to slosh her around in the seat, or let her play too much with any of the car controls, god knew that he'd seen parts ripped out of a car by a drunken friend who then tossed them out the window to giggle like mad and try for the next piece.

"You, are going to have the WORST ever Hangover." He assured her. "Man you are just going to 'love' that... I'll make sure i have a lot of water, maybe some power-aide, and you get scrambled eggs for breakfast." He flashed her a grin. "I am the king of Hangovers...you should watch me with one...you'd never have done this..." He scolded and brushed at her bangs before distractedly pulling up the the gates.

"ANNND here we -are-" He said cheerfully and pulled into one of the garage slots. "Be right around for you ok?"  

[kalindara]

Mostly Ari was just interested in playing with the automatic windows and the cd player while Tom drove. Slightly annoying, to be sure, but nothing in danger of breaking the car.

She shot Tom a vaguely dirty look. "M'not drunk," she insisted. Then burst into giggles again.

"I c'n drink more," she continued, as Tom parked the car. "Don' lissen to th'bartender."

Stupid p***k. Totally picking on her just because he couldn't get up and dance with her, too. But everyone else had been soooo nice about getting drinks for her instead. They were nice people. Why had she and Tom left again?

... Oh, yeah.

"Hot tub!" she told Tom gleefully as he came around and opened her door.  

[endejester]

"If you drink more, you're going to wind up killing yourself with alcohol poisoning sweet heart." He said reaching to pat a hand on her knee before undoing her seat belt and starting to lift her carefully out of the car in the same bridal style he'd used to sweep her out of the club.

"But if you're -really- good I might fetch you something to drink." He flashed her a grin, never mind that what he brought would be water or poweraide.

It was still technically a drink.  

[kalindara]

Ari cackled some more as Tom lifted her out of the car. For all that she said she'd make a crappy princess (she really, really would), she wasn't objecting to be carried around like one.

"M'not dead," she disagreed, clearly not understanding what Tom was saying. "Nope, not Rota. Still here. Aaaaall good."

Ugh, great. Rota. Just what she was trying to forget. And while she wasn't getting half of what Tom said, she did understand he was trying to stop her from getting from alcohol. Well, she decided, there were other ways of forgetting how to think...

She buried her face into the side of Tom's neck. "Drink... hot tub," she agreed, before taking one of his earrings between her teeth and pulling.  

[endejester]

"Mmm I don't know Rota..." he said fumbling for the front door his voice gone rather husky as her teeth pulled hard enough at one of the many piercings in his ear to make it smart... "Mmmmmwoman if you keep doing that we're not going to make it to the hot tub either..." he said and forced a deep breath to try and ignore how terribly easy it would be to give in as he normally did to his baser instincts and desires.

He made his way towards the spacious kitchen first, neat steel appliances with slate and black trimmings made it look almost medicinally clean some how. Cold and very fitting for something like a magazine, rather than a house.

He placed her ever so gently on one of the padded and bolted stools at the 'island' in the middle of it, "If you sit here for just a moment princess... I'll see about something nice for you to drink...then we'll see about making sure you don't drown in the hot tub...alright?" He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before grinning and tugging almost reactionary on his own lip ring.