breathe me

    “ you get used to it, ” rini shrugs. it’s kind of the motto of her life at this point. “ especially since most of the time, i stayed completely sober. the headlines say otherwise but -- ‘drunk’ isn’t a role that’s very hard to play. ” she figures that since they’re working together again, he ought to know that the very drunken rini he’d helped wasn’t the norm. not even close. “ after you, ” she trills, only dropping his hand once they have reached the vip section, the velvet rope pulled aside once the bouncer spots her.

    “ is it impressive or sad if i say that they recognize me on sight at more clubs than just this one, too? i could probably get us into half the city if you were interested. ” her nose crinkles but she snatches simon’s hand into her own as the bouncer easily ushered her in. “ he’s with me, ” she beams charmingly, tugging him along behind her. “ to answer your question, you have to be seen more nights a week than you stay in. there were some weeks i would hardly get to see the inside of my own apartment. ” 

    this newfound truce between herself and simon has brought a kind of peace to rini’s life ( her personal life, anyways ) and it’s put her in higher spirits. her smile comes easily, no alcohol required, and she playfully nudges his shoulder as she steps up to stand next to him. “ you mean they don’t recognize you by face alone here? ” she supposes her prolific partying has served her well in some ways.

    “ maybe it was clear, ” she muses with a playful quirk of a smile, “ but i just wanted to hear you say it. ” her fingertips dance up the sides of the glass, more than a little surprised to see that it’s already half gone. she’s usually so much better at pacing herself, balancing her sips with water, but this whole exchange is proving very distracting. it wouldn’t be the first time simon saw her something other than sober. “ you’re definitely drunk, ” rini accuses but it’s light, teasing, “ but i get it and i really do think we can move on from it, if you’re ready to. you -- a collab? ” her voice feels a little too loud and her eyebrows raise in curiosity. it’s no secret they had worked well together. their song was a hit that people still listened to, even years after its release. the fact that he was asking her, face-to-face without involving any talent managers made her more than a little excited. this was a project she had a say in. “ i think i could be interested in trying that again. very interested. ” 

    she takes half a step back once they’ve returned to the line, both to take in his outfit and to put a fraction more distance between them so she didn’t do something silly like lean into his playful touches nor flinch away from them. she has no desire to embarrass herself more than she has already this morning. “ i think you still look considerably more well dressed than most people, ” rini allows the compliment, figuring it safe since he’s the one who drew her attention to his attire. “ and you’re not wearing sunglasses inside like some of us, ” slender fingers fiddle with the arm of the eyewear in question, “ so i had to ask. ” rini even flashes a brief smile before folding her hands primly in front of her, dropping her gaze momentarily down to her feet as he delivers his own kind of compliment and praise. “ i think you’re giving me too much credit for being a decent person. ” she half laughs before daring to peek back up at him. “ where is it that you’re from? surely, wherever it is, there are more people as nice as you? where else would you learn it! ” certainly not in LA, she thinks to herself. ‘ pixie ‘ isn’t even nice and she’s supposed to be an extension of rini’s personality. 

rini: you say that like it’s a bad thing???  rini: i used to grow cucumbers & tomatoes but i gave up rip rini: you should plant the types of things you eat! 

    “aren’t you sweet?” she speaks the words aloud by accident though, luckily, in a voice barely above a whisper. the claim was entirely true, too. it was like every word he uttered was softening her resolve in some way. he’s just so painfully nice it nearly makes her heart actually physically hurt to say no. it’s why, despite the way it makes her heart quicken ( and not in an enamored, fluttery way this time ), she finds herself nodding instead of dismissing his offer. “ we can split it, ” she hurries to add. “ unless you’re in a hurry to get somewhere? ” she wrings her fingers together, fidgeting to work up some of her nervous energy. rini wouldn’t even have suggested it if he hadn’t first said he’d wait around for her coffee. making presumptions isn’t in her nature and even though luther is the one who had made the mistake in the first place, she still feels guilty or like she’s imposing somehow. they seem to be of the same frame of mind in that sense. “ i wouldn’t want you to have a bad day, ” she adds earnestly with a tiny hint of a smile curling up the corners of her lips. 

    she sets her drink back down to better turn towards him, trying to gauge the changed nature of their conversation through his inflections and body language. it’s actually nice, not feeling like she’s walking on eggshells around him. they had once gotten along so well; it was good to know not all of that had faded with time. “ i’d say you’re about halfway there. say the actual word ‘ sorry ’ and my answer may change. maybe. ”

mentions: @mrgraul @semiprcious @tctentanz @prkcr

    “ nay -- but i can’t actually remember the last time i had pizza so do i really have a right to an opinion? ”

mentions: @semiprcious @tctentanz @prkcr @mrgraul

    “ sleep... for a really, really really long time. ”

    “ definitely, one of the nameless cool asians. actually, probably the girl crying who wants to bake a cake. ”

    “ it’s never really been my choice to doubt. i’m happier doing what i am now than i had been during my acting career, which is nice. ”