Say, Do You Remember?

[Alexandra Lawson]

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

Love was changing the minds of pretenders

While chasing the clouds away

Alex didn't know, exactly, how'd she ended up here.  She had been changing at the end of one of her performances at Dirty Little secrets, shaking off the strange adrenaline rush that came with being on stage when a few of the dancers invited her out for some post-work shenanigans at The Pulse.  Alex had politely declined, of course, as in spite of her colorful and sometimes manic personality, she generally avoided clubs and the like.  Unfortunately for her this 'invitation' had really been more of an insistence.

Ba de ya, say do you remember

Ba de ya, dancing in September

Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day

Of course, Alex was a good girl and she didn't, by any means, steal a couple of her friend's drinks that were of age while she was at the club.  This was a good thing, as Alex was horrible at holding her liquor.  Try as she might to convince herself (and everyone else) that she could handle alcohol better than most thought given her petite stature, few people were ever fooled and her body, which was currently positioned on stage swaying gently to the slowed tempo of the song she was singing, was remarkably susceptible to booze.

My thoughts are with you

Holding hands with your heart to see you

Only blue talk and love,

Remember how we knew love was here to stay

One thing Alex did have going for her, which had largely been the reason she'd been pushed onstage once the live band that had been playing announced they'd be allowing an open mic for anyone who was willing to sing with them.  Immediately the table of young women began to shout and push (literally) Alex toward the stage.  With a face flushed with crimson Alex was quite forcibly driven to climb up in front of the crowded nightclub floor.  Thankfully the band was familiar with one of her favorite songs and was even capable of slowing the pace of the song making it more whimsical and light than the original rendition.

Now December found the love that we shared in September.

Only blue talk and love,

Remember the true love we share today

Alex was just a tiny thing up on the stage.  She'd even needed the bassist of the band to come over and help her adjust the mic stand so it wasn't hanging over her head.  Once the first few words of the song had wafted from her lips Alex visibly relaxed.  The alcohol she would never admit to being in her system went far in settling what nerves remained and allowed her to lose herself completely in the music and the song.  By the time the first verse had drifted into the robust chorus it became apparent the manic pixie with the brilliant red hair possessed a voice much larger than most had expected.

The last notes of the song faded and Alex opened her eyes and gave the crowd a sheepish, utterly embarrassed smile before hurrying off stage to let whoever else wanted to brace the stage take their chance.  Alex was a raw performer but not a natural when it came to being in the spotlight.  She didn't take to compliments or praise well and shrank into herself in spite of the positive response her impromptu performance garnered.  Her eyes remained on the floor as she was met by one of her friends from work who instantly started blabbing in her ear.  So lost in what random nonsense the girl was spouting and still flush from being on stage, Alex didn't notice the person who was holding a drink in hand standing in front of her before she walked directly into them and caused whatever they were drinking to suddenly find its way onto both of their clothes.

[Rob Snow]

Rob was sitting in as a member of the band.

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

Love was changing the minds of pretenders

While chasing the clouds away

Generally speaking, it wasn't the sort of thing that he'd do on a regular basis. Rob didn't usually like playing with bands; he'd much rather be the one up front, on his own with just his guitar and his voice to support him. Not that he couldn't get along with other musicians; he got along best with other musicians. Getting along might as well be Rob's real special talent, as opposed to the one he'd won in the genetic lottery. But he'd been around and their guitarist had apparently gotten his fingers messed up in the toilet (Rob didn't ask questions). So before he knew it, Rob was up on the stage.

Ba de ya, say do you remember

Ba de ya, dancing in September

Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day

Rob might've had a drink or two, but that didn't impair his playing any. It had taken him a bit to warm up, working out the kinks. It didn't help that they'd picked a song that he only knew in vagueries. He could, however, play harmony to a melody simply by picking up the tune. What had been a lot more surprising was seeing what appeared to be a pixie coming up to take the mic and start singing.


My thoughts are with you

Holding hands with your heart to see you

Only blue talk and love,

Remember how we knew love was here to stay

Girl could sing, probably had better raw pipes than Rob himself. Not quite as good at conveying emotion, and she clearly was feeling either nerves or something along those lines. It had been almost adorable watching the bassist come forth and help adjust the mic. Rob gave the guy a look with raised brows and a smirk. Though he did have to wonder how the girl had even managed to get in here. Then again, seemed like they were lax.

Plus, if he'd heard her sing, Rob definitely would have let her in.


Now December found the love that we shared in September.

Only blue talk and love,

Remember the true love we share today

The girl's voice filled the room, carrying it through. She relaxed as she went, and Rob wondered if someone had given her a belt to calm her down and it had just gotten to her. The song drifted away, and the girl seemed to be stuck. Rob was the first to lead the applause for the girl. He was then pulling the guitar off and heading for a drink of his own. They did get something of a break after all. The guitarist had barely gotten off the stage when he saw the little singer bump into someone, sending a drink flying.

"Oi," Rob said, coming up and reaching around the girl. He seemed to magic up a napkin and he started dabbing it. "Girl didn't mean nothing by it, I'm sure," he said with a wink, giving the girl a nudge. "Why don't we just hook you up with another belt, eh? Something better than that, makes everything better," a wink and Rob was trying to signal the bartender, and/or the little pixie with the hopes of making a drink appear.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex did have to admit having the whole 'adorable' thing going for her was a benefit on a great many occasions. It came to no surprise that she'd selected one of the biggest guys at the club to run into and cause his drunk to spill all over him. Neither had been paying attention but she could tell from the initial response, the broad shoulders gorilla in front of her wasn't pleased. The moment the guy's dark eyes settled upon Alex, though, attitudes changed. She supposed just about any girl could have gotten away with it, especially ones who looked so obviously mortified (and just a little frightened) at the moment.

She was thankful for the intervention by the band's guitarist and offered a sheepish smile as another drink and a towel were quickly produced and offered to the now damp club patron. The presence of the musician served to further diffuse the situation and, within moments the big guy was content with a fresh drink and a recently opened seat at the bar for further distraction.

"Oh, god, thank you." Alex breathed a sigh of relief. "I probably would have just stood there staring at him." She admitted as if that hadn't been the exact thing she'd done while the musician had commanded the situation with the ease of someone who was used to these environments and the people who commonly dwelled within them. Of which, it didn't take a genius to see Alex was not one of them. She finally turned her attention to her savior and her eyes widened some. She didn't know Rob from the Academy or anything as she was far too distracted most days to notice many of the people around her. "It's not slaying a dragon but I'm still going to call you my knight in shining armor for the night." She said with a stern nod. "And that totally counts." She added in a light poke to Rob's shoulder just for good measure. It was entirely possible the petite girl was beginning to feel that last shot of liquor that had been forced into her hands right before she was pushed on stage.

[Rob Snow]

Rob made certain to get the guy situated at the bar, sliding enough over to not only buy him one drink but a couple. The more he drank the less likely he would be to remember the little girl who'd essentially dunked him in the contents of his glass. Which did leave Rob alone with the pretty little thing (which was generally how he liked it).

"That might've worked, luv," Rob offered, jerking his head slightly toward the bar. "Sometimes those types haven't seen a pretty set of eyes in a long enough time that they'd just get all hot and bothered." Rob did turn then, reaching up with two fingers to order another set of drinks. He was fairly certain that Big-Eyes here wasn't old enough to drink, unless she happened to have one of those faces. Besides, he was willing to bet that she wouldn't want to after that. Two Cherry Cokes would suit them just fine.

"Shining armor, eh?" Rob asked as he looked back. The girl had poked him in the shoulder. "not generally something I get called, seeing as I'm more the minstrel sort," did she seem a little unsteady? And Rob wasn't sure how he should react to that. "Won't be the first time I've settled dragons," he said, before reaching to put a gentle hand on the small of her back and start ushering her toward the bar, "why don't we celebrate, eh?" And the bartender had come through with a pair of Cherry Cokes. OH, how Rob sometimes missed lower alcohol ages...

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex had to pause for a moment to mull over whether or not the comment made about pretty eyes was a thinly veiled compliment Rob had sent in her direction. She peered up to him with a furrowed brow, making it way too obvious she was studying him and attempting to get an idea as to what he true intent was in talking to her. Alas, even fully sober Alex was less than astute when it came to such things and while she was hardly three sheets to the wind drunk, her judgement was just slightly impaired. "He did have pretty eyes, didn't he?" Alex said, her tone even as she glanced over toward the now content guy at the bar. It remained to be seen whether or not she was actually being serious.

"Minstrels can be in armor." She said, her mind now drifting back into itself and imagining an armored bard. "Just wear fingerless gauntlets for picking on the mandolin." Alex then did the one thing she hated most. She laughed at her own joke. She couldn't help it. The ludicrous image that popped into her head brought out a brief round of giggling, though it was thankfully ceased by the feel of a hand on her back. At least someone was taking control of the situation and not letting her stand and continue this increasingly awkward exchange. "Sorry." She said, her eyes lighting up as she followed suit and allowed herself to be moved toward the bar. "I'm Alex, by the way."

[Rob Snow]

The comment regarding the guy's eyes, or the misinterpretation of Rob's compliment, he couldn't say which, had the redhead chuckling. It might have just been a drunken observation, but it just struck him as being almost ludicrously funny, and he couldn't quite hold it together then. He did as she kept up the bit about minstrels in armor. Before he could offer a comment, however, she'd started up with an awful joke and then laughed.

Well, at least the girl had this cute giggle, Rob had to hand that to her. She probably should've just hung a sign around her neck to suggest that the various meatheads around here try to pick her up and take her home. Or worse, not even get all the way home before having her fun. Which meant that Rob was likely to end up adopting her for the night... possibly to take her home on his own.

"Rob at your service," he replied, nodding as he got Alex more or less situated on the bar. "And let's focus on getting some soda in you: you'll need it after all that singing," he pointed out. He also would rather her shoving sugar into her system instead of more booze. Throwing up from that might almost be of a benefit by now. "I have to admit that Alex doesn't strike me as a very fair name for a maiden such as yourself. I'm betting that's short for something," Rob tapped the bar top for a moment, considering. "Alexia, maybe? Or Alexis? You do look like an Alexis." Which made Rob wonder why she didn't go for "Lexi," or maybe she just figured she was already several steps toward being a character in a teenage sit-com.

[Alexandra Lawson]

So far things were looking alright. The terrible joke that had spilled forth from Alex's lips had gone over fairly well and the self-proclaimed 'minstrel' didn't look as though he was looking to get away as quickly as possible. They were small wins, to be sure, but Alex counted them nevertheless. And she was a maiden now? Either this guy was feeding her a line of BS or he really could run with a bad joke. It didn't matter. Alex was fine with either.

"Yes. I don't need any more to drink." Soda was a good option and, once she'd climbed onto the nearest bar stool, Alex nodded in agreement. She did allow her sneakered feet to sway with a childlike grace, though and she looked sorely out of place in the club with her wide-eyed, innocent expression and tiny frame that looked as though it was being swallowed by a size too large sweater that bore the classic Golden Gate Bridge logo for the Golden State Warriors. "Alexandra." She said, casting Rob a faint smile. "But that's too long and I'm lazy and I don't want to say it all the time." She admitted, the smile never wavering. "So Alex is fine."

[Rob Snow]

Technically Rob had both fed her a line and gone along with her horrible joke, but that was quibbling about details when you got right down to it. Right now he was far more focused on making sure that the petite redhead got something in her system that wasn't quite alcoholic, and she seemed to be going right along with it. It didn't help to note that she'd started swinging her feet like that, looking very much like a child who'd definitely wandered into the wrong part of town.

At least he got her the drink and had someone who probably wouldn't take (too much) advantage of her current situation. "Alexandra," he repeated. He had to nod at her explanation. "Definitely understand that. My full name's Robert, but I definitely didn't want to have to deal with that. Sort of sounds like someone barking my name, or like I'm some sort of king. Problem is that it leaves me being called Rob Snow," Rob sighed and shrugged. "But what can you do?"

He took a drink of the coke, wincing only slightly. He still couldn't quite get used to how sugary the drinks were in America. "So, you sing often? Or was that more of a spur of a moment, I'd better do this while I've got three cosmos in me?"

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex let out a little giggle at Rob's name and his overly complicated description. She didn't know why, really, she was giggling. It just seemed like the right thing to do. While hardly drunk to the point of losing her motor functions or capacity to think clearly, the alcohol of the night had combined with the rush of being on stage and receiving even moderate applause to create a giddy, slightly loopy version of Alex that was remarkably more comfortable in this situation than normal.

"They were appletinis, thank you very much." Alex corrected Rob sternly, even going so far as to point a finger upward for emphasis. Alex didn't take her drinking seriously as it was something she rarely did, being underage and all. "Oh, no, I sing all the time in the shower and in the car." She answered, turning wide, innocent eyes up to Rob. The serious expression her face was held up by the emotional equivalent of duct tape and baling wire, though, and it soon fell apart and she let out another round of giggles at her own inside joke only she would understand. "No, well, I have a regular gig at Dirty Little Secrets." She said, gathering her composure as she waved a hand in the general direction she thought the burlesque club was located.

[Rob Snow]

OH wonderful, the girl had been drinking. Now Rob had the joyous dilemma of deciding just how far he could/should go before he hit "taking advantage." He'd pretty well decided that kissing was probably okay, and that he'd probably have to escort her to a bed and dump her in it before crashing on a couch. Oh, that would be ever so wonderful to explain. Appletinis: Rob was going to have to murder a bartender at this rate. The cutie even continued, going on about singing in the shower and all, which nearly made Rob burst out laughing.

He couldn't hold it as she insisted that she had a regular gig at the burlesque club. "You?" he said, looking her over. "You must have quite your fair share of hidden depths if you're willing to regularly step into that lions' den," he gestured in the direction. He'd been there a time or two, but it really wasn't his scene. Well, the girls were, but that was a whole different tune. "Just how many clothes do they make you take off before you get on the stage?"

And oh, how guilty he felt about imagining it. Again: just kisses at best. Maybe he'd let her hands wander. Then find a nice, soft bed to dump her in and make sure that someone worse didn't come along. Only decent thing to do, really.