He could feel the base rumbling everywhere around him. It was in the floor, rising through the walls and pulsing through his veins. In a way, it was almost like the Negaverse with the way it spread.

Rikard rolled his eyes at himself as he tossed back the shot he'd ordered, snagging his bottle of water off of the bar before slipping into the crowd. He hadn't come out that night to contemplate the light and dark sides of the world. He hadn't come out to feed his alter-ego or try and redeem himself. He had dressed himself nicely and gone out to enjoy Destiny City's night life in an attempt to spend the last night of 2015 as himself.

He finished off half the bottle of water before passing the rest off, knowing he wouldn't pick a bottle up again after sitting it down himself. He slid into the crowd, feeling the pulse of the music swell through the dance floor as he immersed himself in it. It was so easy to get lost in the flow of the bodies surrounding him and, for the first time in what felt like forever, Rikard Colby was smiling again.

Somewhere between the first shot and midnight he had helped himself to another drink or two. It had kept that smile in place rather solidly and helped to distract him from everything. He felt like himself again; young, stupid and looking for fun. He chased it with a few laughs and another bottle of water before disappearing amongst the bodies again. This time he found himself swept away only to be caught by a lithe blonde about his height.

She moved like a pixie and smiled like a dream, offering him an additional distraction to continue counting down the night. They didn't talk much; didn't need to talk much with the way the music and movement did the talking for them. She kept around because he kept his hands to himself, only placing them on her hips when she guided them there to try and keep their bodies closer together least they loose one another in the crowd.

When the music shifted again he found himself laughing as they began to bounce along with the rest of the crowd, the lights taking on the energy of the atmosphere. It would be a perfect opportunity for someone to rush in and drain the whole room, but it was an even better chance to just be. "I knew tonight was going to be a good night." Her voice was magical and he almost missed it, lost in the joy of the noise and the buzz of the drinks.

She dragged him off of the dance floor and he followed, heading over to the bar to add drinks for the both of them onto his tab. "A toast. Just one." He flashed her a smile and she returned it with a grin. There were no words with the toast when Auld Lang Syne began to play and he was alright with that, finishing off his drink before turning to thank her for the evening.

He didn't get a chance, the words cut off by her lips pressing to his. It was short and sweet; nothing demanding or pushy. Before he could even think clearly enough to return it, the kiss was over.

"Happy New Year." She smiled brightly, giving him one more quick peck for good measure before disappearing back into the crowd.

"Happy New Year..." He murmured in return, still grinning like a fool.