let's bounce {open!}

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

Club Silver
^{^music^}

Dorian came to visit Kenneth one morning after his shift ended at Club Silver. He was filled with stories about ridiculous club-goers, and the two of them howled with laughter until 6am. That afternoon when they woke up, Dorian mentioned that they were hiring new security staff, and Ken should drop by with a resume.

So Ken dropped by, shook hands with the manager, and delivered one of his signature smiles. The man asked him for his resume, and Ken picked up a stool and bent the legs in half. He was hired on the spot, and told that a new stool would be taken out of his first paycheck.

So here he was, in the middle of a 10pm-4am shift, standing outside the club. He was given specific instructions as to how many people he was allowed to let in at a time, had to keep a rough idea of the capacity within, and had to make sure the club had a significant line-up outside. Not too long to lose customers, but not too short to look unpopular. He hadn't known all the complexities of bouncing until he actually started. He figured he just had to stand outside with his arms crossed looking like an intimidating prick. He could do that, but he was responsible for so much more.

Already he'd escorted two men off the dance floor and tossed them out. He'd narrowly missed projectile vomit from a girl who was likely now lying in a hospital recovering from alcohol poisoning. And he had turned down approximately forty fake IDs. That was all before midnight.

He was permitted to let twenty of his own friends in per night, allowing them to skip the line like VIPs. Most of them could legitimately say they were VIPs, but why waste good money on things like private booths and bottle service when all you really wanted was to jump the line?

"Next," He waved forward to the next person in line as the last couple walked through the doors. He didn't need a flashlight - the neon sign above his head illuminated the IDs enough. The young man wasn't really paying attention to who was next, and just held his hand out lazily for their card.

[Elliot is on the edge.]

We party cause we in pain.
we party to celebrate, to keep from going insane.

[/size]
we party just to escape
no matter how much the cost[/font]
regardless of what it takes. if you're found or you're lost[/font]
[hey baby these are the breaks][/center][/size]

Elliot had gotten a new job too.

Peter Burgess-Osbourne had been it during the last 35 years. He had blown up during the 1980's, making New York the place to be seen once again, and for his credit, the man had been making the city his bitch in the fields of fashion, art, performance and pure social standing ever since. He was as famous for his eccentric taste and particular habits as he was for his masterful outfits and genius plays, and the word on the street was that he was in the middle of a particularly bad string of assistants and Draco, who knew Rebel, who always knew a friend of someone's friend, put in a good word for her and so last Saturday she left school early and drove into the heart of the city for an interview.

As their meeting came to a close, Peter offered her the job on the spot and she had said 'yes' just as hastily - as if she was afraid he might change his mind the longer the offer sat out on the table. He needed her to start right away, he explained with a smile. There was lunch to be ordered and phone calls to be made and he really couldn't figure out how to work his sprinkler system and those poor begonias were absolutely withering in the sun. Two hours later he sent her home from her first day and she called Eiji as soon as the car door closed behind her. His boss wasn't as flexible though, and he was still at work; which left his voicemail to answer her call. Frowning against her cellphone, the blonde left him a quick message to tell him the good news before calling Draco. He didn't pick up when she called or the five times she called back following. Neither did Peyton or Eve or Andrew or Noah, and it started to bum her out, but it wasn't until she got home and no one could muster anything more than 'Oh my god, congratulations!', a few obligatory questions and a promise to go out a celebrate later that week that she found herself really crushed.

They were happy for her, of course. All their friends knew how rapidly Elliot and Eiji's pockets had shallowed, and watching the pair of them work incessantly in all the hours they weren't in school had been hard. Eiji, who had been worked bone-tired at JP Morgan's all through the summer, had always possessed a unique and relentless resolve that managed to shine it's way to the surface whenever the going got toughest, but Elliot on the other hand tended to burn out just a little faster. The year after her father's death had quieted some of the most ambitious and bold components of the blonde's personality and so while at first the routine had been no problem, eventually working days fetching coffee and copies at the publishing house, then afternoons at school and graveyard shifts at the Why Not dinner had begun to tear her apart. Working for Peter not only meant better pay than her other two jobs combined, but it also translated into more time to sleep, eat, do homework and most important for regaining her sanity - spending more time with Eiji.

This last fact was what led Elliot to think her boyfriend would be just as ecstatic about the offer as she was. And he was, he kept reassuring her that night. It was just too late to go out, too hot to order any champagne, just too something to do anything. He was right, Elliot kept reminding herself. Completely justified considering he worked almost ten hours and sat through a grueling two-hour lecture in his Post Colonialism Theory class that morning. It was totally understandable that no one could go out tonight. They were just as busy and tired and worn out, and they'd make time for her tomorrow.

No one did make time the next night though, or any night that week. By Thursday, she was a little depressed. On Friday she was pissed, sick of the same five excuses everyone had been feeding her all week, and so Saturday morning she woke up early and took the scratched up little BMW to a second-hand store on the outskirts of Chinatown that she had discovered one day when riding the subway all over and wandering aimlessly. She smiled knowingly at the little blue dress that hung in the window as she pulled into a parking spot. It was as if it was waiting for her. Looking at it in the dressing room mirror later, she felt like it had been made for her. Pulling back her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Elliot ran her flat hands over her stomach and grinned into the mirror as she made a decision.
Yes, she was going out tonight.

The thought kept her sane all day, her secretive little plan lending her features to a secretive little smile that eventually drove Peter so wildly curious that he just had to ask what was on her mind. "You've been moping around here like Judy Garland with an empty prescription for two days and now I can just tell you've got a deadly little secret. I demand as your employer that you tell me everything!"

He patted the seat besides him on the settee loudly, but she just smiled playfully and continued picking up all the laundry that was scattered all over the floor of the man's bedroom before telling him of her preceding week and the ridiculous but completely insatiable desire she harbored to just let loose and get stupid after months of pent up stress and manic work.

Peter - who was an avid supporter of stepping out of your comfort zone and 'soul-searching adventures' as he had referred to her solo night out - squealed and offered to let her take one of his cars - and even one of his drivers, Evan - to drive her around for a few hours. At first she had felt strange and far too self-conscious, especially when they pulled up to the curb outside her apartment after work and she ran into change, trying not to think of the white stretch Rolls-Royce parked besides her neighbor's rusted 1980's Honda and the beaten down pick-up trucks. She was afraid someone was going to try and break into it.

She dressed as quickly as possible, grabbing the outfit she had laid out that morning and then scribbling a note to Eiji to put on the fridge. Sticking a magnet over the notice, Elliot paused for a moment of indecision before opening the door to the icebox and grabbing a beer off the bottom shelf. Gathering up her coat and purse along with the drink, the blonde dashed back out the door and did her best not to stumble over the shoes that she hadn't quite fully put on yet. She collapsed in the backseat of the Rolls with a sigh and disentangled her ankles from the hectic straps of her high-heels. Evan pulled away from the curb and Elliot opened her beer without another moment of ado. It was going to be a long drive and she knew there was more than enough time to finish this drink, figure out her shoes and probably crash Peter's minibar too.

Watching the sky turn from blue to black as they crossed the bridge out of Manhattan, Elliot debated calling a few of her friends again. She even went so far as to dig her cellphone out of her purse and bring up a blank text message, but the intention fluttered and died on the vine and she was eventually reduced to just turning the device over and over in her palm while she watched the city lights blur by. Elliot had never been very confident, just excellent at faking it. It was a mix of desperation and the search for something softer that had once upon a time lent her to bold actions, but now without the same clawing need to be noticed and wanted and seen, she just felt silly and unsure.

Screw it, she told herself finally in a moment of complete and vile selfishness.
Scooting off the seat and crawling toward the minibar, her clutch fell off her lap and popped open as it bounced onto the floor, a few of it's contents spreading themselves about the carpet of the car. Most notably was a tiny gold canister that was generally used to hold sewing needles but instead housed something much more delicious. Lorazepam. Andrew had given her a handful of them months ago and it seemed she had left them in the bottom of this particular bag - of all bags; it seemed to be much like fate.

Elliot, who was trying to bashfully hide her michevious smile out of some misplaced sense of guilt, helped herself to a pill before opening up the fridge and grabbing the bottle of Evian she knew would be just inside the door. She had only worked for Peter for just under a week, but already Elliot knew that he only drank four things. Two cups of black coffee when he woke up, a bottle of ice-cold Evian when he worked out, green tea with a clove cigarette before bed, and then gin during every spare moment in between. Helpless to deny it, she sort of admired him for it. The blonde gathered everything back into her purse and then set about making herself a drink (read: opening a bottle and taking a long swig straight from the mouth). Her features twisted almost instantly into a grimace - it had been a long time since she'd had such a frank conversation with a bottle of Gin - and then Evan reminded her through the partition that they were just a few blocks away and she set about trying to put together her shoes.

It wasn't long before the car came to a stop and she pushed herself back onto the seat as Evan came around to open the door for her. Looking out the window she could see the line winding down the side of Club Silver and she began to, for the fiftieth time during the drive here, wish she had brought along at least one partner in crime. She couldn't even begin think about the possibility of standing in line all night by herself. Repeating Peter's word of reassurance, and a few of her own, Elliot buried all the negativity into the very back of her amygdala and let Evan open the door. Careful to avoid a Brittney Spears moment, the blonde slid one leg out of the door before swinging around gracefully and grounding her other foot. Evan offered his hand and she smiled nervously in appreciation.

A moment later the car door closed behind her and she forced herself to start walking without allowing her anytime to process it. The whole drive here had been a trap of over-analyzing and self-doubt. Now she just wanted to have another beer or ten, make some new friends and completely let loose.

It was a straight walk from the Rolls-Royce to the front of the line at the door, and at first no one paid her much mind, but as she neared the door with her heels clicking against the pavement with every step, she could feel eyes on her and it made her squirm. The only person she wanted to look at her was the bouncer and for the moment he was handling a pair of IDs from some girls in line, both of whom gave her a seething glance and then turned back to the actions at hand. It bothered Elliot that she seemed to have forgotten how to make a proper' bitchy girl face', but soon enough the offenders had disappeared inside and the man at the door was calling next and she slapped her ID into his palm before the next person in line could even try it. Something about the contact was familiar though, and the hands seemed oddly comforting, like a pair that had protected and shielded and carried her more than once, and finally she did her best to shake off the weight of the Lorazepam on her eyes and look up.

"Ken?!" A wave of relief washed over her and half-drunk, she opened her arms to him for a hug.

[sorry it took so long! i'm so lame.]

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

He saw the name on the ID, then the photo. When the girl recognized him, he looked up, a smile ready to receive her.

"El!" Ken brightened considerably when the blonde stepped into his night. She wasn't left standing with arms wide for long. Ken scooped her up, and only put her down as an afterthought.

"You look..." He struggled for the right word as he looked her up and down. Some might accuse him of leering. But seriously, how could you not? It was Elliot Davis, and she looked, "...so fucking sexy."

He gave her that signature grin of his, and he handed her back the ID without looking at it. He knew she was underage; so was he. But that wouldn't stop them, not when they both looked the way they did. Ken was nearly 200lbs of muscle, and he looked well into his twenties. And Elliot was just so damn curvy! Just walking down the street she would force men have very adult thoughts, therefore rendering IDs useless.

Ken looked behind her, to discover a couple strangers glowering at them. He assumed they weren't with her, and therefore chose to ask. "What's with your entourage? Or lack thereof?" He wondered if she'd broken up with Eiji. Maybe she was fighting with Draco. What would explain Elliot going out for a night on the town by herself? All sorts of possibilities flew through his mind while he watched Elliot. She didn't look very tipsy, but she obviously wasn't completely sober either. Had she come from a huge party he wasn't invited to? He bit back a frown.

Dorian was working tonight, and judging by the texts Ken received, the rich brat already had a couple shots. He'd have to warn them both of the others' presence... or did he? The frown disappeared as he thought about rocking the boat a little. He'd do it to Dorian, for shits and giggles, but Elliot... he wasn't quite sure how the girl would feel in that sort of situation. She probably shouldn't be caught unawares, especially if she was by herself. The natural protective instinct told him he'd have to do the noble thing.

One of the girls behind her cleared their throat, annoyed. Ken flashed her a toothy grin, and something animal about it shut her up. He could see the line getting longer while he spoke with Elliot, and knew he'd eventually have to get back to work. Still, if his boss came out to yell at him, he'd take one look at Elliot and have to understand.

The girl was hot. End of story. But her arrival meant the night could officially begin.

[Elliot is on the edge.]

In retrospect she would blame it on the pill dissolving in the deepest parts of her stomach, but truthfully there were moments when Ken could still make her stomach do an honest flip. It was something in his eyes and that unprecedented smile, the silent guarantee that he could always show you a good time and that he had no doubts that you were worth one. He scooped her up and she gave a little gasp of surprise, praying that she would land again without stumbling or something of the sort.

His compliment made her blush.
"Thank you." There was less confidence in the blond's acceptance than what had once shown through however. It was like he was telling her something she didn't know now, and yet she still managed to make the modesty look just as deadly as her no-string tenacity had once been. She ran her hands down the front of her dress, straightening it absentmindedly as he took the moment to glance curiously behind her.

"I'm going rogue, steppin' out on my own tonight." She mustered a wink, the alcohol helping her to feel less silly as she quickly dropped the returned ID in her purse and snapped it shut. Her nails traced the brass clasp for a moment, a quick, almost unnoticeable moment of hesitance creeping up about her before she met his eyes once again and smiled. Part of her didn't want to advertise the reason for her outing, counted it as another reason to feel self-conscious or arrogant, but the other side of her - the part that was only amplified by the pills and the beer and the rush of finally doing something different and nostalgic - said 'fuck it' quite clearly once more. It was a reason to celebrate, it was a reason to be excited and proud and relieved.

"I got a new job!" Her hands went up and emphasized the point. Her smile went a little deeper. "A great one." Someone behind her cleared their throat and she had to fight back the almost instant urge to just flip them off.

"But everyone's been too busy to celebrate, so I figured I would just take matters into my own hands." Elliot did her best to come across as impassive, but she was sure the note of discouragement or alienation crept it's way to the surface of her tone. The grin she chose just then only appeared after another beat, but it was bright enough to erase any of the negative impressions her words had suffered just a moment before.

"How long have you been working here?" The blond carefully shifted her weight again, her legs flexing carefully as she did her best to maintain some balance atop the towering heels. How she had ever worn these on a daily basis completely escaped her now. "Do you get a break or something? A chance to come in and buy me a drink?" This prospect reassured her as instantly as it was escaping her mouth, and for a moment the light above the door shone an ancient and mischievous spark in her eye. "Or a few shots?"

The queue behind her began to grow more restless and Elliot started to feel a bit anxious in response. After all, the bulk of the immediate line was going to be in the club with her for the next few hours, and she could already feel a few uncomfortable glares on the back of her blonde curls. Her eyes held Kenneth's in spite of it though, and the lines around her smile deepened into dimples.

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

Elliot's announcement had Ken sharing in her excitement. The young man gave her a high-five and an enthusiastic, "Congratulations!" and when she told him exactly why she was flying solo tonight, he laughed. "I'd have done the exact same thing. You're officially the second coolest person on the planet. Second to me, of course."

Her wink produced identical grins that lasted even after Elliot's next question. "It's my first night," He admitted, though he sounded proud, "And hell yeah. I'll just call in and see if I can take you to the bar myself."

Ken fiddled with a small device on his hip. He pressed a button, then looked back up at Elliot. "It's been way too long since I've seen your pretty face." At last he held out his hand for the girls' ID behind Elliot, deciding that maybe he should at least pretend to be working when someone came out to see why he'd buzzed them.

"You know what. Those guys are idiots," Ken announced suddenly once the girls departed for the doors. The group of guys that stepped up to replace them gave Ken incredulous looks, but Ken's next words dispelled their assumption. "They don't know what they're missing, staying at home. You deserve a whole posse of man-servants stumbling over themselves to please you," He absent-mindedly handed the ID back to the first guy, "Say, you interested in the job?"

The guy muttered something and Ken grinned in response. "I don't like you. Back of the line!" This was greeted with a groan, and a few protests. Their complaints were silenced with a withering look. "Don't you disrespect any of the lovely ladies at Club Silver. If someone catches you lot being assholes inside, I'll come in and drag you out myself. Now get your dicks in there." And he practically shoved the whole group face-first into the doors.

He turned back to Elliot and sighed. But it wasn't a sigh of frustration or relief. It was a dreamy sigh. "I love my job."

Another bouncer, who was considerably less bulky than Ken (or perhaps he did have some muscle on him, but was dwarfed by the Ken Effect. Glad you asked! The Ken Effect is similar to the Old Spice Algorithm. When you look at one man, and compare him to the aforementioned man, the first man seems much less attractive/fit/sexy. </Barney Stinson moment>). The smaller bouncer exchanged some words with Ken, and eventually took over.

Kenneth held his hand out to Elliot.

"Shall we?"

[Elliot is on the edge.]

Another "thank you," escaped her as he high-fived her upon learning about the new job, and this time it was a little more assertive, natural. It felt nice to have something to be proud of, and every time she thought of her new job a little wave of relief would wash over her and the feeling of security she now felt toward the imminent future was a comfort she had once taken for granted but would justly revel in from now on. Being in school should have provided the same sort of reassurance but these days it was mostly just running her completely ragged. What the fuck was she even going to do with a degree anyway? Taking Peter's phone calls and trying to write novels on the side sounded like a good enough life for her.

"Well," She drew out the 'l' sound, her tongue curling playfully just behind her teeth, "let's just say that together, we're the coolest people on Earth." She could still feel eyes on her figure and it made her shift as if under scrutiny even thoug they were all probably just curious who the new bouncer was talking to. The blonde eventually stepped off to the side so she was standing next to Kenneth instead of before him and no longer blocking the people waiting to get into the club behind her.

"Congratulations to you too then!" The excitement made her tone peak and her eyes brighten. She offered him his own celebratory high-five, smirking inwardly at the obvious height difference between the two of them. Ken was an arm and a leg taller than her, and while towering had never been her particular type (Eiji was only a few inches taller and as long as she could rest her head on his shoulder she was happy) there was something about the half-Djinn's size that had always translated into safety for Elliot. His protective nature was evident in everything he did and so right now, dressed in the most insecure, unsure countenance the girl had worn in weeks, his company seemed to be the very best possible. He offered to call someone to take his place she couldn't help herself as she nodded vigorously in agreement. The last thing she wanted was to get him in trouble - especially on his first night - but "It looks like we should both be celebrating tonight!"

He did a double take, offering her another compliment and she blushed scarlet again and quickly spoke to try and distract the conversation away from her obvious new brand of shyness. "It has been too long!" His smiles bloomed as easy as breathing and Elliot noted again how much she had missed the boy. She missed all her friends really (except Draco, who was the only person that still hung around their apartment 24/7 now that it was hardly even the size of an elevator), and this fact, she realized in that moment as Kenneth checked ID's beside her, was probably why being blown off all week had gutted her so completely.

She laughed easily though as he described the idealistic entourage, screwing up her face as she tried in vain to picture it. "Naw, they're probably the smart ones. If tonight goes right then I should be wildly hungover and in no mood for work tomorrow." The blonde had a valid point, but at the same time she didn't sound like she believed it very much anymore. Instead, she was finally beginning to believe that maybe she had made exactly the right damn choice in coming out tonight.

Watching Ken mess with the boys in front of them elicited a few more giggles from the pretty blonde and she raised her hand to gave them a teasing wave as they were herded through the front door and swallowed up by the heat and music that poured out from inside. "I think I love your job too." Elliot looked back up at him after the door closed and nodded her head in agreement. She didn't know why the thought had never occurred to her before, but Kenneth was potentially the best bouncer ever.

The other employee - who seemed indeed much closer to Elliot's height than the impressive half-Djinn's - made his way outside and took up Ken's post. Having edged a little closer toward the door to make room for the other bouncer, Elliot could hear the bass thundering just inside and as the two boys spoke briefly she moved her hips back and forth absentmindedly, dancing and if you could listen just carefully, humming to the music inside. Eventually, Kenneth's words pulled her from the half-intoxicated stupor she had dipped into and without any more delay she reached out and took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. She wanted to tell him 'thank you'.

"Absolutely."

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

He thanked the other bouncer, whose name he couldn't remember even though they'd bumped into each other several times tonight. He held open the door for Elliot, and as she drew close he could hear her faint humming, and it caused the corner of his lip to twitch. But fight smiles was like fighting shadows, an impossible task for one Kenneth Lorne, and he just wound up grinning again.

As the noise clarified itself to actually be music, Ken drew her to a quieter portion of the bar; the VIP staircase, which one might assume lead to the VIP lounge. He bypassed this bouncer with nothing but a nod, and pulled Elliot out of the noise and into the closed-off, luminescent room. It was a luxurious upper-level suite with plush red leather seating and low, modern tables. The lights were dim red, illuminating the dark walls and upholstery with an almost ominous glow. The bar itself was open for self-serve, but a bartender stood by for custom orders. Next to the bar was a two-way mirror where patrons in this room could look out at the club below. You could see the three bars beneath in separate corners of the room, and the large dance floor in the centre. In the elevated bar top, Dorian could be seen flirting with one of his customers.

Ken casually shifted so Elliot's ex was out of her immediate line of sight. "Welcome to the VSP. Where Important isn't as important as being Sexy. And El, you are the personification of the word, babe." He gestured to the bar, "Can I buy you a drink?" and a customary eyebrow wiggle was in order. As an employee, Ken got free drinks as long as they didn't cloud his judgement. And the boy was such a heavy weight that he could chug a mickey of tequila and still walk in a straight line. While promoters only had a tab that went to $200, the actual workers could get their friends an unlimited supply of drinks. Provided most of these friends were sexy .

But seriously. Ken faintly remembered something in his contract depicting that certain 'friends' had to 'uphold the club's reputation. Any customer affiliated with an employee that does not accurately support this image may be evicted from the premises without need of explanation.' Or something along those lines. Vague, but still specific enough to let Ken know he couldn't bring his little sister to the party.

He lifted their connected hands and kissed her knuckles the way a gentleman might in a black and white movie, then he let her go. They might need their hands for all the double-fisted drinking he intended to get her started on.

"You mentioned something about a few shots...?" His voice was playful, and he raised an eyebrow in her direction. There was a hint of a friendly challenge to his voice. Could Elliot still party as hard as he remembered? They'd been at quite a few parties together while attending the Academy, and Elliot had an unusually high alcohol tolerance for a girl her size. It had been a while since their last hardcore celebration, and he wondered just how much it would take for Elliot to tip over. Not that he'd let her go that far (unless she insisted), but his arms would be ready to catch her should it happen.

"Hey, know that I'll be the water-wings that save you if you start drowning in an open tab when your judgment's on the brink..." Ken smirked, "and yeah, I totally stole that line from The Postal Service."

He took a couple shot glasses off the wall and selected an open bottle of Patron.

"To a brand new colony, with just you and me!"

[Elliot is on the edge.]

She followed him carefully, trying to walk as close to his wake as possible to keep from tripping over anyone. She looked down at the ground as they headed toward the VIP room, each step a deliberate little march that only grew more cautious as they headed up the stairs. Eventually they made it with Elliot gripping onto his hand for dear life and still questioning how she had ever lived in shoes like these. When finally reached the secluded lounge she felt safe enough to look up from her shoes and take in her plush surroundings. A less tactful part of her was tempted to let out a low whistle, but she caught herself before it was too late and substituted a quiet look of awe instead. Elliot had seen the inside of many VIP lounges. Between having a Foyen for her best friend and dating an Almasy, the blonde had gotten enough of a glimpse over the last few years how the other half lived: first class flights, personal chefs, never waiting in a fucking line like normal people. It always caught her off guard, made her extraordinarily aware of what she did have - which, in terms of money, had never been much - and also terribly grateful for the people and situations that lended to her being repeatedly spoiled like this.

Another compliment only induced another smile and she floundered a bit under his attention but it still always made her grateful in the end. "Looks like you've got yourself a pretty sweet benefits package with this new job." Her electric blue eyes had made their way all around the room and carefully slid back to Kenneth as she spoke. Both of them seemed to have landed what seemed like ideal jobs, at least for the time being, and the feeling of blessedness that had blanketed her every time she thought of her recent good fortune suddenly doubled, and she felt very happy for - and proud of - her friend. "You better buy me a drink!" She laughed, a full and honest sound that illuminated all the little lines of her face. Elliot was doing her damndest to grow back into her own skin and it was finally beginning to work. Admittedly, having less eyes on her was helping, as was all of Kenneth's gentlemanly affections. She batted her eyelashes as he kissed her knuckles, doing her best to look like a lady but managing to probably only coming off as silly, which worked just as well for her in the end.

Her attention had not been waning, but his next words caused her focus to sharpen, and her eyes flew to his. "Yes, shots!" It had been ages since the blonde had felt like some genuinally rambunctious drinking, and she fully appreciated the benefit of finally having a buddy. They were half motivating wing-man and encouragement - Yeah! Drink more because I'm drinking more! We'll drink more together!!! If you get in a fight or get thrown out or puke on yourself I'll be there too dude! - and half dedicated competition - I can drink more than you any day, bring it on! If you don't drink as much as I do you're going to be a wet blanket and a pussy so get it together! Elliot had been the reigning champ of enough parties that she was determined to summon up that depraved girl and keep up drink-for-drink with Kenneth as long as possibly she could. Following his steps to the bar, she was no longer having trouble summoning a smile. Instead, her stomach buzzed with the excitement that came from looking down on the night ahead and feeling it going all your way for the first time in a long time.

"That's okay," she reassured him playfully, "I won't tell anyone." Somewhere in the back of her head the rest of the song was playing and she did her best not to start singing it out loud. It would take a few more cocktails before this girl would be belting out any bar tunes, especially when her accomplice for the evening was an incredible and unabashed singer who could easily put her to shame.

Speaking of, he grabbed a bottle off the wall and Elliot immediately knew what it was without looking at that label. Patron had a very distinct shape, and there were a few months were every recycling day had their curb stacked with bins full of empty bottles of Patron Silver and lime rhines. Her bright blue gaze lingered on his hands as he poured them a pair of shots and she knew it was probably time to be cautious and start slow, but the anticipation was only doubling and the moment he handed her a shot it didn't feel bad to think that it just felt right in her hand. If you were going to get fucked up, why not go all out?

"To you and me!" Hardly as elegant, but laughter was tumbling from her lips with ease now and that was a sight worlds more gorgeous than her quiet, composed sense of class. Holding up the shot glass she let it clink against his before bringing it to her lips and throwing her head back. Setting the empty glass back on the counter, she scrunched up her features for a second and winced, that sweet, prickly lava feeling of tequila diving headfirst into her stomach. Opening her eyes after that fraction of a second she found Kenneth's and smiled deviously.

"Let's do another!"

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

"Yes, ma'am!" Ken snapped to salute with his now-empty shot glass and then smacked it down on the table top. He took Elliot's and poured her another dose of top-bottle tequila before pouring his own, and he lifted his demi-glass.

"To forgetting salt and lemon slices!" Hopefully Elliot was as much of a star as he remembered; he sort of forgot the standard sides to tequila shots. It was a good thing he applied as a bouncer and not a bartender. Poor Elliot was being depraved of her 'chasers'. He downed his second shot anyway, and wondered if he should start looking for the lemons. They had to be up here somewhere...

The liquid, though not hot in temperature, left a scalding spice in his throat before coating his stomach in a warm blanket. His chest raised as he heaved a big breath, and the fire on his tongue intensified. Ah, Patron. He gave Elliot a jaunty wink before he looked out at the scene below them. Dorian was handing a blonde bartender... Roxanne? another one of his tips. Kenneth shook his head, smirking to himself. Dorian didn't belong here; his days were numbered. Not based on his performance, as he was an excellent bartender, but his own amusement with the job was waning. There were only so many nights of Club Silver before one became exhausted with his own life. Dorian was and always would be a free spirit, roaming eternity for something worth his time and attention. Kenneth felt a pang of jealousy that his already extended djinn-life wouldn't take him as far as Dorian's infinite years.

Pssh, maybe he'd find himself a vampire and make friends. He turned back to Elliot. "Round three?" He lifted and shook the bottle tantalizingly close to her nose, wondering if or when he should tell the girl about her outrageous ex downstairs.

{sorry it's so short! I'm going to make it up to you next time though! }

[Elliot is on the edge.]

Elliot watched him readily pour another shot, laughing out loud at his toast. She was obviously out of practice, having completely forgotten the process of a proper tequila shot right along with her friend. It was no matter, she decided inwardly; that stuff was all for show anyway. A second later, as if to reiterate this point to herself, Elliot emptied the second glass and slammed it down on the counter before her with a proud grin. There was no wince this time, but the syrupy fire made a minor uproar in her stomach for a moment and she took a deep breath in order to quiet it. The discomfort quickly passed and in it's wake unearthed a charming tingling feeling that was spreading outward from her chest and making her sigh gratefully. It was the Tequila or the Lorazapan or the beer she had gulped down in the car, and either way she didn't particularly care because a weight lifted off her shoulders as the warm feeling continued to spider it's way up her spine.

Looking over at Kenneth, she followed his eyes to the expansive view of Club Silver below them, and fortunately she couldn't tell exactly what he was observing and so her baby blues took in the electric establishment before them as a whole instead of zeroing in on her charismatic and endlessly frustrating ex. She allowed herself to zone out for a moment, swaying a bit where she stood until the half-Djinn's words pulled her from the daydream. It took a moment for her to realize what he was saying, but as soon as it dawned another smile spread across the plain of her deadly lips. "Why, you are just a man after my own heart."

Picking up her shot glass once more, Elliot extended it out to Kenneth so that he could fill it again, and quickly found herself dancing in place as she waited for him to attend to the business at hand. Music was filtering in from the rest of the club, but save for some faint elevator music she could make out coming from somewhere behind the bar, the VIP room didn't have any music of it's own to speak of - and Elliot found that sort of strange for a club.

There was the tiniest hints of a flush buried beneath her cheekbones as she wiggled around in the spot she stood. "We need music!" She finally announced with gusto and that familiar, manic energy that came almost exclusively from proper drinking.

(no problem boo. mine's pretty short too, sorry :/)

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

He poured her drink with ease, and laughed. He really only had a fifteen minute break, but he was sure he could stretch it to twenty. If the guy at the front of the bar really needed him, he could buzz him on his pager. So when Elliot announced that they needed music, Kenneth thoroughly agreed.

"I would serenade you all night long, babe," Kenneth shot her another wink, "But my kind of music is the hand-clapping, foot-stomping sort. Want to go downstairs so you can shake a little?" His grin widened as his eyes drifted from her lovely eyes to her lovely derriere. A single waggle of his eyebrows was intended for entertainment purposes only, and he put the expensive tequila back on the shelf after pouring and shooting a third shot of his own.

"I should warn you though..." He held his hand out to her, "Dorian's working tonight at the head bar..." Ken nodded in Dorian's general direction. He was a little bit anxious for Elliot's reaction; did she know Dorian worked here? Was that why she came in the first place? He just assumed she'd be oblivious, as it was kind of random. But who knew. Maybe she'd come to say 'hello' to the guy. In which case, Ken had no idea how Dorian would react.

His mind had a habit of conjuring up every possible answer to every possible question, without voicing any of his thoughts out loud. At least, not when he was this sober. The new bouncer cast Elliot a sideways glance, monitoring her physical reply to the news. She'd likely have an aloof response, but you never know. Maybe she wasn't over Dorian, the way Ken knew Dorian still wasn't over Elliot. Otherwise, Dorian wouldn't keep Mae in his back pocket.

"We don't need to go anywhere near there if you don't want," Kenneth added, just in case Elliot really was uncomfortable. Sometimes he could be considerate like that.

[Elliot is on the edge.]

The newly minted bouncer poured another round and Elliot retracted her hand so it hovered near her chest once more. Unfortunately though, somewhere between her spontaneous shimmy and the giggles that spawned from his continued teasings, she forgot to take her shot. A practiced party girl though, she hadn't completely forgotten it was there, careful not to spill a single drop as she leaned forward in laughter. It was only after Ken dropped a certain name that she suddenly forgot the drink in hand altogether.

Dancing - an activity the blonde girl couldn't have possibly imagined herself having enough confidence or alcohol in her veins to partake in a few hours ago - suddenly sounded absolutely fucking fantastic. The VIP lounge was great and she would certainly love to revisit it at some point, but with twosoontobethree shots sitting warmly in her belly, Elliot could picture herself having some fun amongst the crowds downstairs. In fact, the plan sounded bloody exquisite until Kenneth brought up Dorian's name, and then she found herself wrought with something sour that tasted like indecision and frustration. Part of her - the drunken, compassionate part - wanted to bury all the ancient hatchets in their past and take advantage of her friend tending the main bar on her adventurous night out.
The other half of her wanted to puke.

Dorian Wilde, the snide, pompous boy who threw tomatoes at her in the supermarket and was fucking her sister. Dorian, the first boy she had ever broken up with. Dorian, the tiny weight named guilt she still carried on the bottom of her heart. He was a subject on which she had never properly achieved closure, but every time this thought came to her, the self-depreciation replied with something like, you don't deserve any. She felt generally wrecked about how she had treated the boy, and especially how she had finally dumped him so crudely, and while Eiji's vehement distaste for the other boy was completely genuine, Elliot's had always been borne more out of regret and leftover affection. Still, the fact that he had since taken to shacking up with her sister whenever the venomous model made an appearance in town sort of eradicated any responsibility she felt over his general angst.

"Oh, small world..." her expression had sufficiently fallen - more like crashed and burned - at this point, but she did her best to collect it once more during this pause as she finally added, "I guess I should have expected as much. You two are never very far apart." Elliot forced a smile, hoping it would soon enough feel honest. "Is Jon in the back making onion rings and mixing bar nuts?" And then there it was - a tiny crack in her dejected mask appeared as she chuckled quietly. That was all it took really, just one little insight to let the light in and then it wouldn't take much more before she was grinning ear-to-ear again. Looking down at the shot glass in her hand, the blonde quickly emptied it and slammed it down besides Kenneth's on the counter.

"It's no big deal, really." The music was edging it way back into her nerves and she was all nut ready to start dancing in place again. Inwardly, she made another declaration to herself: alcohol was full-on fantastic! She was so determined to enjoy herself, and Elliot knew too well that sadly, if it weren't for the round of shots and that charming little pill she had taken in the car, the idea of her jerk-off ex mixing drinks downstairs for a bunch of bronzed Jersey Shore sluts would easily drive her mad in a matter of minutes. Tonight though, she just swayed a bit in her stilettos and eventually shrugged as a sign of resignation. "We've got to deal with each other sometime, and I'd rather now than at some completely fucked-up family reunion fifteen years from now or something." Her smile had something haphazard in it, but as always, it was still undeniably charming. She would take life as it came at her, and do it with mirth goddamnit - for tonight at least.

Looking back to Kenneth, she yanked the bottom of her dress down a bit self-consciously before holding her arm out for him. A (strong) raspberry vodka suddenly sounded ideal.

(not my best post ever. sorry boo! ://)

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

Ugh. Kenneth bit back a frown as Elliot attempted not to squirm. Yeah. He shouldn't have brought it up. He should have just kept his big mouth shut, and navigated the girl away from the centre bar. But then he'd likely get in more trouble if she bumped into the other guy without warning. Yeah, he'd done the right thing. He hoped.

"Nah. Jon's asleep, like a good little university boy. He works at Why Not still," Ken replied automatically before he realized it was a joke. He managed to smile and pretend he knew all along he understood her sarcasm, and thought about protesting her observation concerning him and Dorian. When she said it like that, it made him and his best friend sound like a gay couple. Way not cool. But then Elliot put on a brave face and decided now was as good a time as any future setting she might encounter the boy.

"Yeah, or some grocery store," He added, trying to lighten the situation. His eyes slid to the corners to look at Elliot, and he quickly looked away. But another smile was growing on his lips, and when she held out her arm he sniggered and nodded. "Sorry, I had to." Hopefully Elliot wasn't still sour about the whole market situation... Dorian was just beginning to shrug off Ken's playful jibes.

The bouncer/singer/awesome friend opened the door, and on their descent from the VIP lounge he made sure not to walk too quickly so Elliot would have someone to clutch while walking in her killer shoes. Ironically, he could faintly make out lyrics to the song that was just ending, 'I'm throwin' on my Louis Vuittons'. He learned from Dorian what the hell 'Louis Vuittons' were (he'd assumed they were undergarments at first), and the thought made him wrinkle his nose. Elliot was right for accusing him and Dorian of being inseperable. He knew he was best friends with the guy, but he hadn't really noticed just how much time he spent with the sullen kid.

Okay, truthfully, Dorian wasn't that bad anymore. He'd been a tortured soul for quite some time after Elliot, but this summer the boy seemed to have turned over a new leaf and taken a fresh stab at life. He was actually fun to be around again, which probably explained why Ken hung around him so often nowadays. He just hoped Elliot's presence here tonight wouldn't un-do all the progress he'd gone through, because Ken didn't think he could put up with another moody, self-loathing Dorian Wilde.

"What song is this?" Ken asked as a new tune came on. It sounded familiar, but it hadn't reached its chorus yet, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

[Elliot is on the edge.]

Kenneth had definitely done the right thing in forewarning her about Dorian's presence in the club that night. It was indeed a situation that she didn't want to wander into unprepared. He had also done good by waiting until she had put away a few drinks before sharing the news, as it was much easier to take in that state. If he had gone for full disclosure outside, for instance, she probably would have just excused herself and taken the Rolls-Royce back home for some Ben and Jerry's and Hemingway. No, there was no real need for the boy to worry.
He had done exactly right at every turn and ended up being exactly what Elliot needed in a friend that evening; he had single handedly saved her outing.

In the end, she was even glad he had mistaken her joke at first, because it was nice to hear about Jon, if only for a second. She was glad that in the wake of everyone's confusion and change, at least there was someone who had known exactly where to go next. He was like Eve in that respect, and because of it Elliot knew that her two friends would be the happiest and most comfortable of them all in the end. Instead of saying any of this however, all that came out was "I'm so glad I'm not sleeping right now." Laughing at the obviously disjointed wire between her mouth and her brain, Elliot grasped Kenneth's arm, her fingers curling delicately around his bicep as they headed for the door. His gentlemanly mannerism weren't going to save him from some due penance however, and his supermarket joke merited a playful punch in that same arm.

"He started it!" Of course that would be her defense. Breaking down into laughter again, Elliot finally added "and you can let him know next time you see him," she paused and looked down at her feet as they descend the first stairs. Once she was sure the whole walking business was sufficiently under control, the blond looked back up at her friend and pointed a finger at him, "you can let him know that he still has some dry-cleaning of mine to pay for." She giggled, replaying the painfully ridiculous scene of their supermarket brawl in her head. "You would not believe what bloody damage a plum can do to good wool." All in all, she seemed to be in good spirits about the fiasco. Draco teased her enough about it that she had to just say whatever at some point.

The thick air and thundering music of the general club was coming closer and closer with every careful little step and somewhere in the back of her head Elliot knew that the knight in shining armor besides her was going to have to head back to work at some point and leave her essentially alone. Chewing on her lip, she eventually just resolved to wash away the last of insecurities in a few more drinks, and then maybe she would be uninhibited enough to loose herself somewhere in the wave of bodies out on the dance floor. If not, then perhaps she would just perch at the bar and see how many free drinks she could squeeze out of some willing strangers. It was somewhere in this train of thought that the blonde once more recognized the feeling of eyes on her and it soon became apparent to her how exposed the VIP staircase was. Not only where the stairs themselves just extravagant in design and towering over the rest of the building, but by rule of thumb, anyone caught wandering up and down them was probably one of the very important people themselves. Half an hour ago Elliot would have felt deadly awkward and probably cowered behind Ken's massive frame at being so on display, but now, she was sort of enjoying the spotlight.

Gratefully pulled from her self-indulgent thoughts, Kenneth inquired about the song as it changed and she tilted her head to the side in response, as if raising one ear could somehow filter out the murderous bass and static chatter of the rest of the club. "I think it's Get Loose" She finally decided, stretching up in her heels to talk directly into her friend's ear as they stepped off the final stair. The recognition made her giggle childishly again, half just simply amused at the idea that no one was above playing T.I., and partly thinking of all the times back in school where she had listened to this song at the club or in getting ready to go out. She felt young again suddenly, which was a strange concept giving that she wasn't old in any respect, but something decidedly youthful that had been missing before had since taken over her expression. Standing there and looking deadly in the dim light and a skin-tight dress with glazed eyes and a heartfelt, mischievous smile that went on for days, Elliot was indeed something like a photograph straight from the past.

[҉ Kenneth Lorne]

He was relieved to find that Elliot was over the supermarket story. And if she wasn't, she did a damn good job at pretended she was. He admired her even more, if that was possible, and gave her a goofy grin.

But his eyes caught something over her shoulder, and his grin caught. His boss was staring at him with narrowed eyes, and as big and bad as Kenneth was, the guy had a way of making his stomach flip uncomfortably. He didn't want to abandon Elliot, not just as the party was getting started, but he also didn't want to lose his job. He knew the girl would understand, but that didn't make having to leave her any less awful.

"I think someone else needs to get loose," He confided to her, nodding in the older man's direction. Honestly, who could stand as still as a statue when T.I. and Nelly were kickin' it over the speakers?? It was creepy. Did the guy have a sculpture of himself made and just stuck it out on the balcony of his office to freak out employees? GAH, maybe not. The man thumbed in the direction of the front door.

"Ugh, if I was pursuing you right now, he'd be the biggest cock block on the planet," Ken complained, and put a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "Are you okay on your own?" He was growing more and more anxious as the seconds thumped by in a steady set of eight above their heads. She was tipsy, but not trashed, and he felt he could trust her to be safe. Clubs were meant for a good time, but shady things always happened at these places.

Guh, stop thinking like that. She'll be okay. She could kick any of these guys' asses if she needed to. Wait, that's my job. Yeah... Ken's mind trailed off while he waited for the girl to dismiss him.