"May I?"

"Go for your life." Since when did people need permission to sit with him? Well... Except at places with security like cons and premiers. Cafas would always make an exception for Ghost though.

Cafas sipped his whisky. It burned like wildfire, as smooth as sandpaper. Proper old fashioned nightclub booze. Shuffling up from his lounging position to a more composed sitting one he spent a good few seconds simply looking at Ghost. "You're looking good. The dancing agrees with you. The skirt flicks were inspired, not that I was looking."

Liar. You know full well you were checking her out.

Another sip of drink washed the slight bit of shame and embarrassment away. Checking out one's friends must have been against some kind of friendship rules. Even as he thought that he drew his eyes from her legs back to her face. He was almost certainly busted on that one, but tried to play it cool. "So, plan for this evening past coming to the bar?"

Pfft, have you?

Go for your life? Was that a common saying? Maya took her seat and crossed her legs at the ankle. No. Too stiff. Cafas was all loung-y. Maya could too. She tried to relax by draping her legs up over the table with her feet and high heels dangling off the edge. There. Now she was just as relaxed as Cafas was. She cradled her drink and sipped slowly. It was so sweet, she couldn't take much more than a sip or so at a time. And yet. It was so sweet that it made her happy just drinking it.

> "The dancing agrees with you."

"Thank you! I like it. I don't think I've really been dancing with someone before. At least, not like that." She'd been dancing in the general vicinity of others when she'd last been at a club. But Maya and Cafas had definitely been danging together. Like. Really together.

Maya glanced at the dance floor where the people were a riot of dancing. They were absolutely shamelessly close. At least Maya hadn't done that.

She could have. Maybe. This place had energy. Life.

> "So, plan for this evening past coming to the bar?"

She turned back to Cafas with what felt like a goofy smile. "I don't know. I was hoping to find a friend or make a new one. Had to get out of my comfort zone, you know?"

"Thank you! I like it. I don't think I've really been dancing with someone before. At least, not like that."

"I did some dancing for the movies, but nothing that fun." Certainly no lifts. None of the actual energy either, all heavily choreographed. Mostly work, very little fun. So many takes.

Well, she looks relaxed.

He'd forgotten Maya had been dancing in heels. He was all the more impressed by this information.

Cafas followed her gaze out to the dance floor. He couldn't decide how much of what was going on was for fun, and how much was an elaborate mating display. Perhaps he was being too judgmental. Let them do as they please. So what if they are out to get laid?

Mostly envy honestly.. For once I agree.

"I don't know. I was hoping to find a friend or make a new one. Had to get out of my comfort zone, you know?"

"Funny how life and death fights can become your comfort zone." Cafas slipped Maya a smile and wink, "I know what you mean though. Here's to friends, new, old, and estranged. Keeping us sane. And to you, the first friendly face I've seen since getting home. Couldn't have picked a more beautiful one." Cafas raised his glass towards Maya.

Still one you'd prefer though isn't there?... Yeah, well, why bemoan what might have been?

"So, not drinking tonight?"

"You can't expect work to be as fun as play." Maya teased from her slouch. She was feeling a little silly and a little like an otter floating on its back and keeping its food on its belly. The mental imagery was funny enough to keep her from moving.

"I don't think I've been in any life or death fights lately." Ugh. Lately. Just thinking about it made Maya rub the deep furrow that was forming up between her eyebrows. She was determined not to get back to a frown-space. That would counteract all the good they'd done here tonight.

> "So, not drinking tonight?"

"I have a drink." She raised her drink defensively. "It's not alcoholic, but... I mean it's still a drink."

Maya realized with a start that the way she was sitting? Yeah. it was not a great way to sit when wearing a skirt. She squeaked and bobbled her drink in a sudden, surprised mess of limbs. She'd tried to take her legs back all at once, but... well, there was kind of a lot of leg there and the heel got caught on the table and one thing just led to another— "Eek! Sorry! Sorry!" —Maya twisted in her seat and then the drink was there and well... both sort of ended up on Cafas.

"You can't expect work to be as fun as play."

Especially not after the thirtieth take because someone in a hundred person scene tripped over. "I did, and was sorely disappointed." He would wager he could still do the dance on cue.

"I don't think I've been in any life or death fights lately."

Lately. Not a word most people ever had to add to that sentence. Still, it gave Cafas no small amount of relief to think that at least someone he cared about was safe, even if it was temporary.

Why does everyone I want to protect insist on getting into harm's way?

"I have a drink. It's not alcoholic, but... I mean it's still a drink."

Years of fighting had taught him to predict maneuvers and moves before they started. Trained eyes watched Maya fail to retrieve her legs, watched as shoes hooked table, as drink left hand. It was hardly a 'maneuver' but he knew what was happening well before it eventuated, if one considers two seconds to be 'well before'.

Uh-oh.

"Eek! Sorry! Sorry!"

Yet alcohol dulled reactions and wits. Before he could so much as flinch a drink had been dropped down his shirt, and a Maya had been dropped awkwardly into his lap. For all her weight barely registered compared to his, her head still hurt as it impacted his chest, and the elbow she planted into his leg was going to leave a bruise.

That wasn't exactly graceful... How's Maya?

"It's fine," came his slightly winded response. "Are you okay?"

With her face mere inches from his own now Cafas was acutely aware how long it had been since he'd had any level of physical contact. He could smell her hair. He could feel her breath. He could smell cola and grenadine. He could feel cola and grenadine trickling to and soaking into his pants. And the cherry on top? Crushed into his chest by Maya's other hand. "I'm... Sticky."

He couldn't help himself, he had to laugh.

She doused him. She tried not to. Really. She did. But in the end? "I'm so-" Squish. Was that... the cherry?

She held her breath waiting for the other shoe to drop.

> "I'm... Sticky."

What had been mortifying moments ago was suddenly funny. It started with a short heh and ended up with Maya full on giggling. She put her face right next to his, cheek to cheek and gave Cafas a big squeeze. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek and let him go, chuckling all the way. The cherry. The ribs. All because she'd realized that she'd been flashing her skivvies to half the club. It was just too much.

The soda was on her shirt and in her hair. The sticky white and brown strands slicked to Cafas' skin as she moved back and away, stretching between them like stripey spiderwebs. This was... terrible. How could they dance any more like this? Unless...

She bit her lip and found her feet. Maya was in full mischief mode now. At first, it was an accident. Now? "Stay right here. I'm gonna need you in just a second." She scrambled out of the booth, slipping on her way out and very nearly biffing. It was very coltish how she got her long legs back under her command.

The air elemental went and talked to the manager. She wanted to know if a) they every did those foam parties here and b) if they didn't, would they be open to one here? Or maybe even in the street? They could play some music outside, right?

His arms wrapped around Maya, reciprocated her squeeze. A quick kiss on the cheek that he tried to pretend wasn't the first halfway intimate act he'd experienced in longer than he cared to think about. There, for a brief moment, covered in cola, halfways straddled by an air elemental, laughing, Cafas could honestly say he was happy. Worries forgotten in a moment of mirth and sugar.

Maya pulled away, her hair sticking to his face, connected by sugary strands. He Looked into her eyes and there he spotted a formulating idea. As she pulled further back his hands slid naturally down, before being hastily removed as Cafas noticed. She stood, and he looked up at her. He caught the end of a lip bite, and the idea, he knew, had fully sprouted.

"Stay right here. I'm gonna need you in just a second."

"Cryptic!" He called after her retreating form. Cafas looked for his drink. Alas, it had fallen victim to the tumble, but it hardly mattered. What was a little more alcohol on a club floor? He sat back and waited, cola slowly soaking further in. Cafas undid two buttons on his shirt, ineffectively trying to get it out of contact with his chest.

I wonder what she's up to?

Mr. Manager had to be convinced. It was apparently a hassle to set up. Less of a hassle once she passed all the cash that she had on hand over to him. They shook on it. Maya clicked her heels noisily all the way back to her table. She had a couple baggies in hand and reclaimed her seat while grinning ear to ear. She grabbed that squashed cherry from Cafas' shirt and flicked it away. "Hey. can I see your phone?" No explanation. Suuuuuuper casual.

Not. At. All. Suspicious.

The music cut from the speakers and management started to make an announcement and Maya shouted in surprise and launched herself at Cafas again, this time on purpose. She covered his ears with her hands, her head turned as she looked at what only she could see of the air around them. She worked quickly to construct two layers of reinforced air with a vacuum between the two. A perfect sound block. She would have to monitor the air outside their bubble for when the announcement stopped vibrating its surprise-ruining message.

She relaxed her hands away from his ears once they were in complete silence. "So. Uhm. Your phone?" She asked brightly. As if she hadn't just done that. As if this was completely normal.

The clacking alerted him seconds before Maya resumed her seat. The grin she was wearing made Cafas nervous. She flicked the cherry from his shirt, which he appreciated.

"Hey. can I see your phone?"

Weird.

"Ooookay..." Cafas reached into his pocket. The music shut off, someone began speaking on the PA. Suddenly Maya was on him again, hands clamped over his ears. He blinked at her, confused, pinned to the seat (not that he'd have to try hard to unpin himself). She looked around. Cafas followed suit. Nothing seemed to change visibly, but the muffled sounds coming through her hands ceased.

I am very confused.

Her hands came away from his ears. "So. Uhm. Your phone?"

Cafas finished retrieving his mobile from his pocket as he sat back up. He checked it for messages quickly. There were none, to his disappointment. He handed it suspiciously to Maya. "Why are we in a cone of silence?" Sure, that was the weirdest part of what just happened. That's what he was going with.

Remember when you were just going to be passed out on a bar by two? That was a simpler time...

"I have prepared a surprise. They almost ruined it." Maya sat up as well and spoke most imperiously. She might have sounded like a queen if she hadn't been grinning like a loon. "Thank you." She stuffed Cafas' phone into one of the ziptop bags before she shifted in her sticky seat and got out her own phone.

No messages. Not that she'd expected any. Her phone also went into its own bag. Hmmm. Maya looked at Cafas from top to bottom. Was there anything else that could be ruined by water?

Out on the dance floor, the patrons were being offered zip top bags (for a small fee) and taking their own precautions. Surely he would figure out what was going on. Surely. Maya handed back the plastic-coated bag and folded her own back into her waistband.

"I think we can go out now. I can't really move the silence with us so... I dunno. Just. Act surprised okay?" She took his hand and tugged him up after her. Back toward the dance floor. There was an excited buzz in the crowd that was milling around. Nobody was dancing any more. No music either.

"You guys ready?!?" The PA boomed and Maya felt it all the way to her bones. She turned and grinned at Cafas as the DJ counted down from 10.

After 1?

Soapy water started pouring from what Maya had assumed were vents, dousing the awed crowd in an initial splash that quickly lightened into a steady stream of foam. Bubbles splurted out from somewhere above. Maya wiped her face and blew air through her lips to clear the soapy water away. "So you won't be sticky any more!" She got at least that much out before the music started up again.

"I have prepared a surprise. They almost ruined it."

Cafas had a policy with surprises. He didn't do them. There was just something so worrying about the grin on Mayas face as she put their phones in ziplock bags. He tucked his back into his pocket. He was more than a little confused, and none of this was answering the questions he had. "Almost ruined your surprise? What have you done? Maya?"

Ziplock bags... Water? Maybe?

"I think we can go out now. I can't really move the silence with us so... I dunno. Just. Act surprised okay?"

"I can act surprised for sure, I've never been more method in my life." He noted there was no answer to his question. He followed obligingly as she tugged on his hand, getting up and following her onto the now somewhat silent dance floor. A certain excitement filled the air.

"You guys ready?!?"

"10!"

Okay, okay logic.

"9!"

Club.

"8!"

Protecting phones.

"7!"

People excited.

"6!"

Something to do with spilling a drink...

"5!"

Man that's loud

"4!"

Everyone else seems to know what's happening.

"3!"

See this is what I get for...

"2!"

...only going to quiet bars.

"1!"

Ooooh, maybe it's...

"ZERO!"

Water, soap, suddenly, foam everywhere. Cafas was doused pretty solidly while staring right at Maya. He thing he sold the surprised act. He even convinced his eyes to go a lovely light pink.

"So you won't be sticky any more!"

Cafas blinked. Then smiled. Then hugged Maya. He lent back, hands on her waist. "Inspired! That, that was genius." He could actually feel the soapy water rinsing the drying coke off his skin. His hair plastered itself to his head, his shirt clung to him, but in a comfortable wet sort of way. Cafas fashioned himself a bubble beard. "Sam's always telling me I need to improvise better."

Cafas gave Maya a somewhat constrained twirl. "Don't suppose you can make this foam party one for the folks to remember?" Why not? Have some fun with it, let loose.

He was surprised! And it was a good surprise! She laughed and put her fingers through his bubble beard. She also made sure to pat down the last place she'd seen her soda on his shirt. It wouldn't do to let it set.

She hadn't thought about how the water must be heated before they foamed it until she realized that she was soaked head to toe and no one else seemed uncomfortable so she probably wasn't cold. Thank goodness she had opted for a shirt that wasn't white.

Cafas surprised her with a quick spin. He liked it! He really, really did! By the time they'd completed a full rotation, the foam had piled all the way up to their mid-calf, the fragile bubbles pulsed and vibrated with the music.

One to remember, eh?

She struggled to find her feet through the bubbles on the ground so Cafas would have to forgive her if she held on tight. She did not want to break an ankle.

There were couples dancing. Some people opted to try for a bubble fight. Throwing bubbles was rather ineffective since they were so un-aerodynamic. Hmm. Just what would make the most impact?

Maya dipped down and scooped up some foam. "Tag! you're it!" She plopped her bubble scoop ontop of his wet hair crowning him in suds before she squiggled out of reach and took off through the crowd shouting "He's it! I tagged him!" She wasn't the only one to slip and dodge out of Cafas' reach.

Cafas wasn't sure what to make of the beard tussling and chest touching. He knew what he'd like to make of it, whether ego or loneliness talking, but he had never been an optimist.

For a few moments Maya clung to him as if her life depended on it. This stood in stark contrast to her dumping bubbles on him and running into the crowd.

"Tag! you're it! He's it! I tagged him!"

People scattered, childhood instincts overriding adult sensibilities. Cafas was left standing next to some confused people, yet largely alone. Some tried to hide in the foam, others opted for speed, some ending in the foam anyway. Sure, he could go after just anyone, but he had a quarry. He scooped some foam and eyed the crowd.

Now, if I were an excited x-man, where would I be?

The truth was he had no idea, and apparently failed his spot check. What he did spy was a straggler among the fleeing people, dodging past oblivious couples. He set off after the guy,he'd clearly worn flat soled shoes the way he slipped. Cafas made no such mistake, he was upon him with nary as slip and a slide.He wiped his own crown of bubbles as he dumped a batch on his catch. "Tag! He's it now!"

I'm playing tag in a nightclub...

Cafas turned to run, a sharp about face, and took a face full of floor as he slipped in the foam. He tried to crawl away.

Cafas got someone. That man got someone else almost immediately. No one was gonna catch Maya, though! She was running full out when she stepped on something that was decidedly not the floor and took an ungraceful tumble straight onto her belly. It sent up a large spray of bubbles around her like she had been a whale re-entering the ocean. Belly flop!

Unfortunately, the bubbles did not cushion as much as they looked like they would and the tumble knocked the wind out of her. She gasped and gagged on an unexpected mouth full of bubbles. Yeah. Funny. An air elemental all out of breath.

Running. In heels. On a soapy floor.

She, like so many others, had just gotten caught up in the rush of it all. The game of tag continued as Maya fumbled to her feet again. She slipped her heels off just in time to dodge getting tagged. She didn't want to be it again. Maya loped away on her now bare feet to try and locate Cafas. This wouldn't be fun any more if she'd lost him.

Cafas breached the ever rising foam, a pink leviathan from the deep. His gaze swiveled this way and that, trying to find who was "it" and who was Maya. He couldn't spot her, and thus submerged himself once more, making for the bar.

Out of nowhere there came a clopping of heels. Cafas' thigh took a stepping on. Whoever had stepped on him took a fall. He peered inquisitively at them, searching for a foam crown or a Maya. What he saw was most certainly Maya's shoes, legs, skirt, oh my. Cafas diverted his gaze somewhat later than kosher. She was moving again, shoes off.

I am the monster in the deep, that which haunts a sailor's deepest nightmares, destroyer of fleets!

Cafas took a moment to consider that he may get way too into his own metaphors. Quickly he set off, following the closing trail in the foam, crouched down, only his had and hair above the water. His target was found, gazing around herself in an attempt to spot something. Perhaps him? She would have no such luck. He hummed the Jaws theme to himself.

I am the Leviathan!

With a sudden fury (read gentle tackle) he was upon her, dragging her to the depths of the Foamcean. He used his own body to cushion her fall, arms around her and wicked grin upon his face. "The leviathan has caught you, none can escape its grasp!" He laughed his best villain laugh and mimed eating Maya.