boatdriinks

[boatdriinks]

Désirée nodded her head, her smile growing only slightly as she would accept the dismissal. Her smile dropped, and she'd finally allow herself the opportunity to rest after everything that'd happened that day. With a turn, she started down a separate hallway.

The pair of doctors looked Vik's way as he approached, the hospital's doctor looking to Kearney with confusion.

"Mr. Eurodyne's partner, Dr. Viktor Vektor. I'll leave the explanation to you," Dr. Kearney nodded his head toward the other doctor.

"Right." Looking toward Vik, they adjusted their stance to station their arms behind their back. "From Mr. Eurodyne's symptoms, we believe he may be experiencing a thyroid storm. We're waiting for all of the tests to come back, but it's looking that is, indeed, the case. Once we have that confirmation, we'll know how to properly treat him. If it turns out not to be that, then we'll look into other possibilities."

"But, for now, it seems like that's the most likely cause. It explains his fever, his sweating, tachycardia, and delirium while he'd been performing," Kearney added.

As soon as the AV landed, Vik approached its door, climbing inside the moment he was given space to do so. He knew the trip itself would take a while; all the more reason to get going as soon as possible. The movement had helped a little, but there was only so much conversation to be had on the journey over. The clearest updates would come from the hospital staff, of course, though that didn't stop Vik from going over all the details they did know - first aloud, then repeated on a loop in his mind. Anything to drown out remembering the sound of Kerry's collapse.

He disembarked just as quickly when they finally arrived, and followed Kerry's new assistant - Désirée, if he remembered right - into the hospital. It wasn't until after she started trying to explain that he adjusted his stride, so she wouldn't have to rush to keep up. That they might indeed have settled on a cause buoyed both hope and worry in Vik's chest.

A glance to Désirée, taking in her clear tells of stress, and his tone was gentle as he spoke. "Thanks. I'll tell you more of how Kerry's doin' if you want, once I know about it. For now, maybe go get somethin' to eat or drink, alright? Take care of yourself too." Vik patted her shoulder, then approached the other two doctors.

"So what is it?" Pleasantries could come later.

[boatdriinks]

TEXTING MEME ...

he only gets worse the longer you're friends with him. no, he doesn't use the built in emojis, he types them out bc he's cute and stupid like that

tagged by: no one, i stole it from @5urvive tagging: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (say I tagged you if you wanna do it~)

[boatdriinks]

It would be around twenty minutes before an AV arrived at the helipad of the Eurodyne residence. Instructions were clear, though it would still be a somewhat lengthy trip from Night City to the hospital Kerry had been taken to.

A few states away, the trip took a little over an hour and a half via the AV.

Kerry's newest assistant for the tour, Désirée, would be the one stood there waiting for Vik. She appeared a little shaken up, eyes perpetually slightly widened and an air of stress surrounding her. Even still, she forced a small, slight smile for Viktor as he would be escorted off the transport.

"Kerry's being stabilized. I think they know what's going on with him, so they're treating him now." Désirée made her attempt at an explanation as she led him inside the hospital. She didn't know the full scope of it, but of course she didn't. Dr. Kearney, for now, had been the one receiving updates about his patient, with only vague messages sent her way to update what she'd be able to tell Vik once he arrived.

"Dr. Kearney or the other doctor should be able to answer questions better than I can," she recounted a bit sheepishly, looking around the intensely white hallways of the hospital for someone she recognized.

Thankfully it wouldn't take too terribly long before they would finally come across Kearney, standing in the hall with his arms across his chest, and speaking with another doctor

Vik added the other two symptoms Kearney mentioned to his mental checklist. He bit the inside of his lip for a moment, firm enough to be an outlet this time for his frustration at how little the list narrowed down likely causes. Fever and perspiration were common responses to a whole host of issues. The delirium couldn't be dehydration, and sweating would've stopped if it was heatstroke. Uncontrollable trembling could be anything from fever shivers to overexertion to something else entirely.

Hearing secondhand about Kerry's confusion, especially when he couldn't see it for himself, chafed Vik's patience. His knuckles ached to sink into a punching bag, just so all this damn restless energy could go somewhere safe. In the meantime, he didn't interrupt. Dr. Kearney had more than enough going on already.

Vik didn't even need to think about his answer to that last question. "Yeah, thanks. I'm at the house. I'll be ready when they get here." While he spoke, he was already crossing to slide his boots back on. His thoughts turned instead to what he'd need to bring with him; much as it would ease his own mind, reason reminded there was no use in bringing his emergency medkit. After he hung up, he turned the muted TV off and made sure his boots were laced back up to stay on his feet. Not really needed, but something to do.

The wait was already gnawing at him.

[boatdriinks]

[boatdriinks]

Kearney was already in the midst of trying to get a look at Kerry when Vik's name popped up in the top left corner of his Kiroshis. Shit. Guess he really couldn't be that surprised, given that Kerry had already been mentioning how Vik was going to watch this show. Answering the call, he kept most of his focus on Kerry while Vik spoke.

"Fever, from what I can tell. He's shaking, as well. Other factors can't be determined until he's given enough time to rest and cool down, since they could just be from the activity and the lights of the stage." Dr. Kearney looked up from staring down at Kerry, looking around for anyone who might've had some of the water they'd already had prepped. "--Hold the water bottle to his forehead. We need to cool him down," he instructed.

"He is conscious, but still appears confused. Stay laying down, Kerry-- fuck. He'll need an x-ray for that, in case the impact may've broken something. Stay still, Kerry." The mix of narration for Vik and instruction for those around him made the conversation a little hard to follow, though there was little that Dr. Kearney could do about it.

"Trauma Team ETA is less than 2 minutes. Are you gonna want an AV arranged for you, Viktor?"

Relaxing back into the couch, Vik let himself just watch and listen as the first song played out. He sometimes got to hear snippets of melodies or a few lines, and that had its own appeal for sure - but getting to hear Kerry's songs in full was something else. His partner was really killing it onstage, building up the good feedback Kerry would occasionally mention when discussing performances. Helped that he was hydrating well, too.

Vik was mulling on whether he should scrape a dinner together in the kitchen or order in, when he paused. Kerry looked pretty sweaty; was that the venue, maybe the costume, or both? HIs partner diverted backstage for a costume change before the next song, so maybe that was the issue. Sometimes designs went for looks over comfort, after all.

But then there was that trailing mumble partway into the next number. Kerry's memory was sharper than that. He'd held onto a laudable amount of it, given some of his past habits. Vik sat forward, watching more intently now. His eyes widened a little when Kerry petered off a second time. That slam plunged cold fear into his gut and pulled him halfway up from the couch with a reflexive call of Kerry's name.

Vik reached for his phone before the program had even cut away, muting the TV with one hand while his other dialed Dr. Kearney. "Fuck..." he whispered, taut and terrified, amid the droning rings. "Fuck, Kerry...!"

As soon as the other doctor picked up, Vik didn't bother with preamble, free hand clenched tight so he could try and keep some calm in his voice. "Dr. Kearney, what's his condition? Any symptoms besides profuse sweat and delirium?"

[boatdriinks]

[boatdriinks]

While not one of his more theatrical entrances out to the stage, it was still a sight to behold. Eyes wide and a large, strong grin across his expression, Kerry's first song would start immediately as he got on stage. Without his usual means of being elevated up through the stage floor, "Off the Leash" was off the setlist and instead replaced by "No Apology."

From there, everything went according to schedule. The setlist for the night seemed to be well-received, with small sections of him talking to the audience between certain songs. He still seemed to be doing just fine, with him taking drinks of water periodically (confirmed to be water by the bottle-shaped ice from the bottles themselves being fully frozen before performances).

It was only around the sixth song when it was apparent that something may've been wrong. Even after a costume change where he absolutely had had the sweat wiped away from his face, he was already more than just a little damp with it. Onto the seventh song, Kerry was only about a third of the way through when he seemed to forget the lyrics, instead mumbling something incoherent before seeming to get back on track.

Even still, that re-track didn't appear to last long as his singing trailed off a second time just before he'd start to crumble to the floor with a loud slam. The audience gasped, while both venue and Kerry's personal staff rushed forward toward the star. The automated voice from his Trauma Team plan could be heard through the mic attached to his costume.

"Greetings, Kerry. If you are conscious, assume recov--" Before any more could be heard, the feed would avert away to an ad break.

Vik let his attention drift a bit from the opening act being shown on stage. Their music was intercut so often with the channel's damn talking heads reiterating polished summaries of Kerry's recent career, between sponsor mentions of course, he just thought it best to tune them out and mull on the grocery list until his partner replied.

[TXT]: you always do. <3 miss you too, i'm cheering you on

He didn't expect an answer after that, setting his phone aside on the coffee table and settling back into the couch. Vik spent the remaining pre-show time with his head tipped back and his tinted glasses removed, to give his eyes a little rest. The hue of the ceiling wasn't much different without his lenses' color correction anyway, just the ambient glow from the TV in his peripheral.

It was the uptick in cheering from the crowd, more than anything the channel hosts said, which told him to sit up. Glasses returned to his face, Vik watched the opening band leave the stage, and wondered to himself how they'd have sounded without some recited ad or bland opinion yapped over most of their songs. At least the hosts knew to shut the hell up as soon as Kerry set foot onstage.

His partner was looking good, from a medical standpoint, far as Vik could tell. Makeup could only hide so much, right? Kerry seemed steady on his feet, energetic enough, no strain in the smile. He'd called the tour medic a day or two ago, to hear Kerry's clean bill of health for himself. Besides, he had to admit, from a much more personal standpoint... damn. Vik would risk them getting caught compromised in the dressing room if he were there.

[boatdriinks]

By that point in his tour, he'd gotten used to the daily check ins with his on staff medic. He didn't particularly enjoy it, (in fact he was pretty fucking annoyed by it) but he knew well enough by then that it was a necessity. Not much he could do when his body was old and still very much processing the decades upon decades of chain smoking, blacked out nights, and being high just to get through the day.

And for the time being? He seemed fine. Heart rate normal, oxygen levels as good as they can be, blood pressure under control-- and whatever else Dr. Killjoy (actual name Dr. Kearney) rambled on about while they worked. He really didn't pay much attention, in truth. So long as he was cleared to perform, none of it really mattered all too much to him. ...Didn't really go well when Vik asked for that kinda info, though.

Speaking of Vik...

Seeing the texts in the top left corner of his kiroshis, Kerry couldn't help but beam at the sight. If his heart rate wasn't already racing from the nerves, it was sure as hell up there now, knowing that Vik would actually be watching him tonight.

[TXT]: i'll put on a good show for ya ;) [TXT]: miss u like hell <33

With his opener all finished, he really just waiting for his cue now. Costume was fitted, make up was plastered on, and his choreography running in his head, he was ready.

"Three minutes, Mr. Eurodyne!"

There it went. With that call finally coming in for him, Kerry was more than prepared to leave his manager's and other staff's sides to start toward the stage with his primary bodyguard to escort him. It was time to feel alive.

for @boatdriinks

Vik crossed off another day on the handmade calendar hanging beside the fridge. Not strictly needed, but he liked the more physical reminder of the passing days til the house would stop feeling empty. Still, sometimes it felt like there were always too few X's between the start of Kerry's tour and the highlighted end date.

Work kept him occupied most of the day, sometimes with pleasant interruptions on his phone as Kerry traveled between venues. Calls helped the most, both just to hear his partner's voice and to listen for any tells of issues. Vik knew there was at least one medic on the tour, yet worry still itched at the back of his mind. If something happened, when he couldn't be present to help...

Even so, he did his best to believe Kerry's reassurances. Nothing his partner had experienced was out of the ordinary for the demands of a music tour. Kerry wasn't in the habit of hiring frauds either, so the medic's word - relayed through his partner - could likely be trusted. Maybe his nerves just needed more visible proof.

Vik had only managed to catch one recording of a performance since Kerry left, and from what he'd seen things had gone fine. Seeing so again should help, not to mention leave him proud of his partner's talent. A good way to unwind for the evening. After double-checking the channel Kerry had mentioned in a text the other day, Vik flipped to it and settled on the couch, keeping the volume low for now. There was still some lead-up time left before the performance started, but he knew it could be busy so he simply sent another text.

[TXT]: got home on time today. lucky thing too, i'll be able to catch your show on tv. good luck, sweetheart [TXT]: or break a leg, or whatever they say in show biz these days

[boatdriinks]

Kerry could do little more than beam as he listened to Johnny talk about Derry. Saved him the trouble, and he knew it'd at least let her know that she wasn't intruding on anything. This was her home, too. If anyone was intruding, it was the fuckin' weirdo right in front of her.

Adjusting his hold on her, he'd press a kiss into that dark, messy hair. No longer the tiny tot that toddled around and spoke with three words or less, she was a full-fledged little person and it really fucked him up thinking about it every time. But, he was good at holdin' it together. Most of the time. Dark eyes were finally forced to look his best friend's way, a proud grin across his features.

"No kiddin', right? Glad we didn't even bother with the fuckin' paternity test," Kerry snickered before his gaze fell to the bemused preschooler holding onto him.

Being addressed by the mostly stranger didn't exactly have her clambering to talk. Kerry was a little surprised by her rigidness, given she was usually a pretty social kid. He could only assume it was the combined fact that she'd been woken up and her only real memories of this strange man was in the form of stories and photographs from her father. Couldn't really blame the kid for that.

"Itay's loud," Derry ended up responding, earning herself another short bark of laughter from her father.

"...Yeah, can't argue with ya there. Sorry, baby girl. Itay's just a little excited. Been a long time since we've seen Johnny, huh?" Way too damn long. Felt like he couldn't help just being a little too energetic, a little overexcited. "You wanna hang around with the adults? I won't tell Mama if you don't."

Big brown eyes widened with interest, her head nodding several times immediately. Kerry grinned, pleased with her decision. Carefully, he'd settle himself back down in his spot on the couch. Derry was still held to Kerry's chest, though she was quickly getting sick of that. Pulling away from the embrace, Kerry pouted and watched her instead sit in what used to be the empty space that separated him and Johnny.

"Y'want a beer, Derry?" Derry was quick to scrunch up her nose in disgust, shaking her head.

"No!"

"No? Well, what d'ya want?"

"I get my juice. Your's gwoss." With that, the kid would hop straight off the couch and head into the connected kitchen by herself.

"Well, damn. Guess she told me," Kerry remarked, looking to Johnny with a slight shrug before he'd watch her pad her way in, open the fridge, and locate her juice all on her own. In no time at all, the nearly 4 year old was back with her juice box in hand. Skinny fingers struggled to unwrap the straw after she sat down, where it was begrudgingly handed over to Kerry so he could finally help her. But, of course, she had to piece the box with the straw.

     AMIDST counterpart's measured cadences was meek interruption nearly consumed, inaudible to his ear but not to her father's. conversational interlude established itself without plain-spoken cause as kerry receded from view into the hallway, occupying himself in the interim with a lengthy sip of beer and perusal of the coffee table's literary material. upon his friend's timely return with additional company in tow, however, the brief digressions shed their utility and abdicated the responsibility of his interest. despite his cognizance of the last couple years and earlier verification of her age, their re-acquaintanceship kindled incertitude and subsequently bemusement by her paternal resemblance — that which was even more identifiable than it had been in her infancy.

     so much of kerry could be seen in her, a softer echo of his likeness yet still uniquely her own.

     ❝  tryin' to tell me that you haven't been coaching her to say that ?  not sure if i buy it. gotta be that, or you're showin' her all the wrong pics of me. ❞ a disarming smile was paired with the quip as posture righted itself into an upright stand to better engage with them both, an attempt to present himself in a more affable light and ideally allay derry's timidity. ❝ fuck, she's gettin' big. must've grown at least five inches since i saw her last and looks even more like you than she did back then. sana's genes didn't stand a chance in hell. ❞

     a knowing shake of his head showcased disbelief before gaze flickered from father to daughter, broadening the scope of dialogue to include her and instill greater ease. a comfortable distance was maintained so she wouldn't be too unnerved, electing to embody a passive approach rather than impose his presence. as it was now, only repeated exposure could promote him from his plebeian status as a stranger and acclimate her to his attendance.

     ❝ were we being a little too loud, derry ? tried to tell your dad to simmer down but he doesn't always listen the way he should. think he was just excited to stay up past his bedtime too. ❞

[boatdriinks]

i'm still around btw! i'm just a little unwell over e///3///3 rn

I've been more active on my multi, and i'm here to reply when I can. otherwise tho, I'm in that headspace rn. i'm ALSO in the midst of making like 7 renders for my other fandom's ship week coming up soon so i'm a wittle. busy.

so please and thank you for being patient with me!

[boatdriinks]

Kerry watched Vik dress, his desire to stand up and keep him from fastening his pants swept off to the side. Be good, stupid. Be good, be patient. As much as he may not've been bothered by the song and dance of Kerry being insatiable and bratty in the mornings, he knew wasn't always cute.

Better to begrudgingly let him go and get rewarded later. ...But man, later always felt so agonizingly far away when he didn't have his own obligations.

The pair of lips to his forehead brought him back from his pouting. Oh, how he just wanted to cling to that waist in front of him once he'd straightened up again.

Kerry settled for leaning back slightly, just so he'd be able to watch him a little bit better. He really did make such a conceptually unsexy shirt so fucking sexy, so much so that it kinda pissed him off. Maybe he could take his frustrations out on him later tonight, but for now they were buried back down again.

"Mm, those are fightin' words. Might have t'pull out the big guns t'brighten your day even more, then." And yet, he didn't think he'd mind losing this kind of thing to Vik. For once.

The temptation to crawl back into bed and contrive some excuse to stay compelled Vik to instead hold subtly tighter onto his clothes while pulling them on. Whatever excuse he could've made wouldn't be enough reason to reschedule what needed to be done at his clinic. Plus, Vik knew he'd fuss over it, in his head and probably aloud too, and he didn't want to make Kerry feel blamed.

As he fastened his pants, he let slip a laugh at his partner's tease. "My favorite kinda surprise. And even if you don't send a thing, I still get to end my day with seein' you."

Vik leaned down for a kiss to Kerry's forehead, then pulled on his scrub shirt to button it only most of the way, as usual. "I might take some initiative myself, if I get enough downtime. Maybe brighten up your day first." He had a few ideas for texts as well, though pics were less likely given the chance of urgent walk-ins.

[boatdriinks]

Like Rogue had predicted, Kelvy had initially been intent on getting back to her mother. Once eyes weren't on her, she would make her attempt at escape. Alas, her movements were still on the slow, uncertain side. Not in her own home, mind you, but in a space where she was unfamiliar, the toddler appeared very cautious. Which was why she was only about halfway off of the couch she'd been deposited on by the time Rogue came back with the toys.

Uninterested at first, it would take a few toys to really get her to abandon her mission. Big brown eyes blinked at the plush toy finally presented to her. Chubby little hands grabbed at it, bringing to her chest and hugging it tightly. Still, a pout sat upon her lips and she couldn't help but look around for her mother.

But things were under control. Things were okay, for now. No crying, no upset. Just a lot of clear confusion and the desire for something far more familiar.

"Ma-ma..." she whined out first. "It-ay..." came next, where her pout would deep. Before a cry could erupt from her, however, another toy would appear from the bag at Rogue's will to attempt to distract her again. For now, it seemed like it was working. No cries came, and the pair within the bedroom appeared undisturbed and none of wiser of their daughter's mild distress.

from the looks of it zoh didn't need to talk to kerry ── what she needed was to join him. a few hours ( or more ) of deep, thoughtless sleep. it would be nowhere near enough to make her feel better, and the fear if implying such was what kept rogue from offering the suggestion in the first place ; but she secretly hoped that zoh would enter the room, lay her head down, and rest.

in the meantime? their remaining daughter couldn't have been safer. despite what outward appearances would suggest, rogue wasn't terrible with kids, no matter who the kids were ; but with kelvy? not only did she think of the eurodyne clan as her own family, but this specific member was so close in age to her own son that rogue's heart would have been sent aflutter no matter who the kiddo happened to be.

looking at kelvy, right there, within arms reach, of course brought with it a rush of emotions as well as countless questions ; is he ok? where is he? what is he doing? is he meeting his milestones? does santiago even know what milestones are? is he hungry? is he thirsty? is he cold? racing mind and aching heart could have gone on and on, but the need to keep a toddler from running after her mother was just the distraction needed to quell rogue's rapid thought spiral.

there was, of course, another up-side to being around the same age as the little boy rogue was waiting to see again, though this time it was in kelvy's favor as opposed to rogue's. with a level of excitement and wonder meant to capture a child's attention rogue made her way to the hall closet, in which there was a bag kept on the top shelf. and in said bag? months worth of age appropriate presents, purchased from around the globe and tucked away just in case she was given the chance to see him again ; and while it didn't look like that would be happening any time soon, in this case her heartbreak was kelvy's gain.

with legs pretzeled and the bag between them, rogue would spend as long as possible doing her best impersonation of a nanny, a new toy popping out of the bag like it had a mind of its own every time it felt as though kelvy was about to get fussy. she knew what she was doing, and things were under control ── rogue just hoped that the people who actually needed to know as much were confident enough in her abilities to allow themselves a few moments of much needed silence, and alone time.

[boatdriinks]

🐠🐟🐡

[boatdriinks]

He was being so patient. He was glad Vik could see that. ...And just for the sake of maintaining that image, he'd continue to be good. That being said, the desire to be a brat and start making moves on him was very much present. If he really tried, he probably could have persuaded Vik to stay. But, he wouldn't.

Vik, unfortunately, had things to do. Just as he often had things in his life to do, and neither job was great with them pushing away their responsibilities. Just a damn shame he didn't have as many responsibilities to keep him distracted and busy today.

"I try t' think'a somethin' today. Ain't got much else better t'do." Songwriting, yoga, maybe calling to check in on his kids... Otherwise, it seemed like today would be a day of rotting around the place. All he could really hope was that he got super inspired and in a groove well enough to work on his music for a while.

"But, I guess I'll surprise ya on whether I'll "brighten up yer work day" 'r not. ...I am a busy man, after all," Kerry teased. He could already think of pics and texts he could send to either make the day easier, or feel excruciatingly slow.

Vik grinned in answer to the stubbly kisses along his neck, with a low encouraging hum. Only fair for Kerry to get back a little teasing, before they'd have to spend most of their daylight hours apart. He'd expected that to be all, as he set the other onto the bed, but apparently he'd underestimated his partner.

Brows lifting a bit when Kerry's linked arms didn't let go, Vik remained bent at the waist. One hand propped on the bed, while his other palm rested on Kerry's waist. That pout was dangerous to his will to leave for work - though that 'danger' didn't stop Vik from meeting the more direct kiss.

With another toothy smirk, and a distinct hint of reluctance, he straightened up and stepped back from the bed to get dressed. In the meantime, Vik agreed, "Got plenty of imagination between the two of us. It might end up a struggle to figure out which idea to try first. Whatever it is, I'll make sure t'be extra nice, since you're bein' so patient."

Though the corners of his eyes creased behind tinted lenses, Vik meant every word. Spoiling Kerry a little was too enjoyable to pass up.

[boatdriinks]

"Nope," Kerry practically chirped. "Clientele are pretty fuckin' brain-dead from what I've heard," he'd remark bluntly. He didn't know a ton about the place himself, but that seemed to be one of the reasons why Johnny hadn't been interested in approaching it himself, so that usually meant Kerry wouldn't go either. If just because where was the fun in going to a shady place all on your own?

But, she must've had a point if she was mentioning them. Either that or just making weird conversation once again. There was a snarky remark sitting atop the tip of his tongue, but he'd keep it to himself. He didn't need to be as much of an asshole to Johnny's girls as Johnny was to his own hookups.

"Why?"

long enough not to sound like shit, and that was the only thing that really mattered ── although even that wasn't entirely necessary given just what he was playing. there were some musicians who required a great deal of skill in order to keep people on the hook, while others needed no skill at all since their fans were there for WHAT was being said as opposed to HOW it was being said.

kerry just so happened to have been a package deal, good at what he did while also spewing far more than just bubblegum nonsense. it was worthy of a compliment that rogue had no intentions of giving, because as it turned out? guy was kind of an ass. ( and in all fairness, so was she. )

a swath of dark hair was yanked from where it had been pinned in place, the ends of which were pulled into rogue's eyeline just to give her something to look at.

it was, as she'd expected, still hair. so not great for entertainment value, though soon after the strands were in her grasp rogue's phone would beep to life, the received photo providing a brief reprieve from boredom ; runny mascara, torn fishnets, a bloody lip, and a few big smiles. oddly enough the picture was what passed as a comforting ' got home safe ' text in rogue's circle of friends acquaintances.

" hey, you ever been to metalstorm? "

[boatdriinks]

Whatever fun he was having with the conversation dissolved into a small scowl and a quirk of his brow. Seriously? She really choose now to start being bitchy?

Only for two completely unrelated questions to be stacked on top of one another. Christ, he didn't get her. That shit was gonna piss Johnny off pretty quick once they got to it. Guess he'd wave her ass goodbye once Johnny was done with her tonight.

"He's fine. Like I said, won't be long," he answered her curtly, downing what little was left of his beer a moment later. Johnny was probably taking an upper now, to make sure he'd be able to make it through his evening with Rogue tonight without promptly faceplanting.

"...Been playing since I was 12. Really not that long." Not compared to a shit of other people did before they got signed.

rogue had better options when it came to how her night could be spent ─── more specifically, she could have been out there proving herself, making valiant attempts at getting people to take her seriously, and scraping together cash in the process.

but there she sat. not even waiting for some guy, but worse, waiting for some guy's friend. she was sure that as weeks went by and she never saw either one of them again it would be a night to look back on with regret and annoyance ... but did she make any move whatsoever to get up? to remove herself from the situation? no. she didn't even consider it.

though he'd only been gone for a moment or two by the time kerry retuned rogue had become more comfortable in her surroundings, a few beats spent alone all it took to settle herself even more than she already had been. whatever happened ( or didn't happen ) she would force herself to be fine with it ─── every experience was worth tolerating, so long as something was learned from it.

" uh, what love life? " brows coming to a peak, the question asked the moment old seat was retaken. " from what you said before it sounds like you don't have one at the moment, so that would be a waste of my time AND yours. " and if she was going to waste time it would be on something that would actually provide interesting information as opposed to vague answers and dead ends.

" how long have you played? " and then, because having the question tacked on at the tail end of something casual was more likely ( in rogue's opinion ) to make it seem like she didn't really care ; " he ok in there ? "

[boatdriinks]

Seemed like she was more interested in asking questions than spending time with Johnny. Funny how that worked out, he supposed. For now, though, he wouldn't comment on it and instead made strides to get to Johnny's room so he could see what was going on with him.

Nothing unusual, he was thankful to find once he made it. A little starfishing on the bed as he was giving his body a chance to rest. From what he could tell, he may've even dozed off. At least the pain might not've been that bad, then.

It wouldn't take much to rouse him back to awareness, where Kerry would remind him of the woman he still had waiting on him. With a grunt of irritation, Johnny would end up sitting up, getting up, and starting to sift through to find cleaner clothes to wear.

With that all taken care of, though, Kerry left Johnny to his own devices. Meaning, it was time to go back and continue to entertain their near-nightly guest just a little bit longer.

"Won't be long. Now what're you going on about? Still achin' t'hear about Kerry Eurodyne's love life? Movin' on from the scopsuckers and into the media biz?" He really wasn't that bothered. Even still, getting questions from strangers about that that sort of thing was never gonna be his idea of appealing. Kerry moved back to his original spot, yoinking up his bottle again to take another swig from it.

a singular blessing, small though it may have been, was that rogue was NOT one for setting people up, so kerry was free and clear of any potential blind date recommendations. she knew plenty of people their age ( to call them her 'friends' would have been an overstatement, but one didn't need to be a friend in order to be known ) and many of them were perfectly attractive ─── at or above his level in her opinion, and yet ... the desire simply wasn't there. never had been, never would be. hallelujah.

it was curious though, his choice of words ; he wouldn't mind. if that was the case, rogue couldn't help but to wonder what was stopping him from going for it ; a timing thing would be her best guess, or a LACK of time thing to be more specific, but she would draw the line at actually asking, deciding instead to ─── be abandoned, apparently.

" oh, c'mon! my company isn't that bad! " a smile couldn't be helped as she watched the other rise, an odd blushing of pride felt at the idea of having driven him from the room. being obnoxious was a talent in its own right, and if there was one thing rogue wished to do where any talent was concerned, it was excel.

somehow still possible, she managed to slouch even lower into her seat, an exaggerated pout on display for nothing but the empty room. " you better come back, too. i'm not done with you yet. " whatever the fuck johnny was doing, he was free to keep on doing it ; because at some point being uncomfortable and out of her depths had started to feel more fun than what she'd come for in the first place.