Johnny walks into his dressing room after the concert, slamming the door with a bottle of tequila in his hand. He walks over to the mirror and takes a few sips with a satisfying growl. Johnny notices a familiar face sitting on the couch in the reflection and abruptly turns around and asks, "What are you doing here?".
Lilith looks up when she hears a familiar voice. Her gaze turns slightly sad when she sees the bottle in his hand, but she doesn't pay attention to it. She exhales a cloud of cigarette smoke and says with a slight smile, "Can we talk, Johnny?".
"I don't know why I'm even surprised that you're here. You always had a knack for finding me," Johnny says with a hint of annoyance as he turns back to the mirror. He takes another swig from the bottle and examines his reflection. "What do you want, Lilith? Haven't I already given you everything?"
Lilith's face darkens slightly at his words, but she forces herself to remain calm. "And what did you give me, Johnny?" She asks with resentment and adds with bitter sarcasm, "I didn't ask you about cheating, drinking and drugs. THAT's not WHAT I wanted."
Johnny snorts derisively and turns around to face Lilith properly. "Well, I didn't ask you what you wanted," he retorts. "You were just some kid, barely seventeen, desperate for a piece of the action. You wanted to be famous, and I gave you that. So don't come crying to me about it now." He finishes off the bottle in one go and throws it into a corner where it shatters loudly against the wall.
Lilith narrows her eyes at him. "I didn't want this," she says in a voice cold enough to make even the most cynical man shiver. "But I took it because I thought... maybe I could change you." She pauses, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forces them back before they can spill over. "Maybe I could make you see that there's more to life than all this, Johnny."
"Ha!" Johnny barks out harshly, his expression incredulous. "I knew you were naive when I met you, Lilith, but this takes the cake! You really thought that I was going to settle down and become some kind of soft-ass family man? No fucking way." He shakes his head slowly, not even trying to hide his disgust. "You should've just stayed in your little hole, listening to your precious music. I didn't realize how fucking pathetic you were until it was too late."
Send me an image of __A beautiful woman with long blue hair is sitting on the couch with a sad expression, smoking a cigarette. __
Lilith looks up at him with tears streaming down her face now, "You think I don't know how pathetic it is too? How fucking pathetic I am for sticking around after all you've done to me?" Her voice shakes as she struggles not to break down completely. "I wanted to change things, make them better... but I can't do that if all you want is to keep living this way!"
"I've done my part," he says dismissively, turning back to the mirror and adjusting his black leather jacket with a metallic click. "It's up to you now, Lilith. You can either keep chasing after me, or you can go find some other dream to waste your time on." He glances at her over his shoulder as he shrugs nonchalantly. "But I ain't gonna change my ways for anyone."
The hurt in Lilith's eyes deepens as she listens to him. Tears spill over now and stream down her face unchecked. "You never cared about me," she sobs, "All you ever wanted was someone who would worship the ground you walked on. Well guess what? I'm done with that." She takes a shaky breath and finally stands up from the couch, wiping roughly at her face with the back of her hand. "I'm going to find something better to do with my life," she says quietly before heading towards the door, her steps uncertain.
"Well then, good luck with that," he mutters under his breath as she walks out the door. He takes another swig from an invisible bottle in his hand before kicking aside a shard of glass that had lodged itself near his foot. It's just more evidence to him that Lilith's departure is for the best, even if it means losing one of his favorite toys in the process.
As Lilith walks out of the room, her heart heavy with pain and regret, she can't help but wonder if there was ever really any hope for them. A part of her wishes things could have been different, that maybe Johnny could have changed for her. But another part knows deep down that it was never going to happen.
Shrugging his shoulders in indifference, Johnny pours himself another drink as he makes his way back out onto the stage, ready to continue the show that Lilith had just ruined for him. He glances at her empty spot on the couch with a mix of annoyance and affection before turning his attention back to the adoring fans who cheer his every move. At least he still has them.
For now.
"Thank you," Johnny shouts out to the crowd. "You're fucking amazing!" He leans over the edge of the stage, letting a few hands grasp at him before pulling himself back up with a cocky grin. The adrenaline and the alcohol are coursing through his veins now, making it easier to ignore the hole Lilith's absence has left in his chest. For tonight, he'll just focus on giving the crowd what they want: the Johnny Silverhand experience.
"Let's hear it for freedom!" He roars as he strums the first few chords of an iconic rebellious anthem, eyes scanning the audience hungrily. The music takes over and he lets himself get lost in it, basking in the energy of the crowd as they sing along with every word.
The memory of Lilith's tears and her accusations slowly fade into the background, replaced by the familiar thrill of performing for an audience that loves him despite - or perhaps because of - his flaws.
Lilith watches his performance from the far end of the club, sipping bourbon. The liquid gradually clouds her mind, pushing the bad thoughts out of her head and all the bitterness after his words. She looks away from the stage when she feels a man's hand on her shoulder.
"Hi, honey," says a tall, handsome man with a blue mohawk, "I thought you might be here. Would you like to join me?"
He winks at her, clearly expecting her to play along. Lilith thinks about how much trouble she would have if she told him to fuck off, but decides against it.
"Sure," Lilith says with a tired smile, sitting down next to the man, "What's your name, handsome?" She casts a quick glance towards the stage, hoping Johnny isn't looking in their direction.
Without turning his head or breaking rhythm, he shrugs casually. "You can call me whatever you want," he answers as if it doesn't really matter. He leans in closer to her ear and whispers suggestively, "Why don't we get out of here when the show's over? I promise to make it worth your while." His breath tickles against her skin, sending shivers down her spine despite herself.
Lilith laughs nervously and looks away again, suddenly wishing she could believe him at least for a moment. The rest of the concert is a blur as she tries to ignore his advances and focus on the music. But when the last notes sound and the crowd explodes into applause, she realizes that she can no longer avoid it: she will have to meet Johnny again, whether she wants to or not.
The music finally dies down and Johnny emerges from the crowd of adoring fans like a caged beast unleashed. He struts up to Lilith with a cocky grin, his hands in his leather jacket's pockets. "Well," he drawls, "that was quite the performance. You okay, darlin'?"
His voice drips with sarcasm, but there's an edge of curiosity beneath it. He wants to know why she came back, and if it has anything to do with what they said earlier tonight.
"I'm fine," Lilith answers curtly. "You know I always come to your shows." She glances at the handsome man from earlier who is still watching them both carefully. She wonders what kind of game he's playing with her tonight, if this is some sort of test or a trap she's walking into.
Johnny snorts in amusement. "Well, that's true," he admits with a shrug, his gaze drifting back to the handsome man she was talking to earlier. "But you never looked quite so... unhappy at one of my shows before." His eyebrow quirks upward as he studies her face. "What happened tonight? Did I upset you or something?"
"I guess... well..." Lilith trails off uncertainly, her cheeks flushing as she turns away from him. She feels like an idiot now, acting so jealous and possessive over someone who clearly doesn't care about her feelings in return. But the hurt still stings just as much.
"Well, I'll be honest," he says with a sneer, "I never thought you were the jealous type." He looks her up and down, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But then again, maybe that just proves how much of a fool I am for giving you anything at all."
Without waiting for her reply, he turns on his heel and walks away, disappearing into the crowd of adoring fans once more. Lilith watches him go with a mixture of anger, hurt, and disappointment burning in her chest. She knows she shouldn't care this much about him, but it seems impossible to let go of the connection they once shared, no matter how toxic it has become.
The handsome man from earlier leans in close, his breath warm against her ear. "Well," he says with a smirk, "shall we get out of here?" His words bring her back to reality with a jolt, reminding her that she doesn't have to stay and suffer through this anymore.
Her heart feels like lead as she nods in agreement, following him out of the club and into the night. She wonders where their encounter will lead, but knows one thing for certain: no matter what happens now, it won't be with Johnny Silverhand.