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.

Comments

[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.

[darkprophecies]

There's the slightest of bitter laughs echoing from her, enough to shake her shoulders a bit. She pulls away, hand lifting to wipe some of the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I have become the poster child of 'at least my life isn't like that', it seems. But... it's considerably better than knowing someone else could claim the title."

She cleared her throat, blinking her eyes a few times. She wore the waterproof mascara today incase it had rained. She was suddenly very happy for this choice.
"So... we should get our seats."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"...Yes. You're right, yes. Let's...smeg, we forgot the snacks. I'll go fetch them, all right? Get comfortable, and I'll...go. And fetch the snacks."

He wanted to dry her tears, but for one (recidivist) moment, hadn't the slightest idea how. And that one little backwards step caused an entire avalanche of panic in his mind. What has he done?! He's gone and made his best friend cry, that's what he's done. This was suddenly well out of his scope, so he was beating an awkward retreat, and squirming internally for it. Arn, you gimboid, you were doing so well, too. Damn. Damn idiot. You open up to her, you get her to open up to you, and what happens? You start chickening out. Again.

"...Sorry," he muttered as he ducked back out of the door.

[darkprophecies]

Her hand reaches out just for a moment before he ducks out the door, but she sighs and lowers the hand once he's out of sight. Well, that wasn't something she wanted to happen, but... oh well.
There it was. The story of her life.

She turned to go grab a seat as close to the exact center of the theater as she could, slumping down into the fabric and releasing a slow breath.
Way to go, Raven. You finally find someone you can honestly relate to on all of these amazing levels, and vice-versa, and you make him uncomfortable.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Meanwhile, at the concessions counter, Rimmer was cursing himself for nine different kinds of a fool. There it was. Story of his life. He starts to get some little smidgen of a break, something nice finally happens to him, he finally made a proper friend, and he went and screwed it all up just by existing. Did other men do this? Did other men make their girl friends cry just by bringing up topics of conversation?

...All right, that was deeper than just a regular old, plain old 'topic of conversation.' But why did he go yellow? Why so awkward?

It hit him like a bolt out of the blue: he didn't want anybody to have a worse life than he did. He wanted to have the pity party all to himself. The thought that she could "top" him like that made him freeze up. Or worse, get snotty. The thought of being snotty to her made him sick at his stomach.

Suck it up, Duke. Go back in there, with your smegging large popcorn and large drink that cost you fourteen smegging dollars and apologize. Grovel. Because if you screw this friendship

[darkprophecies]

To be honest, even if he had come in right in the middle of the movie, she would still see it fit to converse about what happened. Especially with them being the only ones here. She took the drink, setting it in one of the holders right between them before resting her shoulder against his.

"No, it wasn't. I apologize for allowing my emotions to take hold like that, it was my fault."

She turned her head slightly to address him with a warm smile.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"Your emotions should take hold," he said quietly over the rising soundtrack of the 'coming attractions,' all art house flicks. "You should be allowed to feel whatever you want to feel without worrying how it'll affect me. Or anybody else, for that matter."

He nudged her shoulder with his, even bumped her knee with his as well.

"I, on the other hand, shouldn't have been such a gimp. Forgive me, please. I didn't mean to make you cry."

[darkprophecies]

"It isn't hard to get me to cry. I'm forced to deal with teenage hormone levels against my will, and I'm free of demonic influence." she lifts an eyebrow at him, and already reaches over to take a single piece of popcorn. It was more in a near-teasing motion anyway, as she pops it into her mouth with a smile.

After swallowing, she finishes what she was saying.
"I haven't been given many opportunities to just leave it behind me, and be myself rather than... my father's daughter. So finally being able to legitimately talk about the pain with someone is... refreshing, and a release."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

And that touched his heart in a way that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in...a while. When this friendship had first started, he had convinced himself that it was all going to be one-sided, that he was going to be leaning on her a great deal more than vice-versa. So to hear her say that talking to him was refreshing...

"...I feel the same way," he whispered, stunned and touched. "That I can talk to you about these things is just...overwhelming, sometimes. I keep trying to do better, I really will. I promise. I'm sorry I walked away from you. I'll never do that again."

[darkprophecies]

The sad thing is, she didn't believe him for a moment. Sure, his emotions were soaked in truth, and under any other circumstance, she would believe it. However... what he was saying, that he wouldn't ever walk away again, she couldn't just believe that. Either physically or metaphorically.

Everyone always walked away in the end, after all.

But, putting on a brave and sweet face, she smiled and got even more comfortable against him. "I know. Don't worry about it, Arnold."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and a strange sort of not-unpleasant tingle ran up his spine. His initial reaction was the thought that perhaps the air conditioning in the theater was up too high, or that he was wondering at how comfortable she seemed against him, but no. That wasn't it.

"...No it's not. It's not all right. That bothers you. You lied to me."

The words were out of his mouth and said in a flat almost-monotone. And then the gooseflesh along his arms laid back down, and he shivered slightly as his brain caught up with his mouth.

"Oh. Uh. Well then. I...erm."

[darkprophecies]

As the words met her ears she made a slight face of disgust. ... He could figure that out about her, huh? Well... that was just perfect then. Sure, it was good to know someone wouldn't let her get away with brushing off issues, but... she already freaked him out enough as it was, right?

She never moved, remaining in her cozy spot against him, but the look on her face never fading away.

"... Everyone leaves. It's something that will never change. Everyone vanishes, dies, or drifts away into their own lives. Everyone. Leaves."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

He stared down at her, astonished by the bitterness in her voice. That was him. She was speaking his words. She was saying everything that he'd ever believed in, that he'd ever known...and how he'd protected himself by walking away from other people first before they could leave him.

Shaking slightly still, he couldn't resist pulling her closer, and resting his head against hers. It was done for the purely instinctual, ape-like need of physical reassurance in a moment of distress.

"I'd contradict you, but you're right."

Hadn't that lesson been rubbed in in the most painful possible way for him?

[darkprophecies]

She releases a long breath through her nose, and accepts the pull he gives without a single moment of hesitation. For a brief moment, she closes her eyes, trying to let herself be comforted and reminded that she was safe here.

But the words just continue to flow out bitterly, like they always had, despite her many years of trying to change that habit.

"And one day... either the porter will take you away, or you'll find someone more interesting to spend your time with, and you'll leave too."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"Are you sure you're not a telepath, too? Because you're reading my mind and it's starting to make me a bit nervous."

He tried to chuckle, but it came out as a sort of broken exhale with no humour behind it. The opening credits of the movie began to roll, over long, panning shots of Tibet, but he was oblivious to it.

"I can't promise I won't leave. The 'Porter makes that impossible. But I wish I could. And...you're interesting!" he protested. It was a good thing they were alone in the theater, or he would have been shushed. "You're very interesting! If there's anybody more interesting than you I want them taken out back and shot!"

[darkprophecies]

"I used to be a telepath. I'm completely sure I'm not any longer." after a slow, long moment, she glances up at him, just barely due to how she was leaning against him. It was enough to let him know she was acknowledging him on a personal level.

"I know you can't promise... that's what I find so disheartening about the entire situation. One day you will, one way or the other. And I really wish it didn't have to be that way."