Don't Call it a Comeback[Altair]

[RACHAEL MARIE CALLAHAN]

OUTFIT

Rachael started to forget about how drunk she was as a random boy got into his groove. This was her favorite dancing position, probably because it's her favorite sex position, Rachael thought with a mischievous smirk. The dark haired woman brought her hands around the man's hipbones and pulls him close. The music turns to something sultry and Rachael brought her hands up and behind his head to tangle her fingers in rando commando's hair, pulling the man into the nape of her neck. Rachael feels the pulse of the music in the soles of his feet as it ripples throughout her body. Her nerves are on fire.

The beat intertwines with the alcohol swirling around her system and Rachael starts to feel like she is having an out of body experience. Combined with Racheal's seductive movements, heat flushes straight through the girl, only to come rushing straight out her pores. She can't help herself and presses her lips against the stranger's neck, tasting a thin layer of sweat formed from hours of nonstop dancing. His groan rumbles in his throat as he feels Rachael's teeth and lips on his sensitive skin. His hands wrap around Rachael's midriff, pushing up on her shirt, exposing some of her taut abdomen.

Rachael vaguely wonders if anyone, besides the stranger, is watching what she knows is a rather risqué dance between her and this boy she stumbled upon. The girl is reminded of why she started dancing with him in the first place. The guy could dance. He turns her around so that Rachael's back is against his chest. Well, that’s not exactly what she wanted from him. She froze as her grip on her bottle of vodka tightened. "What's wrong?" the guy asks, pulling away from Rachael so he could see her face. The brunette says with a smile, thinking that his sexy grinding has caused the Rachael's brain to short-circuit. ”You stopped dancing.”

The girl frowns back as she begins to move away. "You’re beginning to bore me-" Rachael drags her gaze away from what had caught her attention and looks into the man’s huge brown eyes. ”-and you have to be this tall to ride,” she said, referencing to the tiny problem the man had been experiencing due to there dancing. The challenge hangs heavy in the air, and somehow she gets away with her remark. Most of the usual suspects she runs into at parties are too terrified and confused by Rachael's presence to risk looking like they are paying her any attention at all, and are sure to look away from her lest they make eye contact. The sort of reputation Rachael loved. Like a God damn Praying Mantis or Black Widow who took no prisoners when it came to getting what she wanted.

She presses the bottle to his lips, already slightly tinted red at the opening from her lips, and took a short pull from her stash. Not as classy as she usually tried to be, but glasses would have just gotten in her way. Her icy eyes traveled over everyone as she leaned the bottle against her neck. God damn I’m fucking amazing, Rachael thought as she sauntered her way over to the flash of blonde she saw earlier. ”And how are you dearie?” Rachael lightly trailed her fingers on the blondes shoulder in greeting. She was in a decent enough mood for the night. Secretly this was her own private little way of celebrating her birthday. Twenty-two years on this miserable fucking planet.

[ALTAIR SABINA BENNETT]

Altair had read somewhere that once an addict, one remained an addict. It would always be there. That's why recovered people needed to be very careful. In her two years of being clean, she had been doing good. Lately, however, she realized how much damage she'd been doing to her body. Her diet did not meet the standards set by her bosses, and her exercise regiment was taking its toll on her. Her muscles felt sore all the time, she felt worn thin and drained half the time. People who looked down on models and considered it to be an easy way out didn't know how strict and unforgiving the industry could be. That's why Altair loved it; she could be a competitor. She could be on top of it all.

But first, she needed to take care of the constant ache and itches.

When talking to a friend who she knew dealt, she didn't make up excuses. And as she popped the first Vicodin, she told herself she wouldn't take it out of control like she used to. The thought of being dependent on it again sickened her, and she rejected the idea enirely. She could take care of herself, and yet she knew better than to tell Rowena about what was going on. Even though it was not even for recreational purposes, she knew it would concern her sister and it would make her out to be breaking an unspoken deal. Bother she and Ro decided to get better after Syr overdosed. But this wasn't an addiction, Altair told herself.

Even as she blew smoke from her lips before heading into the party, riding a high and a buzz that she was seeking to turn into a full-blown binge. The party she'd heard about through gossip turned out to provide, and she had downed half a bottle of tequila in the half-hour she'd gotten there, urging a random guy to tell her to leave some for everyone else. "Doubt you could handle a sip," she said rolling her eyes, movements lax and easy. Everything felt good. The bass rumbled through her from the speakers, and she felt beautiful as ever.

However, despite the good feelings, Altair wasn't having a very exciting night until she felt a finger glide against her skin and the greeting. She grinned, turned and saw a very familiar face. Wrapping an arm around the raven-haired woman's waist, she rolled her eyes. "I know it's been a while, but it hasn't been that long," she said. It really had been a while since she'd seen the girl, though she knew partly it was her fault. Altair did not do long-term. "Did you come to save me from this god awful boredom?" She started to move her hips to the music. Pupils dilated, it was obvious that she was in an altered state, though Altair could be hard to pin down. Sometimes she was carefree as she was now, the only thing giving her away being her eyes.

[RACHAEL MARIE CALLAHAN]

OUTFIT

Rachael was trying desperately hard to keep up with her old drinking regiment as she slammed back another shot of vodka. The other partygoers didn't seem affected by it in the slightest. Rachael swayed slightly when she pulled the bottle away from her lips. This party needed less people at it so she didn’t have to stare at all the pathetic people. There was a perk though. There was a perk definitely worth suffering through the drama that was sure to ensue at any social gathering in this town. Seriously whatever happened to nothing happened in small towns? That perk, that perk was now distracting her from her glaring. It was Altair Bennett, younger Fire graduate, and closest thing to a friend Rachael had ever had. ”Like you didn’t miss me from time to time,” she teased.

So when Altair wrapped an arm around Rachael’s waist and welcomed her approach, Rachael let out an appreciative humming sound. Bottle of vodka in hand, obviously trying to act much more sober than she really was -and inconspicuous- the older girl began to half heartily dance along with her friend. Something that Rachael found rather funny, because with her naturally snide, and familiar attitude pumped up with booze, it was hard not to burst out laughing. Imagine, the frigid Rachael letting out anything remotely similar to an optimistic laugh. Especially towards those she was fond of, and she was very fond of Altair. ”You can be my birthday present,” she said out loud, unaware the words actually were voiced. Rachael lifted her bottle a bit before looking into Altair’s eyes with a drunken smile. ”Twenty-two years ago the world was lucky enough to get me.”

In a ceremonious manner the girl took another swig. ”We’re better than this party,” Rachael declared. She leaned onto the toes of her boots. A part of her outfit Rachael both wanted to rip off, and simultaneously leave on because they looked oh so good on her. She’d have to make sure they made it home with her tonight. She leaned in to whisper, with a smile on her face to look like she was telling some kind of joke. ”Do you want to get out of here?” The words could have been suggestive. But she said them with the kind of concern that made it obvious that she knew Altair wouldn’t misread the real message. Rachael was bored as well, drunk, but not amused by what was going on. Her secret celebrating of her birthday should have been fun. Heavens knows the next time she would ever celebrate the lack luster event again.

[ALTAIR SABINA BENNETT]

Altair smirked at the remark from the fellow Fire. Though a hardass, she could be capable of sadness. And missing someone, though she would hate to admit that. Rachael was the only person outside of her sister that had not pissed her off for the long-term. That was an impressive feat, and a reason to encourage a friendship. "There've been moments." She grinned after saying that, rather excited that this night wouldn't be for shit. She had wanted to bring along her sister, but the girl had declined and so she was left on her own. So if Rachael would be willing to stick around, she'd be on cloud nine.

After all, she needed more entertainment for this high. It was no fun wasting what she had right now. It seemed that Rachael was just as bad off as her. Or good off, Altair would argue. In any case, she had pleasant look on her face as she announced that she would be her birthday present. "The birthday girl hanging out here?" She snorted, the sound more obnoxious than it might have usually been. "Clearly I am your gift from god." A saving grace from the ennui that such a crappy party could provide. Altair just really needed something more. She hadn't had a craving for reckless behavior in a long time, but she felt it itching in the back of her mind.

She watched as Rachael drank from the bottle of vodka, laughing a little though there wasn't anything particularly funny about it. There was something funny, however, in the fact that as the now twenty-two-year-old said, they were too good for this party. And yet they were still here. She tightened her grip around Rachael's waist before pulling away. "Nothing would make me happier." The question was of where they could go. Not that Maple Hallow was terribly uninteresting, but after living anywhere for a while, it got dull. And they were on school grounds, now, even duller. Though she supposed there was some fun they could have.

But then an idea came into her mind and she took the bottle of vodka from Rachael's hand, taking a swig of her own. [color=indianred"You know what, I'm feeling a little bit hot."

[/color] As if to emphasize this she pulled on the bottom of her blouse with her free hand, tilting her head back a bit. In the summer, even the nights could be humid. "Have any suggestions?" [/size][/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[RACHAEL MARIE CALLAHAN]

OUTFIT

Rachael could feel her tension melting away as the booze was talking over her system; each word she heard was a little less rough, a little more giving. ”If by God you mean me,” With every passing word of the blonde, Rachael felt her mind float further and further from the images of pain and suffering that she usually used alcohol to escape, the last vestiges of her memories leaving her as she followed Altair, replaced by thoughts of happier times. Laughing with her mom on better days, playing games with her in the early hours of the evening. Chatting with kids and the girls about their days while the buzz of alcohol burned pleasantly in their veins.

Her whole world blurred in a delirious, wonderful haze of joy. As if joy was a blanket and the night had wrapped her in it. When she had the presence of mind to look down at her feet, there was only the faint impression of the sidewalk. With the slow wonder of a child, Rachael reached her other hand for the hem of her shorts, running the tips of her fingers over it. She was floating. Her skin tingled when she touched it, a delighted shiver rolling up her spine. She could feel the warmth of the summer on her face, smell the clean air of a summer night rushing though her hair. She smiled; a bright, beaming happiness coursed through her body. And she sighed, glossy eyes finally looking up at her friend. "Whoa..." Her voice sounded low and relaxed, foreign to her ears.

A soft, lethargic sigh falling from her lips. Her center of balance was off and Rachael collapsed a bit, tripping back on her heel. She didn't seem to notice or cared, gazing up almost adoringly at the blonde. Her vision was fuzzed, the overhead moonlight giving her an ethereal glow. She looked heavenly, until she took over control on her bottle. Her hand reached out in a friendly game of follow the booze. “What the hell…” Rachael murmured. She wasn’t angry, more surprised by how empty handed she felt now.

Rachael thought about Altair’s question, as if taking stock to see if she did, in fact, still possess feet… they could just leave if they wanted to. She faltered a little, head spinning, but she continued to remember to breathe. The euphoria cleared a little, the warm bubble that had surrounded her fading into a dull haze. "Whoa," she said again, and shook her head in an attempt to clear it. ”We could-the lake isn’t that far.” Her suggestion came out more like a question as she tried to piece together a way to solve this little problem. ”No one will even know we’re gone.”

Drunk Rachael is Drunk

[ALTAIR SABINA BENNETT]

Rachael, at this point, could only be described as adorable. Perhaps oddly adorable, since normally that wouldn't be a word attributed to her. Cold and beautiful, sure, but adorable would be a word better attributed to someone of softer demeanor. Altair wouldn't hang out with someone "adorable," that brought to mind innocence and childishness and things she had no patience for. But with the older woman's words, her hands on her shorts, pulling them, she could think of no other way to describe it. The "whoa" seemed to be spoken with wonderment.

And then she snorted at the woman's question of what the hell. Turning into full blown laughter, before she couldn't contain it anymore and turned her head away. Cupping her mouth, there were a few beats before she could properly form a response. "Whaaat?" she asked, grinning. It wasn't so much a question of her simply being amused. "You're so plastered." And she was one to judge, but she simply felt the need to point it out and just how hilarious that was. Hopefully she wouldn't be offended, since for once Altair wasn't actually making fun of another person. Cute and disoriented looked good on her.

Even more disoriented when another 'whoa' left her lips, and thinking of lips Altair wanted to kiss them. But hey, she had to be smooth. Cool. She couldn't just launch forward and lay one on her. The opportunity would soon arise, she hoped, at the answer to her question. Her fingers fell from the fabric of her shirt. "No one," she repeated, looking around before steadying her blue gaze back on her friend. "And hey...hey..." She paused as if she was trying to get Rachael's attention, even though the girl was right there and listening. But who knew if she even was very aware at this point? "We'll have the lake all to ourselves." No one else would be out there. No one wise, in any case. Or sober. They were in just the right state of mind to ditch.

Grabbing Rachael's hand, the blond laughed under her breath as she absconded, heading down to the lake. Black and glimmerign with moonlight, it could have been enchanted. She dropped the other girl's hands to pull off her shirt, throwing it in the sand beside her as she worked on unhooking the clasps of her shoe. "I don't have a bathing suit," she said as one unhooked and she moved her hand to the other, "So I think it's better to go free willy." Free booby? The other clasp came undone and she pulled off her pants. And everything with it. A battle cry and she rushed into the water, feeling as it splashed around her ankles, her calves, her thighs, and she stopped once it reached her hips.

Cold. Freezing, actually, and though she felt it she also didn't feel it. It made her chuckle girlishly, this wonderment. "It's lovely out here, Rachael, just lovely." She dipped back, letting her hair get wet. Algae squished underneath her toes, the feeling at first freaking her out once she paid attention to it. Then, she grew accustomed to it, ran her fingers through her hair.

[RACHAEL MARIE CALLAHAN]

OUTFIT

Hearing Altair’s unfiltered laugh made Rachael smile a bit. Plastered? No way she couldn’t be that drunk. The though caused her to stop for a moment. If she was trying to convince herself she wasn’t drunk, then she most definitely was. It had been awhile since she was this over the edge. ”Sobriety is in the eye of the beholder Al.” The raven-haired girl paused for a minute as she played back the words in her head. ”Oh God, that was very alcoholic of me to say,” she replied unapologetically. Alcoholic? No, she was a “Drinking Enthusiast.” Rachael shrugged her shoulders to show she ultimately didn’t care how twisted it had sounded.

”Yeah. Our own private lake,” she confirmed as the blonde grabbed her hand and tugged her along. Traveling with a guide was far easier than navigating by herself. Rachael hadn't thought to bring her suit either –due to the fact that she would have never considered going into this lake sober- but no matter; skinny-dipping was practically de rigeur in an old swimming hole such as this one. Anyway, there was no one around, so she stood towards the edge of the lake and stripped off her shirt first. As she unzipped and peeled off her shorts she leaned out over the edge of the bank in her underwear and heels.

Unfortunately Rachael’s coordination wasn’t at its prime as she tried to wrangle off the shoes she loved so much. ”God damn it-” she mumbled as she finally managed to free one of her feet. The shame that people had when they were exposed wasn’t evident on the blonde. Rachael raked her eyes over her friend. ”You’re no whale girl, trust me,” her tone winsomely approving as her friend continue to undress. "I would not talk to you if you were Moby Dick" As Rachael stripped off the last remaining clothes on her, her aim proved to be a bit off as her bra landed in the water. Drifting slowly on top of the surface Rachael made no move to retrieve it. She’d get it later if it was so important, but for now it looked so peaceful.

Rachael needed to join her bra in the water. Wading into the cold water, she stopped for a moment as she waited for the water leveled around knee to feel comfortable. ”Lovely my ass. This shit is cold.” Being a Water could have benefited around now. Could Waters control the temperature of a lake? A few seconds of standing still and being drunk helped her forget about the freezing water real fast. Viva le Alcohol! ”Did you see that guy I was with? Fucking weirdo,” she rambled on. ”He tried to offer me Junior Mints earlier. No innuendo intended.” Rachael thought those candies were only meant to be consumed in movie theaters. They shouldn’t be tossed around in real life. ”Fucking Junior Mints…discs of Satan…”

Braving the water and all the unknown matter floating within it, the raven-haired girl continued to venture out into the lake. Slowly she had gone as far in as her waist, which no was no feat for the petite woman. ”Someone as wasted as me is going to come by and think you’re a mermaid or something,” Rachael said. ”Or like, a siren.” It was the blonde hair that made drunken Rachael make the connection. Fairy tale creatures that were considered good always had really light colored hair. Guess that made Rachael evil, like a succubus. That wouldn’t be so bad.

[ALTAIR SABINA BENNETT]

Altair knew she would regret this in the morning. Not anything done with Rachael, not the skinnydipping or the company or any of that shit. It was betraying everything she stood for, betraying the promise she made herself that she would never be dependent on anything ever again. Betraying her sister. It would sting like hell when the meds wore off and she would be faced with the excruciating reality that she was disgustingly weak. Now, such a thing did not enter her mind. She had a lake to get into.

Free Willy might have been more proper if the model had a willy. What she did have was a way with words, clearly, much more so than the stumbling drunk. Altair shimmied her hips, because fuck yeah, no blubber here. Hell, she looked a lot healthier than some models out there because she refused to adhere to the strict diet forced on her. "I'm a whale with a kickass bod," she said. One that she didn't mind showing off, even sober. Were she in the right mind, she would have been more careful of legal restrictions. She was an adult and she had adult shit to do, and couldn't spend time in a jail cell. "What if I had a moby dick?" she asked, voice deepened and eyebrows waggling. She looked down at the place where there definitely wasn't a moby dick and looked rather disappointed.

Busy picking up waves with her fingers and spinning around, Altair felt like a little kid playing in the pool with her sisters. That is until she stopped, and the dizziness caught up with her, but not the nice kind that she really enjoyed. "You just need to warm up," she cooed, before going as quickly as she could in the water over to Rachael and throwing her arms around her. Not only more lighthearted, she was certainly more affectionate than usual, rubbing her hands up and down her friend's back. "Mmm...who eats Junior Mints outside of the cinema?" she asked seriously. "He is a weirdo, unless he really wanted you to suck on his Junior Mints." Then that was a crying shame, his mints only being at junior level. But hey, Altair always liked a good pun.

Pushing away from her friend, she fixed her hair up again, trying to keep it positioned on top of her head. Mermaid. Rachael spoke the name as she headed deeper, and Altair liked the sound of that, almost as much as she liked the idea of a siren. Singing sailors to their death sounded right up her alley. She lowered herself back down, opening her mouth to suck in some water. Popping up, she sprayed it at Rachael. "Maybe I am," she said with a soft hum in her voice. "If anyone comes by I can just lure them in and drown them. You know I'd so fucking do it, too," she tacked on, just to make sure Rachael understood this fact. She splashed her friend, a playful little thing because Rachael really should not have told her that she thought it was cold out here. "Aren't I better than Mr. Junior Mint?" she said. Even better if she had a few more beers in here, though she really did not need much else in her system.

[RACHAEL MARIE CALLAHAN]

OUTFIT

Shamoo! What a whale that was. What proof had she been guzzling down all night for her to be this stupid drunk? She’d have to buy it again. ”What?” A chick with a dick? Rachael was open-minded when it came to her sex life, but if she needed a bone it’s be from a man. Not a girl, not a boy, a strong manly man. ”You’d want a dick? Just strap on then girl. No need to wish for the hardware when you can just go out and find the D.” Were they really talking about being a hermy? Weird. Not something the Fire thought she could get into with Altair.

Rachael retuned the blonde’s hug and even hummed in appreciation. ”Mmm, yes body contact is the fastest way of warming up.” Trying to focus even energy into her system Rachael attempted to warm up her own body temperature. In her current state it came in spurts. One moment she felt the fiery gift spread through her bones and it would leave just as quickly. ”Well that’s embarrassing,” she murmured. On a small scale she felt like a guy who couldn’t get it up.

The senior laughed affectionately at Altair’s choice of words. ”Cinema! I love your accent.” It was true. Altair could say the foulest combination of words and it still had a certain level of decorum the North American accent couldn’t achieve. ”If he can find his own Junior Mints he can try to suck on them himself.” He was weird, gross, and probably not going to get any tonight. She wouldn’t even help him out of pity.

Altair disappeared from her sight, only to pop up and spray the older girl with lake water. Gross! She rubbed the water out of her eyes and thought about ways get to her blonde friend back. ”Fine then, you be the siren and I’ll be the succubus. We will lure our victims in and get what we want from them,” she slowly swam her way over to her friend, only slightly flinching at the tiny splash that she had sent her way. Smilingly coyly she continued. ”and then we drown them so no one finds the bodies. Sound good?” she cocked her head to the side before splashing her back with lake water. ”Now you are just fishing for compliments. You already know you are far better than Junior Mint.”