A Night Off. [Open]

[Kazuki Akimoto]

Months.

So many months, and all he had done was work. The recession had hit hard, but through a mixture of loyal clientele and some iron will, Kazuki had gotten through the primary impact with the most minimal of losses. Customers continued to come through the doors and, with them, money, so Legion would invariably survive.

That looming shadow out of sight and out of mind, though, he couldn't deny that he was tired. Physically and mentally, he was drained to his wits end and couldn't see an end to it in sight. For all of his efforts, he was on the brink of burnout and that above all else worried him more than anything but, for the sake of his business and employees, he had to be the figure at the frontlines.

'Someone has to take the biggest hits, and I have the most to lose.'

Sighing, a hollow noise that dragged through his lips in an almost pained tone, he hung his head back and stared up to the ceiling for a few seconds, his eyes drooping closed. Just a night away from the paperwork, that would work alright, wouldn't it? Without looking down, he popped one of the drawers on his desk and drew up an already open, half-drunk bottle of rum, then reached back in to pull out a small rock cut tumbler.

With the deft hands of someone who'd both the practice and the natural finesse to pour, he dumped a good measure into the glass without glancing back down, picked the glass up and swiftly tipped back some of the liquor. The warm rush that followed through his lips, tongue and throat was welcomed as another sigh, much deeper and heavier, rang out. Finally, as he opened his eyes, a small smile edged onto his face.

'Fuck it. I'm working too hard. One evening won't be a catastrophe.'

-Later-

Clad simply in a matt-black button-down shirt and dark stonewashed jeans, a bottle swayed faintly in his hand as he walked through the dancefloor, held by the neck as he weaved through the rather tightly packed crowd. A smile here, a nod there, one or two handshakes with people who recognised him quicker than others, and he managed to find a vacant table in front of him. Slipping onto one of the chairs, he leaned back slowly and brought the beer to his lips for a swig, skimming his eyes across the people around him. An instinctive reflex, one instilled from years of working in clubs. 'You watch everybody and nobody, all at once, and none of them should ever see you do it.'. He smirked at the memory of when he'd first started and had been hired as a 'cooler', and had been getting the feel for everything. It was something hard to get out of the habit of doing, but all at once hardly a hindrance either.

Resting an elbow on the table, he tapped his foot along with the music, a rather bass-heavy R'n'B remix of some current pop drivel that --in all honesty-- did the song much better justice and smiled contentedly, sipping the beer a little more and scanning his eyes around once more, actually looking at people and taking in faces. So little social interaction in the last few months had made this in itself damned near enough to break his brain, but once he'd gotten past the initial nods and waves from people who'd spotted him, he'd settled down some and was quickly enjoying himself. He'd actually gone so far as to dance a little.

Kazuki Akimoto.

Dancing.

The oddity of that was not lost on him, and he knew that there were enough people from years past who would have had a seizure at the notion of the usually hardened and stern Asian so much as swaying to a beat. His thoughts and musings interrupted when a set of legs approached from his left, clearly walking towards the table, he let his eyes rise to look at the person --female, obviously. That, or a gentleman with some...unique tastes--.

'Cute...'

Oh, there was NO doubt of that. Slender-framed with curves everywhere they should be, the sway of her hips would have had lesser men in puddles of incoherent goo. Kazuki, of course, was not quite so quick to be subjugated in such...

Such a....

Wow.

Raising an eyebrow in admittance of his mental defeat, he quirked a half-smirk as he took in the rest of the mystery girls form. Dark hair, not quite black, he guessed, but the lighting was pretty low...Slightly oval face, soft features....Alright, so she was more than just a little easy on the eye.

"Dance with me?"

The question was delivered with a tilt of the girls head and a slightly suggestive look on her face, one he'd seen a thousand girls give a thousand guys, with almost no failure. Keeping in mind that he was a spoken-for gentleman, he smiled faintly and rose from his chair in acquiescence, following the girls lead to the floor until she stopped, falling into her rhythm and turning to dance facing him, swaying hypnotically as he partially mirrored the movements, allowing her lead. The beat of the song had changed into a slightly faster-paced song this time, and while he recognised the track the name eluded him. The minutes passed in a flow of movement and music, and as the song drew to a close, she had moved in to dance against him. Not a fool by any means, his hands remained off of her, and when the music lulled as the tracks changed along with a few words from the DJ, he gave her a small smirk as she walked away with a backward glance, a quiet thanks as she smiled.

Inwardly, he was glad she'd not been out to get action tonight, at least with him by any rights. It saved any awkward moments, and with a final glance over at her as she slipped into the crowd, he chuckled softly to himself before walking back to the bar. Somewhere along the way, his beer had been finished and he found himself holding the empty.

Resting his elbows on the bar, he waved down one of the bartenders and replaced his drink before turning, leaning against the bar and looking around some more. The club was surprisingly busy, and when he was absolving himself of any duty to the place on these rare occasions, it was all the more interesting to just watch people. A few faces caught his eye, mostly he just nodded to the beat of the music and sipped his drink before someone edged in beside him to get to the bar. Shifting away to make room for the person, he slipped back into the dancefloor and let the music carry him again...

[Victoria Alexander]

Victoria seemed to find herself again within the walls of Legion. Its not that she had a taste for the drinks. She hadn't tasted anything other than the caffeinated pop that by now the bartender would give her without question. It was more of the place to let herself go after that hard day trapped in her office on the weekdays.

She was of course dressed to kill. Her legs covered in skin tight black denim that showed off her black heels and her torso covered in a leather vest that tied in the back with laces, her tattoo peeking from under it. With her dark make up she looked like one tough chick with the attitude to carry it off.

She was alone, something she was quite used to. Her new lover, Damien had something he needed to have done and she herself didn't want to become too clingy. She had a background in becoming to clingy. She wanted to change that, at least attempt it. So in order to not change her nightly habits she still sat alone at the bar with her tumbler of pop as to not stir any questions from anyone that might be keeping tabs on her. After all, she had to keep her new found relationship secret.

With her glass in hand she turned a little too quickly and knocked into someone that was making their way towards the floor while she was turning away from it. she had caught her drink just before it spilled and with a laugh found her eyes now on Kazuki Akimoto. Victoria's eyes went wide as a smile hit her lips.

"If I didn't know better I would think you spent your days behind locked doors."

[Kazuki Akimoto]

His shift to move towards the dancefloor interrupted by a knock that caused the bottle in his hand to sway much more vigorously, he flicked his head to the side to glance at the person who'd collided with him.

After the glance, he turned a little more in a double-take, raising an eyebrow as he did so before a small smirk crept onto his face. He had grown used to seeing Victoria around from time to time, be it just through casual observations in the club or around the neighbourhoods, and had regained most of the old comfort he had around her. It was Victoria, of all the people he could say he knew, he had to admit that she was pretty high on it.

A derisive snort of amusement at her quip left his lips as he retorted "Che, my paperwork tops yours. Besides, with the penthouse empty during the week I might as well fill the time."

True enough, of course. Kira had been accepted into USF and Reiko had been transferred to a boarding school --after the recent events between the two schools, it became clear that she would be at much lower risk at a school where his name wasn't the boogeyman to some people--, Rene and Rocco both worked enough to make their schedules difficult to interlink...Five nights a week he went home to an empty building.

Shrugging off the thought, he smiled, a little warmer than the smirk he'd given before.

"So, my social retardation aside, what's brought you to my little corner of the universe? Just making a night of it, or are we doing a little 'window shopping'?", raising an eyebrow with the remark, he grinned lightly at the connotation implied in it. Tilting his head slightly as he took a sip of the bottle in his hand, he watched her for a response.

[Victoria Alexander]

She laughed. Window shopping was a good excuse since she happened to pick up a few guys awhile back for some wild times. Just because she was alone didn't mean she didn't have needs to be filled. With a smirk she shook her head. It had been some time since she had seen Kira around and now that she thought about it Rene hasn't given her the stink eye for some time either.

"The same reason as you. An empty apartment. Well except for my new fish. Of course hes not much of a conservationist but when he starts talking then I know I'm in trouble."

She eyed his bottle that seemed half gone.

"This place has decent music and there's always a crowd. No sense in changing places when there's something good still rolling in here.

Plus you know I am keeping a lookout for some eye candy. A girl has to have her options."

Her smirk went a little wider with that. She of course had no interest in picking anyone up tonight. She had no reason since now all she had to do was push the speed dial.

"Though I might have to complain to the owner about the lack of carbonated beverages. I might have to suggest adding one more as to keep a certain customer happy. Happen to have a suggestion box somewhere."

She laughed lightly.

"Since you happen to be on your way to the dance floor you'll give me a dance? At least for old times sake Mr. Akimoto."

Since they were still pretty close to the bar Victoria would reach back and place her glass onto the bar and turn back with empty hands expecting him to be a gentleman and not leave her partner less on the dance floor. She in turn would give him that look that would say 'Come on what do you have to lose'.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Fish, huh? Always had you pegged as a 'cat' person..."

The observation was quiet enough to escape with a chuckle, and folding his arms he held his bottle by the neck, tapping it against his ribs in a rhythm matching the music playing around them.

Baring a little teeth in a responding grin to her returned quip about 'eye candy', he flicked an eyebrow up and nodded in mock-serious assent. "Indeed. Variety is, of course, the spice of life, is it not?", he held the smirk even as she commented on the apparent 'lack' of sodas, rolling his eyes at her with a shake of the head. "Most of my customers don't come in to sit with a nice glass of iced tea, so I stock only what we need. Still, if you're going to keep making appearances, I suppose I can order in a case of something to keep aside for you. Deal?"

Smirking as he sipped the bottle again, he tilted his head momentarily as she 'requested' a dance. Pausing in his thoughts, he debated the notion for a few seconds before stretching his arm out to set the bottle down on the bar-top. With a small smirk, he took a hand and led her through the few people standing in the path of the dancefloor with light weaves before stopping and turning, leaving the pair facing one another.

"Since it's 'for old times sake'..."

Smirking, he slowly entered into a rhythm with the music, the louder --and notably heavier- bass pounding through the floor. Speaking seemed a little moot for the time being, since the pair would have to outright shout in the hopes of getting anything heard. No, instead he would say whatever he needed to through his eyes and gestures, and if she tried to speak, he could at best read her lips.

[Victoria Alexander]

(Ooc- Im going to assume its more of a jump up and dance instead of a slow one, since after all you really didn’t specify except for the noticeable bass lines which could be a number of things )

Victoria grinned as she was then led to the dance floor. She had only danced with him only a very few number of times during their relationship together, small enough to count on one hand. One of which was when they had separated on her terms. This of course during the time she was trying to hide her pregnancy from him just before she found out about her cancer. It seemed like yesterday but in fact had been years ago. Time seemed to fly so fast anymore.

The music flowed though her as she of course would move in turn. Her hips, her body moving with the beats. Her lips moving to sing along with the song which her voice was drowned out easily. She would laugh as she would tug on the lapel of his button up shirt playfully to get him to loosen up if the liquor hadn’t done that for him already.

They had always been serious people when it came down to it, at least when they were together but now at that moment it was surely something different entirely. Victoria actually seemed to act her age as she looked more like a young adult rather than a old prude when she was at work. She had even heard many times that she seemed more like 44 rather than 24. She was always one for fun and games but there was always a place and a time.

Vic was out to have fun wether anyone liked it or not so when another guy would turn and dance in her direction she would do the same only to laugh and turn back towards Kazuki when the other guy would move back to his dance partner.

Towards the end of the song Victoria slowed up as she leaned in close her voice loud when the music started to die down.

“See that wasn’t so hard now was it. Someone might think your actually having fun.”

[Kazuki Akimoto]

A grin spread onto his lips as he saw her singing along, the lips moving in flow to the lyrics even though nothing could be heard. The tug to his shirt got a mildly raised eyebrow, though only in a returned expression of incredulous amusement. He was on the floor, he was dancing, he wasn't hiding the fact that he was, actually, enjoying himself, yet apparently some memories of the rather boorish attitude he had had in past years still clung to Victorias mind. Ignoring it for the most part, he simply increased the movement he made, gliding seamlessly with the music in a surprising rhythm that could only have come from his experience in martial arts. Kazuki Akimoto, of course, was not renowned for much else, so he made good of his talents in any other areas he could.

'Heh, twenty years of katas will even give a dull ass like -me- some rhythm...'

Smirking at her shifts to other dancers on occasion, he would usually flip the situation and move onto another person when she did, lest he be left dancing alone. Of course, in good grace, he would return to face her when she returned maintaining the same pleasant smile. Slowly, as the song drew to its close, when she leaned in he could finally hear her when she spoke up and remarked on the possibility of him 'having fun'. A wry grin crept onto his lips as he tilted his head so his lips were closer to her ear, ensuring she would hear him in turn.

"Well, it wasn't quite the chore I thought it would be, if that's what you're suggesting."

Flicking an eyebrow at her after the statement, backing his head away to look at her face to face, he chuckled soundlessly and reached a palm out, cupping her elbow and turning to the bar, gesturing for her to follow him as he did so. He would happily dance again, but even with the stringent security he kept here he didn't like leaving a drink alone for long, even his own. Besides, the following song was an unedited, unmixed copy of some dull poppy trash that he would not lower himself to dance to.

A musical snob? Not quite, but anyone with a decent taste in music (not to mention a respectable level of sobriety) would turn their nose up at this song. He would have to have words with the DJ after hours and ensure that such songs were kept to a minimum...Still, for now they could talk some, if the next track happened to be good, he would more than likely return to the floor.

Once he took up his own beer, tilting the bottle to glance at the bottom of it out of reflex, he did the same to Victorias glass (having been sat next to his own drink) before handing it to her. Nothing had been done to them, and the nod from the bartender he'd gotten had helped solidify that thought. After retracting his hand from handing her the glass, he leaned in to speak.

"So, how have you been anyway? Well, I hope?"

[Victoria Alexander]

Taking her glass in her hand she moved it to her lips and let the cool liquid move down her throat. After a gulp she would draw her finger just under her lip to make sure her lipstick wasn't anywhere it wasn't supposed to be.

"As well as one could be in my position. Things will be a little unsettling since we are having a little trouble with the schools. But nothing to worry about. Everything is still in the air an once the dust settles things will be worked out."

She took another drink of her pop. Course she wouldn't state her concerns about Hircine being in trouble and pitted against Paragon by the school board. She could complain for days on that subject but she wasn't about to ruin her fun evening complaining about something she had no control over.

"Got a new apartment a while back, and as you already heard got myself a fish. And yes I probably would be a cat person. But this is my first pet and the guy at the pet store said I better start small and work my way up. Wanna be careful and all. Its hard not being home all day but at least with a fish all I have to do is feed him before I go to bed and he will be happy."

She laughed.

"I wanted a companion that I can confide in that wasn't going to depend on me 24/7 or talk back when it disagrees with me."

She laughed with a small smile keeping her eyes on him. It had been a while since they last talked.

"How about you. Seems like things have been going well here. How's Kira. I haven't seen her in a while. I hope shes doing alright."

She spoke sincerely. She never had anything against Kira, always thought she was a nice girl.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Makes sense...No point having a cat with a bad attitude just because you can't be around all the time..."

He'd ignored the initial remarks about there being 'trouble' at the schools. He knew about the majority of what was going on --after all, despite no longer studying, Kazuki had information coming in-- but figured for the sake of avoiding a rather unpleasant topic it would be most prudent to let it pass unmentioned. Instead, he had focused on the following remarks and worked off of them.

"Oh, come on, you thrive on arguing. I've never seen you take anything lying down, no pun intended, so how are you getting all that feistiness out of your system?"

Raising an eyebrow, he smiled in amusement, pushing a button or two to try and prick a rise out of her. They'd parted ways several years ago, but he had lost all the bitterness that he'd had for her. Circumstances had changed, and he'd since felt a pang of guilt or two for the rather unkind manner he'd had towards her. As such, his next words were eventually driven by that, not to mention the liquor already in his system and taking a little effect.

"Kira...She's good, I guess. She got accepted to USF, so she boards there during the week now. I still see her at the weekends, but most of her time is taken up by studying. This is good for her, she'll end up besting me at the rate she's going...."

There was no doubt about that. Kira had the brains to top anyone he knew, and without massaging his ego, he knew full well that his own intelligence was exceptional, if not a little specialised to his two areas of expertise. Three, if one were to include his beloved Aikido. Not particularly wanting to talk about that, he sighed as he took a long pull on the beer in his hand.

"Listen, I know it's not exactly the best of topics, but there's something I want to say to you."

Closing his eyes, though she wouldn't be able to see with his head leaned forward so he could speak clearly into her ear, the music loud enough to make regular conversation difficult at best, "I owe you an apology. Several, if I'm honest, but that's not the point. The way I acted in the past was completely uncalled for; I was angry and needed to vent it somehow. You didn't deserve that, and I know it's probably a little redundant to do so now, but for what it might be worth, I'm sorry."

He referred, of course, to the way he had treated her when he had 'returned', shunning her unneccesarily and abruptly, not to mention the less than kind manner he had shown to her for a long time afterwards. It had bothered him for a while, and though they had drawn a line on it since then, it remained in mind that he had never attempted to redeem himself for his behaviour.

For whatever it would count for, he would at least break the old habit of ignoring his own transgressions. Whatever he thought of Victoria, she deserved that if anything.

[Victoria Alexander]

Her face seemed drained of excitement as it turned serious. His apology was something of a shock to her. Kazuki had a good heart and she was the first person to know that. If anything she knew him better than most and knew that when he said those things back then that he was putting his emotion on his sleeve. Frankly she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Victoria placed her hand on his that held his bottle and looked into his eyes as she spoke.

“Kazuki you taught me not to dwell on the past. You drug me free from my own personal hell back then. I was in the wrong to hide from you when..when everything happened.”

She didn’t want to mention her pregnancy so she was careful with her words. It didn’t matter how many years was in between then and now. She would always look at babies and other small children and wonder what it would have been like.

“So in a way it was my fault also. We did things badly without thinking back then, but back then there was a lot of shit going on that we couldn’t control. Truthfully it was probably for the better. I mean come on you are doing great, you have a woman who loves you and that you adore. You have your bar to keep you busy and your health. I am still working on my life but my life will always be a work in progress. I have my health back and every day I am stronger with the hope that my dark days are behind me. Things will keep on moving and knowing that you are trying to improve on your life makes me happy.
Kazuki I will always love you even if its not the same kind of love that we had back then. You are my friend and one of the few that know me and all the shit I’ve been through truthfully. So I will take your apology to heart but know that even if it was left unsaid I know that if you were ever in trouble I would still run to you.”

She placed her hand on his cheek and gave him a lopsided smile.

“I need your friendship wither you don’t want to give it or not. I'm going to have to learn to appreciate what I had and are going to have eventually.”

She did a short light laugh.

“So don’t feel that you have to apologize anymore than you just did because all that matters is life will go on with or without us. Just tell me your happy and I will be happy.”

[Kazuki Akimoto]

He let her speak without interruption, even though he would flinch slightly as her hand rested on his cheek. It wasn't intentional, nor a mark of disrespect in any way, he just didn't expect it, simply put. Once she finished, he smiled in silence with a single nod.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Like I said, I just felt that I owed you that at the least. As for whether I'm happy nor not...."

A slightly more distant look gained dominion on his face for a moment as the smile faltered, however briefly, until he continued, "I'm...content. So long as the people around me are safe and happy, that will be enough. I guess...I guess I don't know if I'd ever really be happy, in that sense of the word. If it happens, then great. Right now, I'm just glad for what I have."

There was a slight shrug of the shoulders before he brought his drink back to his lips, wordlessly indicating that he was in fact finished speaking. A quick chug of the beer before it rested against his midriff, holding the bottle in front of him rather than just to his side, and he rested his free palm against her arm a moment, a short but genuinely warm smile coming through.

"Thanks, all the same."

The warmth of the smile warped as a smirk emerged instead and he tilted his head with a quiet, likely unheard chuckle.

"And what's with the 'whether I'll give you my friendship or not' crap, eh? You think I'd put up with you coming in here and whatnot if I wasn't already giving you it?"

A quirk of an eyebrow was all, and he grinned a little more widely as he drained the last mouthful of beer in the bottle. Turning only the slightest amount to set it on the bar, he was immediately eyed by one of his staff who gestured to offer him another. Returning one of his own, he turned down the beer, but made a pair of motions with his hand that was apparently understood.

Three glasses came over to him a moment later, one a small tumbler and two more much smaller. Pushing one over to Victorias 'side', he raised his own with a small tilt in her direction before shooting back the bourbon. A faint cringe as he accustomed to the taste --hardly his drink of choice but an excellent shooter--, and he watched for Victoria to reciprocate, her own sitting beside her as he took a small sip of the other glass --rum, now there was a drink--.

[Victoria Alexander]

“Every one will have a that day and yours will come as will mine. We are still young, now once we hit our thirties or forties then I might worry. By then I should have a cat. Im sure I’ll be known as the cat lady in my old age. No, no Crazy Cat Lady.”

She laughed at her own joke and then would chuckle softly as he suggested he would kick her out if he wasn’t extending his friendship. And that could possibly be true. But all in all she knew that what he gave what all that he would give and that’s all she needed in the end. His apology was more than enough.

Placing her fingers around the glass she laughed as he cringed. She never liked to drink, specially anything that would make her want to cringe worse than Kazuki did at that moment. Frankly with her last experience, it cause a little more trouble than what it was worth. She will never remember fully what happened that night. Only that she was with Elizabeth and was drowning her sorrows and there was a tattoo guy named Bud or was it Chuck...

“I don’t know how you can drink that stuff. The last and only time I drank I got myself into trouble and woke up with a tattoo. I was told that I table danced and can be quite a handful, but I don’t remember a thing. Maybe its for the best.”

She laughed into her cup as she took a sip.

“I seem to be an emotional drunk as Elizabeth put it lightly. But back then I think I had a valid reason to drink myself stupid. Or at least to me it was a good reason. Now I just tell myself that it would be a bad idea to drink alone should I ever go over board. Not to mention Im sure it doesn’t take much for this non drinker to get plastered. I would need a designated non drinker strapped to me to make sure I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

She laughed again.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

The quietest of chuckles escaped his lips at her remark, and with a quick cough to the side he cleared the last of the aftertaste of the bourbon from his mouth. Shifting to watch her take the glass up, he raised an eyebrow at her story of her last drinking experience. Rolling his eyes at the mention of a tattoo, he 'tsked' as she continued on, nodding in understanding. If there was one thing he knew about, it was drinking to excess in an inappropriate mental state. Snorting at the thought, he shrugged his shoulder before sipping the rum lightly.

"Drinking doesn't make someone emotional, it merely increases their sober state of mind to a much more visible effort. Think about it, when a guy goes out for a stag party, he's not hunched over a glass brooding over things, he's having the time of his life. Why? He started out knowing he wanted to have fun, and as such he will. Conversely, the girl sitting alone at the bar with a glass, not speaking to anyone and looking rather sad, chances are she's had a bad day and just wants to be left alone...It varies with people, but so long as you go into a night with a good frame of mind, you'll end it the same way."

He smiled with that opinion, raising an eyebrow.

"Now, are you going to drink that or do I have to organise a vodka I.V for you?"

The grin on his face widened a little more as he watched her expression, "You should keep in mind where you are, if someone can pull in your reins, I think it's me, no offense. After all, I'm 'Mr. Serious', right?"

Shifting his eyes back to the bar, he made a gesture similar, but not the same, as the one he'd made before. A moment later, another glass was set down, just one this time, and Kazuki reached over to lift it up, leaning it forward to tap the edge of his shot glass against Victorias.

"Of course, if I happen to overdo it, then I can always count on Rene to keep me -and, consequently, you- in line. Cheers."

With that, the glass tipped back in a swift, smooth pull, tipping the bourbon back with much less reaction the second time around. Once the taste was there, it was actually quite enjoyable, or at least so he thought...

[Victoria Alexander]

((Ooc- Im going to assume there’s alcohol in that glass))

“Im sure you can, pull in my reins as you put it.”

She paused as he addressed the shot glass and made the joke about the IV

“I shouldn’t object to a drink with the owner of the establishment now should I. Wouldn’t want you to look bad in front of your patrons. Just don’t give me tequila, god knows what happens when I get tequila...”

Switching out her tumbler for the smaller shot glass. She held it up as she gave a short light laugh about Rene keeping the two in line. From her short experience with Rene she was sure the girl disliked Victoria.

“Im sure Rene would rather throw me out rather than try to keep me in line. She would only be looking for a reason. And no matter how nice I would be to her it wouldn’t make a difference. You have an effect over women and after they fall for you and if they fall hard they would die for you. Must be nice to have that effect on the opposite sex.”

She had a short laugh taking the small glass in her fingers she would do as it intended and instead of taking a sip to taste she would instead lug it back in one shot. Quickly swallowing it while making a scrunched face along the way.

Putting the, now empty shot glass onto the bar she looked towards Kazuki.

“Don’t go making jokes about me being a light weight. You have years of experience.”

She smiled and shook her head.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"It's a blessing and a curse, really..."

The quick retort was left as it was as she continued on, making a remark about Tequila that caused a slightly evil smirk to emerge on his lips. "Y'know, maybe you shouldn't have mentioned that. I might just start rattling out the tequila slammers later for shits and giggles, see just what happens and all that."

The smile waned after a moment, the empty 'threat' expected to be ignored for the most part in any regard, as he shook his head to her assumptions about Rene. For all the things that could be honestly said about Renes opinions of Victoria, limited as they were, she didn't genuinely dislike the woman. Other...extraneous circumstances had simply caused a sour turn in the opinion held. However, as Kazuki made no point of hiding who he talked with, Rene had at least accepted that if the pair had made their peace, then to that end she could do the same. After all, how often would the pair really interact anyway, so what need was there for the blonde to be callous?

"All I can tell you is that it's not the case. Rene's not the easiest person to get on with most of the time, but trust me, she's got no bone to pick with you."

It was all he could do, in all honesty. If Victoria had that opinion, the odds were it wasn't going to be easily changed, but that wasn't something to be overly concerned with for now, along with the latter remark made. Whatever effect he had on women, well, it wasn't something he was concerned with these days, . Watching the raven-haired woman shoot back her glass, he chuckled softly at the soured expression her face gained from the taste.

"First one's always the worst, by the next you'll be a pro. Experience doesn't count worth a shit, anyway."

Sipping the rum slowly, he set the glass down and leaned against the bar, a lingering smile hanging. "Well, since you asked about Kira, quid pro quo. How's the love life on the Victoria Alexander front, if you'll pardon the pun?"

[Victoria Alexander]

She did a short laugh still trying to adjust her taste buds to the taste of the liquor. She wouldn’t lie to his question but she wouldn’t give him the complete truth. After all, she would tell it like it is. Her relationship with Damien wasn’t love, at least as far as she was going to tell herself.

“I wouldn’t call it love my love. Its more of lust than love. And there is no general name to give you since there has been a handful that come through my way. I haven’t and probably won’t settle my heart down for a long while. Lets face it, a hearts gotta heal a whole lot longer once it tangoed with you, my dear Kazuki. And love is one word I am not going to use freely in the general pretext of the meaning.”

Since the second shot was in front of her she figured what the hell, she was in a good mood and if what he said was true and she wouldn’t be an emotional wreck should she happen to have a little too much. She took the shot in hand and put it back. She didn’t know how people could drink any liquor like a fish.

“Plus what fun would it be to settle down knowing that with my life style it will be unpractical and a waste of time. Im not Holly Homemaker even thou I tried to convince myself that years ago. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way and I’m not about to make that mistake again.

“I have no problem with living on the edge again. Hell I’ve even been missing the old days. I’m not getting younger and if I plan to make something of myself I better just put those feelings of wanting anything normal aside. Victoria Alexander will never be a home maker”

She laughed lightly at the bold truth and shook her head. Looking down at the empty shot she pointed to it while letting her eyes rest on his face. Clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth.

“Do you have anything more fruity?”

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Well, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but I'm obviously doing something right if it's the case. Still, at least things are...exciting for you, shall we say?"

A smirk twitched on his lips as he responded to her, sipping the lightly tinted spirit in the glass he held with an air of amusement. Watching the second of the shots go down, even with the grimace that it brought to the womans face, he contained the grin he could feel pulling at him. A change in the music around them, something much more powerful in bass and tempo, sent his hand into a rhythmic tap against the bar with his fingertips even as he openly chuckled to her remark.

"We have to be normal to be homemakers, none of our lot will ever really fit into that particular stereotype, I think. Besides, it's only one life, and frankly I've a shit-load of money to enjoy it for now.", glancing at her empty glass upon her gesture, he nodded to the question and once again signalled the bartender. When the server reached for the bourbon bottle, a flick of his wrist and a shake of his head, Kazuki pointed to the 'left', holding up four fingers, then two after turning his hand to rest horizontally; left to indicate which direction to count over from, four fingers to indicate how many bottles to count past, and two to indicate how many shots. A simple system, it worked for him when he was talking and required service without being interrupted.

"We'll find something to your taste yet, trust me..."

Grinning as he said it, the shots arrived a few seconds later, a rather lurid green colour and somewhat sharp-smelling. Apple, though the brand itself eluded him. Hardly a choice drink for him, but given the opportunity, Kazuki could drink methylated spirits if there was mixer...

"Bottoms up."

[Victoria Alexander]

Knowing Kazuki she wasn’t about to keep asking what was being put in front of her. She was a twit when it came to alcohol she didn’t know the differences between one or the other. Knowing that colors could be deceiving as well.

Taking the small shot she held it up as he said bottoms up and of course shot it back. She knew if she would have taken a sip she might not have drank it. Letting it sit on her tongue for a moment she then swallowed. Green Apple, tasty. Kazuki was right, it does get better after a few.

“You know the bad thing about all of it, back when I was at the orphanage I wanted to be normal, but I think all kids did in that place. I barely remembered my parents, course the good parts of them, not just the messy end. I longed to be normal to have a mom and dad maybe a few siblings. But then when I was placed with the foster folks I loathed it. Wanted nothing to do with it because they showed me the worst that could happen. And now, what”

She had to count mentally.

“15 years give or take later I came to miss the warmth its supposed to bring and what family is supposed to mean. I mean I grew up with runaways complaining how hard life was with bossy over protective parents and I wanted that. Hell I still want that. I have no restrictions nothing to keep me in place. And even thou I am wild and carefree, it lacks soo much that its become boring. Course now that Im an adult I’ve seen so much that I am now lost, out of place, unsure of what to do.”

She looked at the empty shot and then placed it on the bar. Still shouting slightly over the music.

“The worse part about it is if I had to do it all over again. It wouldn’t change.”

She laughed slightly.

“It would still be the same exact way. Sure I would change a few outcomes here and there but it would still be the same and I would still be as miserable as I am now. Well I’m not totally miserable. But I mean in the wanting to be a normal person kinda miserable. Hell I’m lucky I have a roof over my head. That is the highlight of my life. I get an apartment, have a job. God knows how long that’s going to last.”

She again chucked with the shake of her head.

“But fate will always follow me and there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it. But in other news, since I just turned our and possibly any conversation into all doom and gloom.”

She laughed.

“I think Im going to get myself a car. Nothing flashy or anything. Something to get to point A to point B without breaking down. Been practicing my driving and should be getting my license pretty soon. It’s a shame a 24 year old not having a license.”

She shook her head in self pity.

“So I think I should forewarn you to watch the roads once I do.”

Victoria smirked.

“But I saved up a couple grand and well. Truthfully I don’t know a good car from a bad car. And a little advice is needed. I don’t want to spend cash on a car that may blow up a month later. I never really had much experience with cars.”

She gave herself an uneasy look.

“I guess what Im saying is I need help. Your really the only person I know that can spot BS from a salesman a mile away. And with my lack of experience, I need all the help I can get. Not to mention I don’t have any patience with a guy that likes to google at my goods rather than do his job. I think I might have hurt one guy the other day when I went and started window shopping.”

She wasn’t going to say that the guy was now missing a few front teeth because he slapped her on the ass after staring at her chest for the thirty minutes she was there. But she wouldn’t deny that the guy got what was coming to him.

“Think you can help me?”

She interlaced her fingers together and gave him the supposed cute puppy dog eyes. Not really begging but more or less that she would be much appreciated if he would help. It was silly but she didn’t want to get scammed.