Opening Night at Club Yaso-Inaba.

[fridgeninja]

Souji leaned on the balcony overlooking the nightclub, listening to the rhythmic bass thrum of the music, as deep and regular as the sound of a train. When he looked under the edge of his glasses, he could see the dry-ice fog swirling on the dance floor, but all the patrons of the club had a pair of their own, handed out by the mascot-suited bouncer at the door, so everything was okay. Even if the strobing lights sometimes made their eyes look yellow, he knew everything was going smoothly -- the DJ kept looking up from his booth to flash a smile and a thumbs-up, as if he could hear Souji's thoughts beamed directly into his headphones.

The waitress was busy, consulting her big black album of drink recipes to advise the patrons on what to order, and behind her the bartender continuously mixed and re-mixed drink ingredients, producing a multicolored array of cocktails, each in their own specially shaped glass.

Souji looked down, realizing that he was turning a chopstick in his hand, marked red on one end. He gave it a smile.

He was King of the Club... and it was good to be the King.

Comments

[drinkandforget]

In any club, there were people trying to forget, people drowning themselves in their drinks or their dancing, or in sneaking away from the dance floor for something more intimate. They left behind the burdens of dissatisfying jobs, dissatisfying feelings, dissatisfying partners. It was a wise step on their part.

Lethe was not one of them, however. She stood out for the pink hair and the light, summery dress with its sailor-style collar. She had no partner at the moment, though she'd been on the floor numerous times earlier, and she idly swirled her drink.

Admittedly, the night was an energizing one, with most of the people truly enjoying themselves. But she still felt at home here, with a fog creeping over the floor that was reminiscent of the fog shrouding her river. When she caught Souji's eye, she nodded, as though she knew she owed him whatever entertainment she found in the evening.

"This club is somewhat new, isn't it?" she made idle conversation, not usually a pastime of hers but which seemed appropriate here. "I don't recall coming here before."

[fridgeninja]

"We've just opened," he said. "But we're going places. If you like it here tonight, you should definitely make it for the Risette show. It'll be on our calendar, unless it's raining that day."

[drinkandforget]

"I'll remember that." There was a certain faint irony in those words coming from the Soldier of Lost Memories, but she'd been entertained enough so far; why not come back?

"I am Lethe," she introduced herself finally, expecting his name in return.

[fridgeninja]

"Souji," he replied, smiling slightly. "Although it's King Souji at the moment, I suppose."

[drinkandforget]

Lethe, who had a queen of her own to serve, gave a smile that was slightly cold somehow. "Consider me a visitor to your kingdom," she suggested.

"Do you dance?" It was, she supposed, one of the small pleasures she'd be able to partake of more often and more leisurely once the rest of Galaxia's conquest had been achieved.

[fridgeninja]

"I haven't had time in a while," he says, wondering how that can be true while certain that it is. "But for an honored guest in the kingdom..."

He sweeps a bow, and then offers her his hand.

[drinkandforget]

Lethe finds herself amused, and plays along. What does she care that it ends after the night, like some mundane fairy tale where there's no everlasting destiny but just a pair of strangers meeting and parting?

It's enjoyable for the moment. She takes Souji's hand.

[fridgeninja]

The fog swirls around them as they move out onto the dance floor, lights strobing, music rhythmic but surreal. Their dance seems to move through one style after another -- from the typical pulse-pounding close movements of a club dance floor to something more appropriate for a ballet recital, classical to modern, personal to artistic.

Gradually, Souji begins to notice that while each dance is distinct in his head -- even ones with steps he's certain he doesn't know -- the transitions between one and the next always seem to escape him, as if they didn't exist between one flash of the lights and the next.

[drinkandforget]

Lethe is no expert dancer; but in the dream, she goes through the steps without difficulty, if also without particularly standing out. She seems to prefer the quicker tempos.

If Souji's beginning to forget the borders between the dances, the guardian of the River of Oblivion would hardly be surprised, or sympathetic.

"Did you enjoy the last song?" It might be hard to fully remember that, too.

[fridgeninja]

"I've got the best DJ in the business," he says, which is at least half an answer. he pauses to tip a salute to the young man in the booth, and gets a grin and a return of the gesture.

"Should we dance some more? Or would you like a drink? The first round is on the house."

[drinkandforget]

"Let's keep going right here." Maybe it was the effect of drink already - both of them had had some - or maybe it was the music, or just a girl being with a guy.

Maybe.

But what was certain, was that it became more difficult to remember how long they'd been there, what they'd been doing before, who else had come and gone. Lethe's face gave nothing away.

[fridgeninja]

"Fine by me."

Another number started, and the dancing began again. Souji kept as close to her as he could -- not intruding on her space, if he could help it, but not shying away either.

Even as he became more and more sure that there was something he was missing, it wasn't as if he had anything more agreeable or important to do while he tried to puzzle it out.

[drinkandforget]

"I shouldn't monopolize you." As they danced, Lethe let herself tease by asking questions. "Did you come with a date? Friends, maybe?" Even the undisputed king of the club might have done so.

[fridgeninja]

"No date. As for my friends... most of them are working, too. Except..." he frowns. "Not all of them could make it," he finishes, a little lamely.

[drinkandforget]

"You have plenty to do here without them anyway, don't you?" Lethe was not particularly the most attached to friendship.

[lamentoso]

The more she wandered into the crowd, the more the feeling grew that Sayaka wasn't supposed to be there. A night club, full of drinks and people that she didn't know -- it wasn't exactly the best scene for a junior high girl to find herself in. She had been trying to make her way to the door, but kept getting pushed back by people going the opposite way, or random dancers that moved about in anyway they saw fit.

"Maa, where's the exit in this place?!" she moaned, making her way up a staircase to the second level. At least she may be able to get a better view from here as to where she could escape to.

[fridgeninja]

Souji hand't noticed the girl until she came up to the balcony, but he was puzzled as soon as he saw her. She didn't seem to be sneaking around, and he was sure his bouncer wouldn't have let anyone underage in through the front door. Something was unusual about the situation, but he couldn't qite put his finger on what or how.

"Aren't you a little young for a place like this?" He kept his voice friendly, since she looked worried enough as it was.

[lamentoso]

"Ah... heheh," she laughed nervously, a hand behind her head. "Well the truth is... I don't remember even coming in. I was on my way to the hospital but somehow I wound up here..." she frowned at the thought of not being able to recall her own footsteps. Something was definitely strange about this.

"You aren't going to get me into trouble are you?"

[fridgeninja]

"I could say the same to you," he countered. "It's opening night. If any inspectors bust us with a minor in here, I could be in pretty big trouble too."

He shares a conspiratorial smile.

"I guess we'd better keep this quiet and sneak you out of here so you can make it to the hospital, then."

[lamentoso]

"You mean you'll help me?" she blinked for a moment, realizing his smile, then countering with one of her own. "Thanks, that'd be great. I can't even see where to go with all these people here!"

She took another look around at the crowds below, her smile from a moment ago turning into a bit of a smirk. "I doubt the owners would even notice though. I mean if someone came in to inspect the place I'm sure all they'd get is a fine, right? I bet the owner is some big rich old guy anyway that probably wouldn't even notice it. Pocket change, heh," she added with a hint of bitterness.

[fridgeninja]

"If he's young, the stress would probably make him go gray before his time," he said, sounding totally serious. "And the dancing probably keeps him pretty skinny. But he would have to be pretty good about making money."

There was a pause.

"Anyway, if we sneak into the hallway next to the bar, we can get you out the back door before anyone notices. But we'll have to be stealthy for the first part."

sorry sorry im so late all the time ever... orz

[lamentoso]

"Yeah right!" she laughed, maybe a little too loudly -- which is what made her cheeks darken a little as she realized it. "Good one... I bet this place is definitely run by some old man desperate to re-live his youth, or even some guy going through a mid-life crisis," she snickered to herself, obviously picturing a pretty entertaining scene for herself.

"Anyway, you lead the way! Sounds like you know where you're going..."

never a problem!

[fridgeninja]

Souji snuck them downstairs, enjoying the girls' ongoing monologue, and the excessive subterfuge. They'd almost made it when a tall, black-haired waiter, about Souji's age, caught his arm.

"Hey, boss. We're running low on olives. Any suggestions?"

Souji straightened, gave his instructions, and then turned back to his current partner in crime with a smile and a shrug.

[lamentoso]

Wait a second that guy... said the b word, didn't he. With a bit of a quiet, "Urk -- " Sayaka looked from the employee back to Souji, with a look that almost screamed 'open mouth, insert foot.' "Ah... I... " she looked around, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, trying to form the apporpriate words to take back what she had just said somehow...

[fridgeninja]

"I guess I've been caught," Souji said easily.

[decaying]

Kanda wasn't sure what he was doing here but he had definitely gotten accustomed to the loud annoying music for the drinks. He wasn't a fruity type of guy, the night would be easy for the waitress. There were several empty glasses of beer on his table and he wasn't quite drunk yet.

Drink until you couldn't drink anymore and punch a man in the face. This was his objective for the night. As long as the women kept their distance, he would happily drink in this dark secluded corner thank you very much.

[fridgeninja]

At some point, a concerned hostess in a red dress had whispered to Souji about the glowering customer in the corner, and as soon as he was free he made it his first priority to investigate.

"Enjoying your evening?"

[decaying]

Kanda had been nursing his bottle when this guy came up. He only bothered with a stare before bringing the bottle to his lips. He didn't respond until he was done with it, placing it on the table in front of him, his fingertips merely embracing the neck of the bottle. If this guy was another drunkard confusing him for a woman, he was going to break the bottle on top of his head.

"What do you care."

[fridgeninja]

"It's my club. It's my job to make sure everyone enjoys the big night."

He kept his tone easy, and his body language non-confrontational. It's easy to see the tension here, but until he has a better idea what's causing it, the best he can do is try not to make anything worse.

[decaying]

Kanda gave the guy another once-over, so he was the owner of this place? Not bad. The drinks were decent, the only thing he could complain about was the lack of food here but he figured this was just another modernized change. Kanda came from a very different time, you see. He was just here for the booze.

"I'm fine." He responded, yet the look of annoyance wasn't really gone from his face. It's just how he is, really. "I could use another drink."