DOWN IN TOKYO

[reapsthewind]

Okay, so maybe she'd been drunk when she'd asked the piano player at the Fifth Street Lounge out for a drink at Dark Horizons. But he WAS cute and he DID have a good voice and he played piano well and hadn't stabbed her when she hadn't known who ZZ Top was when her old deejay friend from MIT certainly would have. So... that was a plus? She didn't even know if she was really interested.

This was how Chris dealt with dating, really, dealt with nervousness and the damned dance of trying to pretend that you gave a shit -- not giving a shit at all. Kind of just picking a random thing and going with it. It never worked. She wasn't sure that she cared.

"Oh god, just something neon pink that isn't a fucking Cosmo. Put gin in it? I don't care," she told the barman. But he was used to these kinds of stupid demands.

"Date tonight?"

"NO. I mean yes. I mean, I'm stupid. I mean, whatever," she said, sliding onto a barstool. "I think we're just hanging out. I hope so. I was drunk."

Comments

[hopediesalone]

This was a horrible idea. He didn't even know if she'd remember or even be here?

Whatever. He had intended to check out Dark Horizons anyway. This sort of thing seemed pretty casual? He wasn't really interested in Chris in that sense, he thought--but he'd like to know her better sober. After a moment's hesitation, he left his coat at the check. Shades, black shirt, torn-up yellow scarf. Perfect.

Making his way in, he finally looks over to the bar and spots her. Time to head over, for better or worse.

Shit, what to even say. Think, Blues. Think.

"Hi."

What a hit you are, Blues.

[reapsthewind]

"Hey," says Chris.

Wow such a witty reply. NO DAMMIT I'M GOOD AT THINGS?

"Raul, right?"

Wow good job you can't even remember if that's his name did you even ASK his name or just pick a time and place? Ha ha oh wow.

She almost apologizes, almost says, sorry for my drunk-ass self, sorry for randomly asking out a stranger, sorry if I made you uncomfortable, sorry for not knowing music history as well as I should, I dunno, do you like Kenny Loggins, oh god that was the wrong thing to say, but instead

"You gonna stand there or what? Also, nice scarf. I really mean that, it's neat."

[hopediesalone]

"Yeah. Most people call me Blues, though. S'whatever, I'll answer either way."

He nods, sitting down. "Thanks. Got it during the brawl at Toscano Park a while back. I think, anyway, all I know is I had it by the end. Not sure how. Aaaand I'm rambling, sorry. Chris, yeah?" Not even really realizing he brought that incident up. He takes a look at her drink, considering for a moment before getting the bartender's attention.

"Place like this'd have stupid game licensed energy drinks, right?"

And a nod in return, excellent.

"Great. Could I get a raspberry one of those in a glass--don't really care which one, but Super Fighting Robot 3000's if you got it--mixed with a shot each of sake and Blue Caracao? Thanks."

[reapsthewind]

"You were there in that mess? Jeez. I kind of wanted to go, but I had a programming project to finish, and so I only managed to see the aftermath. What a mess," she said.

She watched the bartender bring the drink, and raised an eyebrow. "That actually sounds alright. Though Blue Caracao always seems tacky to me..."

She looked at her own drink. "Said me, drinking a neon pink monstrosity. Look, they even put a tacky LED light in a plastic cube in it."

She was grinning crookedly though, as though it were some great joke.

"So what were you doing down at the park? Protesting or just unlucky?"

[hopediesalone]

"Yeah," he nodded, taking a sip of the drink.

"It's good. And hey, Blue Caracao's totally valid when you want something impossibly blue and boozy."

He actually did laugh a little bit in response, so that's something. "Ultimate garnish. Cyberpunk cocktails...there's an idea."

He gave a little shrug. "Short answer is yes. The longer-but-still-short answer is that it's complicated and I handed in a resignation the next morning."

[reapsthewind]

She raised an eyebrow.

"Huh."

Hm. Taking her drink by the rim of the glass, she rocked it back and forth on the table.

"I better not ask. Sounds... unfortunate."

Haha wow awkward. Subject change?

"Man so besides neon lights, what else would you put in a cyberpunk cocktail? Nanites? ... compressed liquefied energy?"

[hopediesalone]

He shrugs again. "Not that bad." Well, no, it kinda was that bad, Blues.

"Both sound good, as far as I'm concerned. Why the nanites, though?" He's looking over, genuinely curious.

[reapsthewind]

"I figure they'd wire into your brain and do something fun. Colored lights in your eyes. Or if you're really unlucky, four hours of fucking Grumpy Cat," she said with a crooked grin. "Place like this? Probably fandom memes."

[hopediesalone]

"Brace yourselves, the hangover is coming," he says, smirking a little bit. "Sounds like you're onto something here. Pitch it to Gibson or Stephenson, ask for a credit." He tilts the glass a little bit in a circular motion, watching the ridiculously blue cocktail swish around before he takes another sip.