Let's go to the movies.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

WHO: Rimmer and Raven.
WHERE: Stark Tower at first, then a movie theater.
WHEN: Evening 10/5/09.
WARNINGS: Nah.
SUMMARY: Rimmer's in his happy place, so to celebrate he's taking Raven to the movies. Yeah. That's his idea of a celebration.
FORMAT: Whateva.

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[darkprophecies]

Raven was still in business mode as she quickly made her way out of her place of work - it usually called for her to be proper with her words, as good of a personal assistant as she could manage to be. She barely watched where she was going, one high-heeled step in front of the other, navigating based on the emotions of people around her alone.

Her eyes were focused hard on the cellphone in her hand, thumb going a mile a minute as she worked at inputting data, replying to texts, anything to wrap up her day and get that last thing in. She was becoming more like Tony every day, it seemed.

However, in her peripheral vision, she saw the car approaching, and quickly went to send one more message out before tucking the cellphone into her bag.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

He pulled up to the curb and parked...and actually got out of the car. All grins. It was a very, very unusual expression for him to assume. He hadn't smiled like this in ages.

Striding toward her quickly, he actually laughed as he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug.

"Raven! It's so good to see you again."

He had a pulse. He had a real heartbeat. He had a real, human, living body. And he had wanted it for so long, that this time he wasn't going to take being alive for granted. ...Mostly. It remained to be seen what would happen tomorrow.

[darkprophecies]

She released a sound of surprise from her throat at the large hug she received, but was quick to wrap her own arms around him to return it. A light laugh left her - mainly pushed by the surge of positive emotions she got from him.

It was a nice feeling, for him to be this happy for once. Regardless of how happy he had been before, there was always that strong undertone of sadness and anger. And sure, that was still there to some degree, but it was blasted out by this.

"It's good to see you too, Arnold."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

He pulled back slightly and tapped his forehead with one finger, still all smiles.

"Look at that! Isn't it amazing? God, I've been a hologram for hundreds of years, you have no idea how refreshing it is to be human again. Or maybe you do. What am I saying, of course you do. You understand it exactly. Come on, let's go see that movie."

He bowed her toward the car, feeling like he was about to spontaneously combust with happiness. Although it'd be best if he didn't. He remembered the last time he'd been alive.

[darkprophecies]

Raven's smile only grew the longer he went on, surge after surge of giddy feelings bursting through her veins. It was like a natural high to both of them, even if she was just siphoning off of him. She began to walk towards the car.

"I must admit, I'll miss it. I always found that letter to be charming."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"Charming. Pfft. It was horrible. Although apparently..."

He lowered his voice as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Apparently that one called Phoenix Wright, the lawyer? He's a hologram now. So whatever the 'Porter did to cause this, my little burden has been shuffled off on to somebody else. Which...god, I'm sorry, I have to indulge in a bit of schadenfreude. It's just too funny."

[darkprophecies]

"Phoenix?" she paused just short of entering the car, a very worried look suddenly overtaking her features. She hadn't spoken to Phoenix in awhile, not since the trial, but she still considered him a friend.

... She would have to check up on him again after this.

"I see..." she didn't laugh, despite the emotions, as she sat down in the car and carefully made sure her skirt wouldn't catch in the door.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

And Rimmer was...oh dear, totally oblivious.

"I mean, everybody's always taking the piss out of me for walking around with that thing on my head. Maybe now they'll start to understand that I didn't have a choice in the matter. Maybe now they'll start to have just a little touch of sympathy for yours truly!"

That giddy happiness of his was starting to take on a bit of a nasty edge. It was giving way to the underlying bastardy that was always lurking in Rimmer's mind.

[darkprophecies]

Lifting up one hand idly, she flicks him - right where the letter would have been in any other case. Yes, she would do this for an eternity whenever he began to cross that jerky line in her presence. She thought of this as her personal duty.

"Phoenix would have never thought that about you." and that was all she had to say about that.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

His jaw dropped, as per usual whenever she flicked him, and then he puckered his lips and narrowed his eyes. She was, quite literally, the only person in the multiverse who could do that to him without it conflating into sulking or screaming.

"All right, all right. Message received, ma'am. I'll behave."

He closed the car door on her, and circled around to the driver's side.

The loud blaring of the horn coming up the street next to him was the only thing that gave him any warning. He pressed himself flat against the side of the Jag, just in the nick of time, as a large SUV sped by. Gulp. That was close. Smegging hell.

[darkprophecies]

She nearly jumps from the seat at seeing the SUV go speeding by, her own heart almost jumping out of her chest for him. That was precisely what she was dreading, from the moment he said "alive" to her.

"Careful!" she yelled so he would hear her, despite the doors behind closed between them.

Azar, and here he said she'd be the death of him.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Newly-alive heart hammering in his chest, fighting to escape, he gingerly checked for further traffic, and then hastily slid into the car, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, then. That was, ah. Good lord."

He licked his dry lips and blinked for a bit, hands resting on the steering wheel. Then he looked over at her. He was...mostly joking with what he said next, but there was a tiny trill of fear under the words.

"I'm going to die, aren't I? The 'Porter brought me back to life so she could kill me, didn't she?"

[darkprophecies]

Raven gave a weak, pathetic smile at that, catching the humor in his tone and doing her best to reply to it. Her hand slid over his arm in a supporting manner.

"I doubt it. But these are things you have to keep an eye out for when death is an option again. You're fine now, though."

This was followed by a soft raise of her eyebrow. "Are you going to be alright to drive now?"

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"Give me a mo," he responded, still trying to even his breathing out. Phew. He hadn't had a scare like that since Howard put a landmine in his sandbox.

Then he took her hand in his and squeezed lightly.

"Well, if I do die, at least I know I'll be back again. I mean, I had no such hope if my light bee got destroyed. Whereas...well, now that I'm human, I'll be back here again eventually."

His brow knitted.

"...Possibly."

[darkprophecies]

She frowned again, the concern washing over her face as she squeezes his hand right back, and doesn't let go.

"I would prefer you not to die in the first place - remember, I have here, and lost memories along with it. It's the worst feeling..." and now she smiles again, the warmth creeping onto her features.

"But I'll do what I can to help keep that from happening."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"My memory is already a mess, remember? At this point, I'd almost prefer a tabula rasa and just move on with my exist...life."

He grinned at her again, so very pleased to be able to say "life" and mean it, instead of it being a figure of speech. Carefully, he shifted her hand down the length of his arm, and moved it into the grasp of his right hand instead.

"But you're right, I'd really rather not die again in any universe. Once was enough for me, thanks ever so."

Awkwardly, he started the car with his left hand, sneaking through the wheel to turn the ignition. He was reluctant to let go of her hand.

"Shall we?"