---

---

Minako sat at her desk in silence. She’d returned from the library over an hour prior, her mind heavy with everything that had happened. Each of the meetings, while not pleasant, had gone about as well as she could have hoped. However, it still left her troubled.

”Why would you do this, Father!”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

”You knew how dangerous the Lovelaces and Styles were! You knew that if they found out you were looking into them they would retaliate!”

“It was unlikely.”

”How could you put us in danger like that? Put Mei in danger like that!”

“That is enough!”

Minako stopped and stared at the screen, her father’s stern eyes gazing back at her. After a moment, he took a deep, calming breath. “Yes, I know how dangerous the Lovelaces and Styles are. It isn’t hard to find that out. Which is why the information I gave you on them is old and could easily be discovered from many different sources. Whether we like it or not, being wealthy and noticeable means that there is always information available, even for our family. As for why I did it, it is because I am not a fool.”

“I investigated in the Lovelaces back when I first began investing in their hotels, because only fool makes a deal without knowing what, and who, he is investing in. I have gone no further than that, nor do I intend to. The Styles are one of our most important contracts; I wanted to make sure that they weren’t involved in anything that would affect our company. Yes, there was risk involved, but there is always risk in any venture. That’s why we always weigh the risks versus the potential rewards, and why we keep the Shirada’s employed. This is nothing new to you Minako. Even so, it was unlikely that either family would have found out, because the people I hired are both very good at getting information and even better at not getting caught.”

He levelled a look at her. “Until you felt compelled to tell them. I gave you the information, Minako, to do with as you wished. Do not try to blame me for the consequences of your actions.”

For the second time that day, Minako’s heart thudded to a stop. ”...I…”

Devon Slater sighed. “First, how much do they know?”

She stayed silent for a moment, then bowed her head. “... Kayla knows, but has agreed to not tell her family, on the condition that I delete the information. She also made me promise not to tell Eliana.”

Her father nodded, closing his eyes. “Smart girl. You were fortunate, this time.”

Staring down at her crossed arms, Minako frowned deeply, turning over the words in her mind.

Sitting with her eyes fixed on her hands, Minako waited in silence. Across the table from her, Gianna was equally silent (her expression unreadable) as she studied the file on Minako's laptop, scrolling down every so often. Finally, she leaned back, her chest as perky as ever. "Invasion of privacy. Your father is rather daring. The Lovelaces, no less. Be careful who you make enemies with."

Minako kept her head down, her tone flat and defeated. ”So I have been told.”

”So hun', why me?” The Delphina Matriarch gestured to the laptop before checking her cuticles (only half paying attention to their conversation), ”High risk but no high reward. A losing gamble. No offense, but your father is an idiot. It's a good thing my worth doesn't compare to your's.” Her voice was indifferent. Gianna wasn't one to let people in on her emotion's when she had yet to determine if they were worth her time. ”You have so much to lose.”

Screwing her eyes shut, Minako took a shaky breath, but otherwise held her ground. ”Because this was a dishonorable thing, and I could not live with it sitting in the back of my mind, knowing that I was keeping something from you. Because lying to you, even if it was only by omission, felt wrong.” Her head dropped lower. ”And because,” she said regretfully, ”I hurt you. I need to make that up to you, and I do not want something like that to happen again. To any of my friends.”

Gianna's melting chocolate orbs surveyed Minako like the hawk that she was, before she chuckled, ”Oh baby, the least of your worries is me.” She took a moment to let her words settle in the young one's mind. ”Lies and truths go hand in hand... you just need to learn when to speak and when to stay silent. If it's worth protecting what you have, why speak?” She paused and rested her chin on the palm of her hand, ”Unless... your intentions aren't honest."

The flashback ended with Gianna giving Minako a fair warning: ”Choose your battles. Lie when you must. Surrender when you have to. And know that not everyone is as forgiving as me.”

Sitting up straight, Minako turned in her seat and gazed towards her backpack. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the device, opened it, and stared at the small cluster of files on the screen. Without hesitation, she highlighted them, and began the process of completely wiping them from her hard drive. What she should have done from the beginning. Once she was done, she picked up her phone.



Releasing another breath, Minako flopped over to her bed, rolling to stare up at the ceiling.

”Gianna, may I… ask you an unusual question?”

The senior blinked, and looked across at her expectantly. Her fingers nervously tugging at her skirt, Minako bit her lip, then sighed heavily. ”Have you...ever felt like an outsider, in a place where you should feel at home?” She cautiously let her eyes edge towards Gianna, not making eye contact but instead keeping focused on her hair. It was as close as she would dare get.

”I'm an outsider.” came the flat response. Gianna had so much control in her tone, expressions, and the way she held herself. It was a bit unnerving not knowing what was on her mind.

Minako nodded and didn’t press further. It was clear that that was a… sensitive topic for her. ”My family is...difficult to deal with. Vindictive. And they never forget anything. Even my parents are...complicated.” She sighed again and slumped down in her chair, resting her head in her hands, elbows braced on the table. ”It feels like gaijin is all I am allowed to be.”

Tilting her head in intrigue, Gianna curiously asked, ”Gaijin?”

”The closest direct translation would be “foreigner”.” Minako raised her head, a brooding expression on her face. ”In practice… a gaijin is someone who is considered to be “not one of us”. Someone who does not belong and whose presence is only tolerated, at best.” Her tone became bitter as she spoke, her expression twisting in distaste. ”Where I am from, once you are a gaijin, you are always a gaijin.”

”Is it worth it then? Trying, I mean."" She stretched her arms and cooed on, ”You don't need to answer that, but think about it.” Having already dealt with her own problems that made her not care, Gianna, after yawning to herself, shrugged at petite girl.

Blinking, Minako glanced in Gianna’s direction as the older woman walked around the table to look down at her. The amount of superiority Gianna emitted just by being herself... was intense. ”Don't waste your energy, sweetheart. It gets tiring real fast. You can't choose your fam, but you can sure as hell choose to separate yourself from those that will break you. How you live, and what you do, is your choice. Your battle, your war.”

Minako nodded glumly. ”I have been hearing that a lot recently. But it isn’t easy when it seems like everyone else wants you to fail.”

The Delphina senior stared down at her and gave her words of encouragement (for what gain, one may never know). ”You'll be fine." Running her hand through her hair, Gia continued, "At the end of the day it's just you versus the world, right? No one else is going to find the answers you're seeking, because no one has the same questions you're asking. It's your life, Minako. Take control of it and live."

Sighing heavily, Minako closed her eyes.

---

”You have got to be kidding me.” Amy groaned, glaring at her computer screen. She’d spent all day trying to get past enough of the school’s security to find something useful, but no matter how much she tried it just wasn’t going anywhere. Okay, with some of the people at this school she understood the need for privacy, but this was ridiculous. ”Who are they even trying to keep out with this?”

Okay, stupid question. Now that she thought about it, it was probably a pretty long list of people. But that wasn’t the point.

With a sigh, she placed the laptop down on her bed. It had seemed like a decent opportunity to make an attempt, with Leon out of the room doing whatever he had to do during the day. Normally she wouldn’t risk trying to break the rules in her dorm with him lurking around. Just Amy’s luck, really, being stuck with the head Warden as a roommate while she was trying to scheme. Not that it would have mattered anyway if she hadn’t, if the last three hours of frustration were any indicator.

Almost growling in irritation, she grabbed the nearest cushion and tossed it against the wall. Sure, it was petty and kind of childish, but it made her feel a little better. She threw another one for good measure, before looking back at the screen. This isn’t gonna work.

Giving up on her efforts, she shut off the laptop, lay back on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. To be honest, today hadn’t exactly been the greatest of her life. Definitely not top ten material, that was for sure. Still, seemed like she’d need to actually talk to people to get information instead of hanging about in her room and downloading their files. Wasn’t ideal, but whatever.

So much for plan A, I guess.

So, talking to people. Obviously her strong point right there. Still, there had to be an opportunity somewhere, right? Amy glanced over at Leon’s side of the room. Where’d he gone off to anyway? If she remembered right, it was some kind of party, which was ideal for getting to know people, among other things.

To be honest, she was really just starting to want an opportunity to unwind anyway. She ran through a few names in her head before landing on the correct one. Delirium, wasn’t it?

And at the very least, there were a few other supers going. At this school, that usually meant that there were a lot more than she knew about, so it seemed like a pretty good bet for everything she wanted to do. After a quick search online, she found the club’s location, and a few things about age restrictions which she decided to ignore completely. If it came to it, she was pretty sure she had a fake ID somewhere around here anyway.

Mind you, she wasn’t the only one that needed to unwind now that she thought about it. After all, one meeting had drained her energy, and Minako had had a few more of those things to go through. As a good friend, Amy figured it was her duty to have the girl take a break. Grabbing her phone, she decided to call Minako, waiting eagerly for the girl to pick up.

Minako’s reverie was interrupted by the sudden buzzing of her phone, and she sat up, shuffling back to lean against the headboard of her bed as she looked at the screen. Amy? What is she calling about? Frowning, she swiped her thumb across the screen. ”Um, hello? Amy?”

”The one and only!” Amy laughed as Minako picked up, hopefully making it clear that this wasn’t anything serious. ”Anyway, I was wondering how you’d feel about a bit of a girl’s night out? Just to relax or whatever. ‘Cause there’s a club pretty near here, a few people we know are going, and I think both of us could use it after today.”

Silence stretched over the line, and Minako blinked. A...club? She had never had the chance to go to such a place before; she had always been busy with her father and the company. Plus, she’d never had anyone to go with before. And it certainly wasn’t something that anyone in her family would have approved of, unless it was for business.

Her eyes slid across to her laptop. ”That… sounds like a great idea. I would love to.” Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she got up and headed towards her closet. ”Um, I will have to see what I have that would be suitable. Do you, want to come over? Or should I come to you?” She meant it. The day had been exceedingly stressful, and while the idea of going to a club was somewhat intimidating, she wanted to be someone else for a while.

Gianna's phone beeped before she could get out the door. She read it in silence, then sighed. ”You're going to be okay, seriously. Sorry I can't stay. I have places to be, people to see.”

Nodding, Minako wiped her eyes clear and straightened in her chair. ”Of course. I apologize, I hadn’t meant to keep you here so long. I am sure you had other things to do than listen to me mope about my life."

"Just know what you're getting yourself into, like being caught on camera with me." She playfully winked at the girl before reaching out, letting her fingers run through the freshman’s hair, like a master petting an animal, smiling just slightly. "Catch you later, babe." With that, she turned and headed towards the door.

Minako flushed slightly at the unexpected touch. Babe? The casual way in which she tossed out the word suggested that it was something she said often, and if what little she had heard was true, then the Delphina senior had a rather… particular way of dealing with people. Still, it sparked something in Minako, and she stood up. ”Gianna.”

Pausing, the name’s owner glanced over, her brown orbs gently rested on the young one's fair face, ”Hmm?”

Leveling her head, Minako gazed towards her with closed eyes. ”May I please look into your eyes?”

”I doubt you can do worse to me, so shoot.”

Opening her eyes, she gazed resolutely forward, meeting Gianna’s gaze without fear. Warmth pulsed through her body and collected in her core, her face set with determination. ” Until now, I have not had many opportunities to make real friends. Because of that, protecting the ones I have is very important to me. Whether or not I should be friends with someone only concerns me and those I chose to be friends with, if they will have me. I do not care what others have to say on the matter. It is none of their business.”

She smiled warmly. ”I believe that we can choose who our family is, that it is more than just blood. Family should be the people who stand by us, no matter the obstacle or circumstance. That’s the kind of friend that I want to be, at least.” She flushed slightly, but powered forward. ”I have enjoyed talking with you as well, and if this,” she gestured towards her laptop, “hasn’t changed your interest, then I hope I get the chance to show you what kind of friend I can be.”

For a moment, the Delphina Sovereign took in her words and chuckled at the sentiment. ”You can't protect all your loved ones, but it seems that your heart is set. Good luck.” And with that Gianna sauntered away, not giving Minako any more chances to talk to her.

”Cool!” Amy smiled in relief. She’d been a bit worried by that silence, but it seemed like Minako was on board with her idea. Thinking for a second, she looked around. It’d probably take her a little while to find her ID, so she replied, ”You can come over here, I guess. I’ve got a couple of things to track down in my room so I’ll probably take longer. See you soon, Minako!”

Hanging up, Amy looked around the room. If I was an ID, where would I hide? Sometimes she wished she wasn’t so forgetful. Even if her space was neat, it was still a pain to track stuff down when she had no idea where she’d put it. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually found it tucked away in the corner under her bed. Now she just had to pick out some decent clothes.

---

The first few minutes of the drive passed in silence. Minako stared out the window, trying to quell the nervousness in her stomach, and still somewhat pensive about the earlier day. Her fingers were almost obsessively smoothing and re-smoothing the bottom of her dress. At the time she had felt pleased and a little daring to have chosen it. Now, she was very much rethinking the entire venture.

After the silence went on for a few more seconds, Amy leaned over and poked Minako in the shoulder, looking at her sternly. ”Stop that.” she sighed, looking at Minako’s fidgeting before breaking into a smile. ”Listen, it’ll be fine. Trust me, you look good, don’t worry about it. Just relax and stop worrying for two seconds.” she sat back, seeming much more comfortable in her own dress than the other girl.

Startled out of her brooding, Minako whipped her head around, then flushed slightly and smiled awkwardly. ”I am sorry. It’s just… I’ve never been to a club before, and it… has not been all that great of a day.” She took a deep breath to relax, but wasn’t particularly successful as she turned back to the window.

”I know it’s not been a great day, Minako. That’s why I’m dragging you out here, believe it or not. You can’t keep stressing about everything forever.” she grinned, looking at the road ahead of them. ”In fact, as your friend, I’m banning you from worrying about anything tonight, okay? Just try to let it go for a while, it’ll do you good.”

She laughed a little, glancing over at the other girl. ”I kinda figured you wouldn’t have done much like this, though. But you’ll have me there, won’t you, so why worry? I am after all incredibly reliable, if I do say so myself.”

Unable to resist grinning, Minako turned back to her friend. ”I suppose that’s a small comfort,” she teased. Despite her banter, she was glad that Amy was there. Having a friend did help, otherwise she would be much more nervous already. ”And you’re right, let’s talk about something else.” Her expression settled into “business-mode”. ”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Kayla about it, she was very tired, but it looks like Eliana doesn’t want to train with us. It’s unfortunate, but that’s her choice. She did suggest that we look into other people’s histories, find out what kind of personalities they have.” Her fingers still worked at the edge of her dress, but it was much more slow and methodical, now that her mind was focused somewhere else.

Amy only looked slightly surprised at the statement. ”So it’s just the three of us as a group then, huh? Not ideal, but still a lot better than going solo. Whatever her reasons are, the advice is sound. Definitely for me, anyway. Not so much personality, but history might help give an idea of how good they’ll be once I shut them down.” she shrugged.

There were a number of reasons why the Lovelace girl might not have chosen to ally with them, but Amy couldn’t be bothered thinking them all through right now. At least it would mean she got to keep the element of surprise whenever they came up against her. ”We’ll still need a way to get the information first though. I tried getting into the school’s systems myself, but it’s not gonna happen.”

”Personality is important,” Minako asserted. ”If we know how a person thinks and behaves, then that gives us an advantage over them. Before a battle is fought physically, it is first fought in your mind, and the opponent’s mind. Whomever has the greater desire to win will have an advantage. Defeat the opponent in their mind, and then you control them. The body will follow. Eliana even gave an example; Lucas Farweight.” Minako grinned slyly. ”He thinks of himself as one of the most powerful people in the school, which can lead to him underestimating people. If he underestimates us, we can catch him off guard, and keep him off balance.”

She counted out two fingers on her hand, a low note of excitement creeping into her voice. ”From what I saw when I first met him, he also likely has rage issues. Anger can be a good motivator in a fight, but if you allow it to control you, then you become blind. Keeping a clear head will be the most important thing when fighting him.”

”You really are enthusiastic about this, huh?” Amy chuckled, ”I stand corrected. Personality is important too. I don’t suppose you got anyone else’s profile while you were at it?” she joked, before settling back into her seat. ”A clear head is something I think I can do, though, so that’s good. But as much as I appreciate the tactics, I literally told you to stop stressing about everything two minutes ago. So stop.” she folded her arms, shaking her head theatrically.

Minako flushed slightly at the compliment, and sat back. ”I am sorry, but this… this is what I do. Getting inside people’s heads, figuring out what makes them tick, what they want, I have been doing it since I was little.” Her expression fell slightly. ”You could almost say that I was born to do it.” As abruptly as it came, the darkness was gone. ”However, we usually do not end up in actual fights in the board room, so this is a bit different,” she giggled. With a sigh, she gazed ahead, her fingers resuming their nervous smoothing. ”But, again, you are right. Tonight, I do not want to be Minako Ikeda. I want to be… someone else, who does not have her problems.”

”See, that’s the spirit!” Amy looked cheerfully over at her friend. Although she was glad Minako seemed to be relaxing, the answer had piqued Amy’s curiosity a little bit. She was glad they’d steered away from tactics talk, but now she was kind of curious.

”So, we’ve got time to kill before we reach the club…” she raised an eyebrow, looking over at Minako. ”What’s your evaluation of me, while we’re waiting? What do you think makes me tick?” she smirked, making it clear that it wasn’t really that serious an inquiry. It was Minako’s choice whether she actually wanted to answer or not.

Pursing her lips, Minako’s eyes slowly turned towards the roof. ”Hmm. You… are… a bitch.”

Amy let out a theatrical gasp. ”You wound me.” she said, keeping up an exaggerated expression of sadness for a couple of seconds before descending into giggles. ”Really set myself up for that one, huh?”

Giggling along, Minako sat back and looked at her friend for a moment. ”Do you really want to know?”

”Sure, why not? Like I said, there’s time to kill.” she smiled, giving Minako the go-ahead.

Shifting about so that she was angled towards Amy in her seat, Minako gave her a full once-over, cradling her chin in her hand. ”Hmm. You… are impulsive. You say the first thing that comes to your mind, without much concern for what other people will say or think. That takes a certain kind of confidence, or a lack of good social skills. Probably a combination of both. “Tactful” is not something you do very well. Your sense of humour can be somewhat odd, which suggests that you tend to spend a great deal of time on your own than in the company of others; an introvert.” She began tapping her cheek. ”You’re very sarcastic and like to talk yourself up. That could be just how you are, but it could also be a defense mechanism, suggesting that the confidence you demonstrate is a false front, to hide something that you are insecure about.”

Her expression grew slightly sad. ”The way you talk about your power implies that you don’t have a great deal of confidence or faith in it. You would rather be seen as someone with no power at all, even if that makes people look down on you. For all your confidence, you are more fragile than you appear. That makes you avoid people, deflect attention.” She let her hand fall into her lap. ”You are scared of being noticed, of being rejected. And that makes you lonely.”

Amy was quiet for a few seconds. ”Okay, that was more accurate than I’d like to admit, Sherlock.” she smiled, laughing slightly. ”But try not to shower me with so many compliments next time, would you? I might blush.” Despite admitting the accuracy of the analysis, Amy didn’t seem that bothered by it. Hey, it was what she’d asked for after all. She couldn’t get annoyed at it being delivered.

Minako reached out, gently laying her hand on Amy’s arm. ”You are also someone who cares a lot about the friends she has. You look for ways to make sure that the people you care about are happy. All in all, you are a wonderful person, who I am happy to have as my friend.” The corner of her mouth quirked up slightly. ”In other words, you should really be in a mental hospital, because you are crazy.” The line was delivered perfectly deadpan, though Minako’s eyes were quite merry as she gave her best “I’m very concerned” look.

Amy actually did seem slightly bashful about the compliments, but her eyes narrowed at the ‘crazy’ comment. It didn’t help that she actually took a few seconds longer than she should have to catch on that Minako was joking - a fact that was obvious from Amy’s slightly confused and offended expression - but once it clicked she shook her head, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. ”Oh, ha ha. Besides, that just means that you willingly accepted an invitation for a night out with a crazy person. What does that make you?”

”The one responsible for making sure you don’t hurt yourself.” Smiling warmly, Minako leaned over and gave her friend a light hug. ”But I like you anyways.” She leaned back, hands on Amy’s shoulders as she frowned in concern. ”To be serious though, are you okay?”

Amy nodded, smiling slightly. ”Yeah, I’m good. I’d tell you if there was anything.” she looked out of the window, noting their location. ”I don’t think we’re too far off from Delirium now.” she smiled. ”So, you ready to get this started?”

Taking deep breaths, Minako closed her eyes and straightened out in her seat, letting her hands rest on her knees. She remained like that for a little while, feeling each breath pass through her nose and into her lungs, then out between her lips. In, out. Let each breath fill you up, and carry away each worry, letting them flow like a passing breeze. Do not grab hold, merely acknowledge and let them pass, until you are empty and tranquil. Gradually, her shoulders settled as her body relaxed, a pleasant warmth suffusing her limbs and gathering in her core.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a faint light began to illuminate Minako’s eyes behind her eyelids, one that flickered and pulsed with each breath that she took. When at last she opened them, the difference was imperceptible in the light, but her demeanor had changed, from the nervous excitement of her previous self, to a relaxed confidence as she smiled in anticipation of the night to come. ”Yes. Yes I am,” she answered smoothly.

---

---

---

---

Carmen continued down the street that Delirium resided on. The club itself was on the right side of the road, with limousines lined up on the side. There was already somewhat of a line formed up along the sidewalk, many people waiting to enter. Many came out wasted, tripping balls or both, with large men in suits guarding the doors and allowing entry to very few. The lights outside the nightclub gave a good impression of what it would be like inside too, bright blue neon lights, flashing around like it was from Blade Runner or Mass Effect.

“Alright… this place is definitely high-end…” Carmen said, looking as she slowly drove past the club. “I don’t see anyone suspicious though, looks standard.” She said. “Now for the bitch part… finding a place to park…”

Kevante looked to Carmen. “There’s always the Parking Meters.”

“Yeah, but do you have any quarters?” Carmen asked, casting a frustrated glare to her comrade in the passenger seat. Kevante said nothing. “Yeah, we only got bills, pendejo.”

Kevante shook his head. He then looked up. “Oh, over there. There’s a parking garage.”

Carmen looked over to it. “Good catch.” She said, steering the vehicle towards the parking garage. Upon reaching the gate, she pulled out her wallet and pulled out a few tens. “Man, I remember the days when having these things were just a luxury. Now we wipe our asses with ‘em.” She chuckled, paying the parking fee at the gate, allowing the gate to open.

Kevante chuckled. “Yeah… that was the struggle, man.” He said.

Carmen looked around for a spot. “I’m gonna need you to stay nearby while I go in. Call in Sukaina, Victor and Liana… I could use some electronic assistance, and a few extra guns just in case.” Carmen said. Aside from Kevante, Sukaina, Victor and Liana were folks that Carmen have came to depend on a whole lot for help in just about anything big she does. Not without returning the favors, of course.

Kevin nodded. “You got it…” He said, texting to them both. “They should be here shortly. They should be in position by the time you get into the club.”

“Tell them to prep up the van with emergency gear. Rifles, gas masks, armored vests, communication equipment...” Carmen added.

“Yeah but wouldn’t that point a big ol’ target on our backs?” Kevante asked. “Throw us all into prison again?”

“Relax… that’s why we forged FBI IDs.” Carmen chuckled. “I kinda wanna come prepared for these things… this entire place is a hot zone.” She said, parking the car and taking the keys out from the ignition. “Remember the shootout with those rednecks… the uhm… those meth head rednecks… the McKormick Farmers? Yeah… they all had assault rifles, and all we had were two Glocks.”

“Yeah but you wounded them all by shooting them in their nuts with rubber rounds.” Kevante chuckled, recalling the incident. “If anything it was an unfair fight for them.”

“Yeah, that’s because I was around. I wanna make sure you guys are on my level.” Carmen said. “I don’t want my homies going down on my watch. Remember, the afterlife is still just a theory, I don’t want anyone proving it true or false yet.”

Kevin thought about it and nodded. “You got it.” He texted the update to the other two.

Carmen then unbuckled her seatbelt and got up, Kevante mirroring her before they both shut the only doors on the vehicle. Carmen then opened up the trunk, opening up a small case inside. From there, she took out a pair of two-way radios, handing one to Kevante. The one she kept for herself, she hooked up to a Bluetooth headset, and put the radio underneath her jacket, clamping it onto one of the straps on her shoulder holster.

“This is how we’re gonna keep in constant contact. We can hear each other but you won’t be broadcasted out loud.” She said. “C’mon, let’s find a place for you and the others to chill out at while I try to find my contact.”

Locking up the car, the two proceeded out from the parking garage, where the two walked along the streets. They could hear the music from the club booming and bouncing from all the way there. As the two walked towards the club, Kevante looked around for a nice area to wait at with the others.

“Over there, we can park the van in that alleyway.” Kevante said, pointing at the dark alleyway that was a kitty-cross from Delirium.

Carmen nodded. “Good idea. You can handle this from here, right?” She asked.

“Yeah, I got this, homegirl. You go on and have some fun now. I’ll radio you when the others arrive.”

“Gotcha. Thanks buddy.” Carmen said with a smile, patting Kevante on his shoulder before crossing the street, joining up with the line at the club. Once she was at the end of the line, she looked amongst the waiting people, trying to see anyone she recognized. Seeing no one as of yet, she then turned on her Bluetooth and turned on the radio under her jacket. “Testing… testing… 1… 2… Aguila, do you read?”

”Read you loud and clear, Phoenix.” Kevante replied over the radio. ”Go get ‘em, tiger.”

“Copy that.” Carmen smiled before looking around, assessing the situation. She saw a few empty areas that allowed her access to the front doors, but of course, they were blocked by bouncers. She’s gotta find a way through them without having to wait in line… maybe they can direct her to her contact. Looking past the line. “Fuck it…” She then cut through, walking through the open lane… walking up to one of the bouncers. “Excuse me, sir… uhm… I’ve been invited to this place by someone who went by the name of… Mr. Allen, uhm… where do I go to meet him?” Carmen asked, a little shyly.

Sizing up the girl in front of him, the bouncer grunted and glanced at his pad. “What’s your name?”

“Chavana… Carmen Chavana, sir.” Carmen replied.

For a moment, he was quiet as he scrolled through the pad with his finger. “Chavana… Chavana...hmm, nope. I don’t see you on the list.” He jerked his chin towards her. “There’s a private party tonight being run by the family. Only those on the list get in tonight.”

“Private party?” Carmen looked confuzzled, looking at her phone, trying to look at the details. “What the fuck…” She checked the e-mail she got from her contact. “He told me to meet him here… tonight…” She sighed. “Oh, well alright, thanks anyways. Have a nice night, sir.” She said before walking away, trying to think of a new plan to get inside. “Why the hell would he…” She grumbled, looking around, pacing.

Her enhanced sight picked up something familiar from the mass of faces. It was someone… someone from Mayweather? Carmen thought school was still in session, what are Mayweather kids doing here? Taking a step further, she took a closer look. It was… Amy? She and her asian friend weren’t in line either… maybe she could use them to get inside. Carmen then spoke silently into her bluetooth. “I was blocked at the door, there’s a private party going on. However, I found a Mayweather student… she could be my ticket inside. I’m going to see what I can do.”

”Copy that… good luck out there, Phoenix.” Kevin replied through the radio.

“Thanks, stay safe out there, Aguila.” Carmen replied before walking up towards the two. “Hey… uh… Amy?” Carmen asked awkwardly, trying to make sure she got the name right. “That’s your name, right?” She asked, approaching the young-looking woman that stood out from the others.

The taxi had dropped them off almost right outside the club, and as they stepped out Minako led the way, ignoring the line of people. A voice calling Amy’s name made her pause, glancing about to settle her gaze on the young Hispanic woman coming towards them and waving awkwardly. She looked to be about their age, and Minako turned towards her friend. ”Is this a friend of yours, Amy?”

The look on Amy’s face was one of confusion as she turned around. Honestly, she had no idea who’d be shouting for her of all people. Once she’d turned around, she did a bit of a double take. Hang on, hadn’t she left? Amy was pretty sure she’d heard something about that, and she definitely hadn’t seen the woman around campus. She looked at Carmen blankly for a few seconds.

”Uh…” she paused. There had to be some reason that Carmen had turned up all of a sudden, although why she’d come over to them was a mystery. Thinking it over, she shrugged. ”You know what, sure.” She smiled slightly, giving Minako a nod. Okay, so Amy had no idea what was going on, but why not just go with it? It had worked for her so far. Turning back to Carmen, she grinned. ”Carmen, isn’t it?”

Carmen nodded after she approached them. “Uh… yeah.” She said with a soft smile, still a little awkward, not knowing what could happen. “Hey… can you do me a quick favor?” She asked. “See… I kind of have a problem… I am apparently ‘not on the list’ and someone invited me to come here to see them.” Carmen explained. “Mind letting me slip in with you girls?”

Minako looked from one girl to the other, then turned and stepped in front of the girl. Slowly, her eyes inspected every inch of her body, from the black sneakers and jeans to the leather jacket that she wore. It was an almost predatory sort of look, and at last she gazed directly into Carmen’s eyes, the faint violet glow in her own shining brighter and alive with interest as a pulse of delicious warmth ran through her body. ”Hmm…”

Carmen looked back into Minako’s eyes. Her heart fluttered and raced… the feeling of warmth was enticing, but the look Minako gave her really put her off. “Uhm…” Carmen gulped, feeling her soul exposed in a way, seeing Minako’s eyes glow. Unaware of Minako’s power, she continued to stare at them, trying to figure Minako out before she briefly broke the gaze in discomfort, looking to Amy before looking to back to Minako. “Uh… do… do you go to Mayweather too?” She asked, her feelings of discomfort starting to rise as Minako continued to stare her down.

Abruptly, Minako smirked slightly, and shook her head. ”Oh, Carmen. How many times have I told you. When you’re going out to a club, you need to wear the appropriate attire.” As she walked past the girl, she glanced over her shoulder towards Amy, her smile equal parts playful and sensual. ”Clearly we’re going to have to take you shopping tomorrow, don’t we Amy.”

Giving Carmen a look that was half helpless and half apologetic, Amy just shrugged. She wasn’t sure where Minako’s sudden change in mood had come from, but it wasn’t like she was gonna start asking too many questions about it. ”Doesn’t she get a choice about this?” Amy laughed, raising an eyebrow before looking at Carmen. ”Although you’re welcome to tag along if you want.”

Deciding that she’d probably enjoy her night better inside the club, though, Amy walked forward. ”So, are we heading in? I didn’t get dressed up to stand outside the door all night, you know.” she smiled, heading towards the door.

Taking the lead, Minako chuckled to herself. ”Neither did I.”

Carmen was silent this entire time, confused and uncomfortable. Her entire face nearly screamed WTF!?! Once Minako make that comment about her current outfit, she looked at herself. You do make a good point… She thought to herself before looking to them both. Minako seemed a little… odd. Oddly… sensual. It was attractive somewhat, but it still bothered her. Once the two walked forward towards the entrance to the club, Carmen just looked at them both, still trying to collect herself. “Shit… beggars can’t be choosers…” She mumbled to herself before following them, staying close to them as they approached the entrance.

The bouncer glanced up as the line started making a commotion, and blinked when he saw the cause. That Chavana girl was coming back, this time being led by two other girls, who were clearly dressed for a night out. The one in the lead however, a young Asian woman, made him swallow. The way she walked, the curve of her smile, the look in her eyes, he’d seen it before.

It had been the same look that Gianna had whenever she and Vince had started one of their “games”. Giving himself a mental shake, he held up his hand. “Hold up there ladies.”

Minako tilted her head as she came to a stop. “Yes?”

“The family is having a private party tonight, invite only. May I have your names?”

She gestured to their little group. ”Miss Ikeda, Stevenson, and…” She raised an eyebrow at Carmen.

“Chavana, sir.” Carmen filled in, nodding.

The bouncer frowned as Minako turned to him, looking down at his pad. “I already know that Ms. Chavana isn’t on the list… and it looks like neither of you are either…”

Pouting slightly, Minako sighed. ”Oh, that’s too bad. A friend of ours told us that this was a good place to go to have a good time…” She met the bouncer’s eyes. ”When you don’t have a spending limit.”

He swallowed hard as hot and cold chills ran through his body, fixated on the girl’s mesmerizing eyes. They almost seemed to flicker and pulsate, and it was nearly impossible to look away from them. No spending limit… While Chavana certainly didn’t look like she was especially wealthy, everything about the Ikeda girl just screamed rich, and the Stevenson girl didn’t look too bad off either. Exactly the sort of people that the family wanted to attract. That Chavana girl also said that she was here to meet with somebody named Allen. He didn’t know anybody by that name, but then, it wasn’t his job to know everyone that the Hart’s dealt with. In fact, he preferred it that way, it was safer.

A moment later, he sighed. “I’m afraid your friend is mistaken.” A smile broke across his face. “This is the best place to have a great time. Welcome to Delirium, ladies.” Turning, he pushed open the door for them.

Minako smiled with pleasure, striding forward and letting her hand trail across the bouncer’s extended arm. ”Well, I suppose someone who works here would know, wouldn’t they.”

Amy had been watching the whole exchange with a mildly impressed look on her face. Part of her almost felt sorry for the poor guy, but a bigger part of her was just glad they were getting in. Unable to resist shooting a smug grin over her shoulder at the line, Amy headed through the door with a nod to the bouncer. ”Cheers.” she smiled. Once she’d entered properly, she gave Minako an amused look. ”Has anyone ever told you you’re kinda intimidating when you act like that? Not that I’m complaining, but where’d your nerves disappear to?”

Looking at Carmen, she gestured at the club around them. From the sounds of it, the place was pretty lively anyway. ”Well, you’re in. You gonna go searching for your guy right away? ‘Cause if not, I’d say you’re welcome to stick with us for a bit!” she laughed. Amy assumed Minako would be okay with it, anyway, and she’d feel bad just sending Carmen away as soon as they got in.

In response to Amy’s question, Minako simply smiled mysteriously. ”Who has time to be nervous,” she let her teeth show as she looked at her friend with nearly same look of interest as she had given Carmen only a minute before, ”When we’re here to have fun?” Her attention shifted to Carmen. ”I wouldn’t mind the pleasure of your company for a while longer. The more the merrier, as the saying goes.”

Carmen had silently watched it all unfold before her since the beginning. She watched as Minako charmed the guard into letting them in, and once the door opened, she quietly followed them inside. She was out of her element, and having a gun under her jacket doesn’t sooth her nerves one bit. Once Amy spoke to her, she looked up to her. “Hm?” Once Amy spoke, she shook her head. “I’m gonna stick with you girls for a bit if you don’t mind. I… I don’t normally go to places like this.” She said with a soft nervous chuckle. Once Minako spoke to her, her heart nearly jumped in her chest. “Oh! Uh… yeah, I don’t mind too much either…” She smiled nervously before looking around. “Sorry, I’m a little flustered right now.” She said, straightening out her leather N7 jacket.

Chuckling, Minako shook her head. ”Relax. Tonight is supposed to be a night of fun.” She turned back towards the dance floor. ”No one’s going to force you to do something you don’t want to. Now, I don’t know about you two, but I came here to dance.” With that, she headed deeper into the club, letting her hips sway just enough to catch the eye.

Carmen nodded gently. “Yeah… true…” She said before smiling. She supposed that she could have fun, but she still have one job. She’s in unknown territory, and she’s very unfamiliar with this club. Once Minako left, she looked to Amy. “Hey… thanks. Alot. And I really mean that.” She said sincerely. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask when I’m around, okay?” Carmen offered. “Or at all, for that matter.” She smiled.

Amy couldn’t help but watch Minako head off for a moment before Carmen spoke. Smiling gently, she replied. ”You don’t really have to thank me. Just figured I wouldn’t leave you stuck out there.” she grinned confidently, looking back out at the dancefloor. ”I’ll be sure to keep the offer in mind, though. For now, I think Minako’s right, it’s time to relax.” with a slightly wicked smile, she gestured towards the crowd. ”What do you say we join her?”

Carmen grinned. “You go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you real soon. I just gotta do a few things first.” She promised, and once Amy left to go join up with Minako, she spoke into her bluetooth headset. “Aguila, I’m in. I’m tagging along with two girls from Mayweather, and I’m going to be doing some recon before I look for our contact. What’s the status on the others?”

”The others have just arrived, one Econoline and one Crown Vic. We’re at a safe area with a few fast escape routes, and we’re monitoring traffic in your area.” Kevante’s voice replied through Carmen’s earpiece. ”Anything you’d like us to do?”

“Yeah, tell Cisne to do some research on this place… I wanna know what the hell kind of Hornet’s Nest I’m sticking my dick into.” Carmen said, looking around.

“Copy that, hermana.” Kevante replied in a playful tone. ”I’ll tell her to stay off of Tumblr in the meantime too. Aguila out.”

---

A few minutes after the girls entered the club, a middle-aged man of what looked like Asian descent joined the back of the line. To all outwards appearances, he was completely relaxed and casual, though a close observer would note that his eyes seemed to look everywhere at once. When he at last reached the front of the line, the bouncer held up his hand. “Private party. Name?” After dealing with the girls and their unnerving leader, he’d had to put up with the complaints of the line, and had passed them off as VIP’s. He wasn’t in any mood to put up with anyone else’s crap.

“Shirada.” The well-dressed newcomer spoke smoothly and with perfect English, bearing only a slight trace of an accent that vaguely matched his apparent ethnicity.

The bouncer glanced at his pad again. “Hmm, I don’t see you on the list.”

Reaching into his jacket, the Asian man produced a small stack of hundreds. “Could you check again, please? I’m sure that I am.”

Without even a blink, the bouncer pocketed the stack of bills. “Ah, there you are. Sorry about that, these things don’t always work the way they’re supposed to.”

Smiling, the man nodded his head. “Of course, I’m grateful.” Passing into the club, he paused at the entryway to the main dance floor, letting his eyes rove across the crowd before making his way towards the bar. Taking a seat close, he gestured to the bartender. “I’d like to set up a tab.” His smile widened. “I’d also like to pay for their drinks as well.” He gestured down the bar, which set up a cheer, including a young looking dark-haired girl who was throwing back shots.

The bartender nodded, smiling broadly. With that, the newcomer turned in his seat towards the dance floor, his eyes never straying far from a young girl in a red dress.

After her incident with the fake 'Eli' Cara needed some time to herself to cool down. So much had happened all at once, and she... she hadn't taken it well. Her head was spinning with confusion. Rubbing her temples to try and soothe the throbbing headache Cara beelined through the school towards her room. One thing her power was incredibly useful for was her natural sense of direction and spatial proportion. She hadn't gotten lost a long time. Of course she could always teleport to her room, but walking would hopefully clear her mind some. Right now it was just too much, bouncing thoughts, confusion, questions.

Groaning in frustration she realized that despite the hectics of the day, she was still no closer to finding Eli or Spectre, his gang. It was time to up her game. No more idle threats to blind heros, no more playing Mrs. Nice. She was going straight to the top, and better for that then one of Eli's rivals. The Italian Mafioso. The Harts. Stupid Pastafarian lovers. Conveniently enough they even had a club in town. But there was plenty enough time for that tomorrow. Tonight she needed to take care of her twisted little head. Before crashing into her bed Cara remembered to send a quick email to Mrs. Lovelace.

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Getting to Delirium ended up being more of a hassle than actually getting in. She couldn't just teleport there, since she'd never been so she ended up taking a taxi. It was incredibly frustrating being so slow of a trip, but her driver was one of the cooler people she had ever met. Meaning that halfway there her and Charles, the driver, stopped to hotbox the taxi. The rest of the way there Cara sat in the window, hanging her body out of the car, leaning dangerously close to the pavement. "Charlie... You are my best friend." Cara called to him when they finally pulled up outside of the club. Teleporting to her feet she leaned in the window and blew him a kiss before disappearing. In the seat a wad of hundreds lay waiting to be collected.

As for getting into the club, she had several options. She could always kill the bouncers. Bunch of fluffy bean bags would probably bounce when they hit the ground. Of course she was trying to get on the good side of the Harts. Striding up to the two of them, right passed the line she leaned against the first one she came to, resting her head against his chest. "Darlin' won't you rock me to sleep?" The bouncer looked down in complete surprise, not at all having expected that. He probably that this lady was drugged out of her mind. "Fuck off." He shoved her in the shoulder hard enough to make her stumble.

In the blink of an eye she was back on her feet, this time leaping onto the bodyguard in a playful fashion. "Argh, what the fuck!" With her arms thrown wide over his barrel like neck, she got her glimpse of the inside of Delirium. Perfect. This time when she was thrown off she teleported before hitting the ground. She had her way inside and that was all she needed of the bouncer. She did teleport back for a brief moment behind him to plant a kiss on his cheek and whisper, "Love ya too boo thang."

Inside the club she could hear music blasting out of one of the rooms. She ignored the temptation to dance temporarily to get a drink from the bartender. Downing 1, 2, 3 shots Cara threw back her head and laughed happily. She was nowhere near her drink limit yet, but she was already starting to feel the effects. Maybe it was the weed she had smoked, or maybe it was just this place. She was about to drink another shot when a strange accent caught her attention. Hart. Setting the shot glass down on the bar hard enough to splash the fiery content on out, she stood up and began moving in the direction of the voice.

At the end of the bar her eyes locked on to the only person the voice could have come from. Instantly she stood next to him, probably scaring the shit out of him. Then again he was a Hart, and they did have a solid rep for being 'the baddest of the bad'. Cara would have normally rolled her eyes had she not been in the presence of the young handsome Hart. This was her second chance, and she was not going to waste it. Time to pull all the stops on this kid. Leaning flirtatiously into Virgil, Cara glanced over at him, allowing her hair to fall over her face. "Mr. Hart... my it is a pleasure." God she hated talking like this, like some preprogrammed princess. The flirting she didn't mind too much though, he was cute after all. Not her type, but cute enough.

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Keats grinned widely as he finally entered Delirium for himself. It's been too long, old friend. Man, he wasn't even a party person, but this place was different. This place was legendary, with the right people there. And the right people were here - at least now that he'd arrived. There were a few familiar faces in the crowd, including some people that he was surprised to see. Surprised, and not exactly over the moon about it. Way too many Mayweathers, including a couple of the ones who'd actually been at the front of the whole divide in the first place to boot.

Do they have to try and turn everything into a pissing match?

He scowled, but was reluctant to head over and say anything. It wasn't exactly great for his image to be seen talking with any of them normally, and he wasn't interested in starting a fight tonight. Keats had dealt with enough shit today without getting into trouble in the middle of Delirium. Stopping anything that from happening was all he really wanted to do, but oh no he'd just had to go and choose 'punch first and ask questions later' for his little persona.

Before he could think it over any more, his attention was grabbed by the stage. Seemed like Gianna was doing a bit of a performance of her own. Might as well watch, right? Not as though anyone was gonna be going anywhere. As he watched, he felt his worries fade away a little, his reluctance about and fear of doing anything slowly disappearing.

Of course he knew it had to be at least partly from Gianna's powers, but who gave a shit? He'd come here to have fun, and sort himself out! It wasn't as though it mattered what anyone thought of him anyway, why did he care? He knew who he was, and what he could do. Why not just try and keep things civil while he could? He looked back over at the bar. Yeah. Forget the whole damn feud. Feel better than this.

It certainly seemed to surprise a few people at the bar when Keats ordered a drink without even making any kind of aggressive gesture towards anyone. After all, Keats wasn't known for being the sharpest tool in the shed - his reputation mostly involved loud yelling and spontaneous violence, which was admittedly what he'd been going for. Maybe they didn't expect him to be stupid enough to throw a punch in the middle of Delirium, but his complete lack of hostility would probably seem out of character for anyone that knew him. Even at the bar, he spotted a few people who he didn't exactly get along with, but didn't pay them any attention.

He didn't say anything at all, in fact. Why bother, right? Who had time for fighting anyway? Not like you could punch away your problems forever. Well, not all of them.

It seemed that the atmosphere had put the normally guarded and angry boxer in a much friendlier mood than normal. Or maybe he just wasn't hiding his real personality quite so much. Either way, there genuinely wasn't any hostility in his mind as he looked out around the club, just a sincere hope not to have anyone's night ruined.

Grabbing his drink, Keats headed off back into the crowds. Hopefully the guy would take it on board, but if he didn't that wasn't Keats' problem. Hell, he'd probably been nicer than he had to be about it, but it made more sense to him to appeal to those two over some of their more, well, angry classmates. Anything that might help prevent yet another incident from breaking out was good in his books.

Now, where did he want to go? He took a second to think about it. Normally, Keats would just lurk in the corners, but not tonight. Tonight, he wanted something to do that he might actually have fun with. Loosen up a bit, and stop worrying. What that would end up being was anybody's guess.

The air got considerably colder as Brenna Lancaster strutted past the line to get into Delirium, her blood red lips in a seemingly permanent pout. The bouncer nodded to her as she reached the front of the line, and motioned for her to enter, to the dismay of many of those hoping to get in, angry that special treatment was being offered. She made sure not to even glance their way when she heard their mutterings. She didn't concern herself with the grumblings of the peasantry.

The muggy atmosphere of the club had very little effect on Brenna, as she cooled the air immediately around her, a necessity if she hoped to be prepared tonight. And knowing her life, preparation was always a good idea. Her demeanor stayed calm and cool as she made a beeline to the bar, passing under the cherry tunnel and taking a seat on a stool at the far end of the bar, avoiding the prying gaze of many of the club's sleazier patrons. She may be flaunting herself for all to see, but she wasn't looking for a conversation. She was looking for a lot of shots. After that was out of the way, she could care less.

Giovanni meandered over to the raven haired villain, a bottle of vodka and a shot glass in hand, and placed them down in front of her. "You look like you need a drink, Ice Queen," Giovanni said. While many said her nickname with a not so subtle hint of venom on their lips, Gio said it with a touch of affection. She'd known him since she'd been at Delphina, and he'd been a sort of mentor to her. Glancing up at him, she chuckled. "Then why aren't you pouring me one?" He responded by pouring her a shot and pushing it towards her, a friendly challenge. She responded by tipping it back, then slamming it down on the table, cocking her head.

Sometime later, she wasn't quite sure, she made her way to the dance floor, stumbling ever so slightly, an unusually giddy smile on her face as she danced to the music. Gia's song and use of her powers had a stunning effect on Brenna, and it wasn't long before she was surrounded by a multitude of men, all fighting for a chance to dance with Snow Angel. Her smile only grew as she looked out over the dance floor, her vision slightly hazy, and realized that tonight was hers. Let's have some fun then.

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A party at a club? From an anonymous source? What could possibly go wrong, thought the rasta Hugo, nonchalantly walking through the streets of New York. Normally he’d have brought all of his things, but where it was a club with security, he wouldn’t have been allowed to bring his duffle bag full of everything, let alone a sword. No, instead, the only worldly possession he brought with him was his journal, tucked safely into the back of his pants. His clothing of choice made his look like something from the 80s, tight fitting khakis, brown loafers, and a loose fitting collared shirt, adorned with hawaiian flower patterns, the sleeves rolled up with the shirt more open at the top to reveal his chest. It was unusual attire, even for him, but then again it was an unusual event, so why not dress to impress? Who knows, he may even pick someone up along the way?

Heading over towards the front entrance, the bouncers guarding it, along with the length of the line told Hugo he wasn’t getting in anytime soon. Not one to waste it, he began strolling through a side alley in the back, looking for any window that’d give a nice view inside. While it didn’t look like there were any windows that gave a view inside the club floor, there was a nice heavy metal door with just the tiniest window that gave anyone looking close a good view through. Looking inside it seemed that there was a small kitchen, the lights were on, but nobody was inside, if they did food at the club, they certainly weren’t cooking anything tonight, or perhaps not at this late an hour. It didn’t take much effort to teleport into the room, a clear line of sight was all he needed, last thing he’d want to do is awkwardly explain how he became part of the construction to someone. Walking slowly over to the door he could already see the pounding lights of the dance floor, its heavy base resonating within the kitchen. Opening it slowly he saw a lot of people, but no one that was paying any attention to where he was and quickly, silently, he slipped inside. Straightening his collar Hugo strode over to the bar, thirsty for something stiff to get him in the mood.

Carmen stood in the sitting room, the calm area that was somewhat safe from most of the beating music that blasted through the building. While many people relaxed here, she chose to stay for a moment when the two people she tagged along with, Minako and Amy, left to go head someplace. She was on her bluetooth headset, the bluetooth hooked up to a two-way radio that was concealed underneath her leather N7 jacket, along with her 9mm pistol. She was speaking to Kevante, a good friend of hers and her partner-in-literal-crime, coordinating with him and the rest of the crew.

”The others have just arrived, one Econoline and one Crown Vic. We’re at a safe area with a few fast escape routes, and we’re monitoring traffic in your area.” Kevante’s voice replied through Carmen’s earpiece. Before and after Carmen had gotten into the club, she was coordinating with her friends to set up in a safe place to monitor the situation for her, and come in as backup if needed. ”Anything you’d like us to do?”

“Yeah, tell Cisne to do some research on this place… I wanna know what the hell kind of Hornet’s Nest I’m sticking my dick into.” Carmen said, looking around.

“Copy that, hermana.” Kevante replied in a playful tone. ”I’ll tell her to stay off of Tumblr in the meantime too. Aguila out.”

Carmen smiled at that last comment. Yeah, Sukaina’s been caught browsing memes in the middle of heists before, it’s not unlike her to do shit like this again. Releasing her hand from her small bluetooth headset, she looked back to where she had last seen the two Mayweather girls. Instead, she saw other unrecognizable guests. Blue surrounded her everywhere, and while it was her favorite color, it still was a little much. This was bad. “Gah… shit…” She groaned in slight frustration. Looking for a possible route to them, she found the cherry tunnel that led to the bar. She made her way through it, and ended up at the bar.

The bar was nearly packed. She saw all kinds of people there… it was almost like that scene from the Attack of the Clones, but if it were only blue instead of orange. She actually wouldn’t be surprised at this point if someone offered her some ‘Death Sticks’. She really would rather go home and rethink her life at this point. As she walked into the bar, she used her Reflex abilities to scan the area with her heightened senses.

Surprisingly, she did see quite a few familiar faces. Will was sitting there, apparently waiting for someone… and sure enough, there was Lucas and some other chick. Carmen was surprised that Lucas hadn’t noticed her. She hoped that he would be too drunk or tipsy to cause a scene involving her. And there was some… blonde chick? She looked like she was from the school, but she wasn’t too sure. Yeah… a hostile and no one friendly. Time to make yourself scarce, Little Blade. Carmen thought to herself, trying to stay in the more darker corners of the bar to blend in. Not like the red stripes on her leather jacket would cause attention to her or anything… Damn you, Bioware. Fifth time you fucked me over.

As Hugo approached the bar he couldn’t help but notice another as she made her way there as well. Dark skin, silky looking hair, a leather jacket, her attire spelt bold while her body spelt beauty, perhaps someone to get acquainted with? Intentionally slipping himself beside the hispanic woman Hugo leaned against the bar and placed an order, ”Mon Sieur, one Mojito please,” turning to look at the woman he then asked, ”Perhaps the lady would like something as well, no?”

Carmen was still in her own slow-mo state, and once she heard a closer voice, and saw a man looking at her from the corner of her eye, she popped out of it and looked at him. Filling in the blanks, she saw that she was being ordered a drink. While she didn’t want to get drunk on the job, she may as well blend in with something. “Nothing fancy over here, something weak and fruity will do for me.” She said with a polite smile to Hugo.

Hugo nodded and turning back to the bartender he ordered, ”A Mai Tai for the lovely lady.” With a nod the bartender took to making the requested drinks. Hugo looking back then asked, ”And what would be the lovely lady’s name, Mon Cherie? My name is Hugo, are you here for business or pleasure?” A charming smile graced his lips as he took in the sight of the beauty before him.

Carmen smiled a little, occasionally glancing around for her target. “Thanks.” She said, in regards to the drink her ordered. Once Hugo asked for her name, and what she was here for, she looked down. “Oh, I’m Carmen.” She said. “And… while I sort of wish I was here for pleasure… I’m here for business. I’m supposed to meet a man that goes by the name of Vance Allen… are you his liaison or… whatever?” She asked.

Hugo tilted his head somewhat in confusion when asked the question, Vance Allen? Liaison? Despite his confusion he returned to a more normal posture, his smile never fading, ”Carmen, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Hugo not one to mince words continued, ”I’m afraid you have me confused though, my business in this place is for pleasure. Perhaps when your business is concluded you could join me again, no?” The bartender returned with their drinks, placing the respective glasses in front of each individual, ”Mercie” He raised his glass to Carmen, ”I assure you my company will not disappoint.”

Once Carmen got her drink, she nodded to the bartender with a smile. “Gracias.” She said with a soft smile before turning back to Hugo. “You’re really trying to sell yourself to me, aren’t you?” She asked, a little skeptical of him. “Trust me pal, while I would love to chat, I have a meeting with someone that… knows more about me than he should know… and I would like to find out why…” She said, before entering Reflex-mode again, searching around for a possible contact. No one seemed to be watching her… yet. Where the hell is he? She thought, frustrated. She’s starting to think that this ‘meeting’ may be orchestrated by one of the students at that damned school to bring her back, or worse, a trap set up by a malicious party to capture/kill her and possibly her crew. She grew more apprehensive by the second. “C’mon man…” She groaned quietly to herself..

”Madame, you accuse me of too much!” Hugo retorted feigning shock, ”I am but a simple and humble man, seeking the company of a beautiful woman to dance the night away.” As she explained how she was too busy though he watched her closely, concern slowly settling on his face, she seemed quite anxious. ”You seem like you live a dangerous lifestyle? One who knows too much is never fun, besides I like a little mystery.” He began fantasizing what this woman was and what she did and hopefully it might calm her down, ”I wonder, perhaps I am speaking with a secret agent? A Miss 007?”

As Hugo retorted, the woman sighed and took a sip of her drink. ”For that I don’t blame you.” She said simply. ”It’s just that the situation is tense, and there’s no time to waste.” She said, before thinking to herself. ”Or maybe I’m just overreacting… I’m not used to going to places like this to begin with…” She thought aloud, her words more silent that time. Once he started talking about her living a dangerous lifestyle, she looked back up to him and made eye contact once again. Once he made the guess that she was a secret agent, she actually smiled at that, and the thought of that actually kind of made her laugh. The way she talked did make her sound like one… maybe she watched too many movies as a kid. ”Ha… yeah, I wish.” She chuckled. ”Nah, I’m just a bad guy, like every other motherfucker up in this place. Just trying to make a living, trying to better myself… it’s difficult though, I’ll tell you that.” She explained, taking another sip. She did in essence explain herself, but without any details that could be used against her. She was careful about what she gave out these days. This Hugo guy could be anyone.

Hugo tilted his head again, his long locks falling past his shoulder, ”Not everyone here is a villain, Mon Cherie.” He smiled, ”You don’t sound as bad as you make yourself out to be though, a villain who tries to better themselves? To make a living? Bad Guys don’t do what they do just to make their life better, no, at worst, I believe, you are just someone who struggles with life.” He took another sip of his drink, looking her in the eye, ”But you are trying to better yourself, and it wouldn’t be called life were it so easy. But I digress, if you are a villain, then you must attend Delphina, no?”

Carmen listened to him, and chuckled a little. “I seriously doubt stealing a gold-rimmed Escalade from an obscure gang leader and turning in a huge profit is ‘struggling with life’.” She shook her head. ”Hermano… while I am trying to better myself… I sincerely think that embezzling corporate cocksuckers instead of holding up innocent small businesses isn’t much progress. It’s kind of the only life I know how to lead… and I am-” Once she heard him mention Delphina, she shook her head. “Huh? Do you go there? To that school? I didn’t know you were a student!” She chuckled. ”No… I’m a Mayweather. I know that’s kind of hard to believe… a Mayweather robbing banks and stealing shit, but… I make sure that our victims all have it coming, so… I guess there’s that.” She said, shrugging. ”Either way, the worst Mayweather student is still a saint compared to me.”

That was surprising, a Mayweather that commits crimes regularly? Despite such a revelation Hugo’s smile didn’t falter, ”No, I am also a student at Mayweather, I’m surprised I haven’t seen you around before.” Putting down his drink he folded his hands together, ”But stealing cars and robbing banks, you sound more like a vigilante to me, just as I thought, a woman living a dangerous life. But why live life that way? Why not help another rather than punish someone corrupt?” He asked with sincerity, curious at what her answer would be.

Carmen took another sip, listening to his response. ”Yeah… same here. You probably came in after I took my week-long break.” She smiled. Once he asked that question, she closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh. ”Because… that’s the only thing I really know how to do. I grew up with gangs and… violence… and… I don’t know… I just got out of prison and right now the only thing I can do is really take all of the ‘evil’ stuff I know and just use it against the bad guys for the gain of me and my friends… and occasionally charity.” She explained. ”I don’t know… I’m probably going to go to Syria or something, join up with the Kurds and help them liberate cities and shit. Probably put my skills to good use, make the terrorist’s heads explode like a bunch of fuckin’ watermelons with an AK.” She sighed. ”I don’t know, man. I’m still trying to figure myself out.”

He listened to her story, with great interest, her life was truly something, even if Carmen thought herself bad, there was clearly a will to do good. ”Perhaps you need a change in perspective then Mon Cherie? You’ve lived a life of crime, yet you want to change for the good, only knowing the bad. Perhaps you could use some help with that no? Someone to show you something different than what you know?”

Carmen looked at him. That actually made her silent for a bit, and she gave it a whole lot of thought. ”Well… that is kind of why I joined Mayweather…” She said. ”But I fucking left because of… all of this drama. Fucking fire, feuds and bullshit… No one there likes me. The heroes there don’t like me because I’m a criminal, and the villains don’t like me because I’m with the heroes. I can’t fucking win, man.” She lazily smacked her hand against the counter in exasperation.

”So what brought you back then?” Again curious, she joined Mayweather, only to be rejected by both sides, rejected by her peers. ”I’ve only just met you, but I like you rather well, and you’ve lead a rather interesting life.” He leaned his elbow on the counter, his chin resting in his palm. ”Perhaps whenever you conclude your business, we could talk more on helping your perspective, though I can also help you seek pleasure here as well.” he grinned wide, ”If nothing else, I’d want nothing more than a dance.”

Once she was popped the question of why she came back, she turned to Hugo and gave bit of a sarcastic grin. ”Peer pressure.” She answered simply. She wasn’t wrong, her non-powered friends pressured her to go back. Especially Kevante. That asshole… As Hugo explained his fondness for her, she listened and gave a soft, sincere smile. ”It may be interesting, but it fucking sucks. So I just do what I can, you know?” She raised her glass. ”Just playing the cards I’m dealt, hombre.” She listened some more. ”Sure thing. I got a safe place you can smoke at not too far from here, up in Hudson Valley. Our strains aren’t the best but they do their job.” She explained. Once she was asked for a dance, she gave a smile. ”And a dance you shall get, amigo.” She grinned, getting up from the barstool, finishing her drink before offering her hand to him. ”Shall we go?”

Hugo returned the smile, “Oui, but of course.” He downed the rest of his drink, a nice buzz forming itself as he graciously accepted the lady’s hand. Leading to the two at the dance floor, he eyed the other couples and groups. A lot of the dancing was just jumping around, hands in the air, or grinding against one another. Hugo, of course could simply so the same, but where was the fun and class in that? Turning around, he took Carmen's hand and placing another on the small of her back pulled her in close. The same charming smile on his lips, he spoke, “Follow my lead.” Having travelled all over the place had its benefits, while his mind may not have remembered everything, his body did and he'd most certainly surprise her with what he knew. Off he went, with his moves full of fun, fire, and passion, but most of all, he made sure that the moves were easy enough so she wouldn't trip over herself.

Carmen entered the dance floor with Hugo, smiling to him. Once they walked into the dance room, she took a moment to do one final scan. Initiating her reflexes, she scanned across the entire dance floor for anyone familiar. As everything happened in slow motion, and the music was now at a much more creepier yet calming tempo, she continued to search amongst the crowd. She saw Avalon amongst the crowd, walking around as well. No sight of anyone else, though. And certainly no one that seems to be looking for her or paying attention to her… this has to be some sort of setup. However, once they entered in an area in the dance floor with enough room for a little moving around, she disengaged her reflexes and looked to Hugo. Hearing his command, she had no objections. “You take the lead, Hugo Weaving.” She said with a somewhat joking smile.

And soon enough, as the song changed, everything build up slowly. As the energy of the song built up, so did that of the crowd. However, once the bass hit, the crowd resumed to their jumping and grinding. Carmen had no trouble following along with Hugo, and as the song built up and the bass intensified, Carmen knew where it was gonna go down… she’s heard this song before, it was one of Sukaina’s favorites. And once the bass hit, she shifted into overdrive, improvising with Hugo’s moves, allowing the light show of blue and purple to flash around them as the crowd jumped to the beat. Lasers flashed everywhere as the two danced the night away.

And then everything stopped. The screens went dark, and the lights dimmed down. The music slowed down and faded away. The crowd calmed down, but Carmen was skeptical. She made a few more scans around the dance floor before the lights flashed back on… but in the colors of bright orange and red. Fire was everywhere, and it seems as if they were in hell… or… Club Afterlife… I swear, if this is setup to make my life look like the stupidest Mass Effect reference in the history of mankind, I am gonna fucking kill myself. Carmen thought. The N7 jacket didn’t help her case at all… and then the music hit, and the lights were on Gianna. Gianna!? Could she have been the one who sent the text? Carmen’s mind raced for a brief moment before the performance began. Everything burst into flames, and Gianna showed herself. Almost as soon as the performance began, Carmen fell under Gianna’s spell. She was mesmerized by Gianna’s movement, and the pheromones got the best of her… she indeed started to have a good time, and at that point, she let her guard down. She even saw how sexy Gianna could be, it was quite arousing… enough to the point where it produced the key for the closet Carmen locked herself inside of. She didn’t even care anymore. After the performance ended, and everything resumed back to normal, Carmen looked to Hugo with a grin on her face.

“That was beautiful…” Carmen barely managed to say. “C’mon… we have the night to ourselves… let’s fuckin’ seize it.” Carmen said with a grin.

Hugo was surprised that Carmen was keeping up, as though she were improvising to his own moves, it seemed he made the right call when approaching her, her spirit was charming yet fiery. And as the lights turned off and Gianna came down to perform her routine, his reaction was similar to that of his partner’s. He had already come here with the desire to let loose, but somehow that feeling was intensified as he gazed upon Gianna’s form. As the dance ended and the girl was gone from sight, Hugo could only mutter a single word, ”Magnifique…” Turning to face Carmen, her mood had drastically changed, all for the better of course, whatever business she was to attend was gone far from their minds, only the club and each other remained. ”Oui! Let’s raise the roof!” Whatever charm Hugo had tried to put on was out the door, all that was left was passion and he let that takeover as he and Carmen danced together.

Kevante’s voice then chimed in through the radio. ”Yo, Phoenix. You’re not gonna believe this. This club, Delirium, it’s all ran by a powerful Mafia that is known to have some insane shadow-necro-whatever powers. The Harts. These guys can’t be fucked with! I highly suggest you get yourself out of there, before they find out that you’re wired and that you are armed!”

”Like I give a shit! No one’s immune to fuckin’ lead bullets! You guys go ahead and abort, I’m gonna get fuckin’ turnt! WOOOO!!!” Carmen called out with a grin, turning off the bluetooth. She even lost her cares for the mission at hand as well.

---

Kevante look to the others inside the van. Liana, Victor and Sukaina were all in there too, keeping an eye on the monitors, which showed hacked surveillance feeds in the area. They all looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to be on call then, at the safehouse. At least we don’t have to deal with those… weird… shadow-necro-whatever assholes.” Sukaina shrugged.

Victor looked to Sukaina. “Yeah, but we can’t just leave her behind, she could need our help!”

Kevante patted Victor on the shoulder. “I understand your concern, but I know Little Blade well enough. She can handle herself. Us, on the other hand, can’t stand a chance against these assholes. It’s best that we at least fall back to our closest apartment, and set up shop there. I’ll send its address to Carmen once we get there. We’re safe there, and our response time could be fast enough to rescue Carmen and any friends she might have over there. That’s our plan. We cool?”

Victor looked into Kevante’s eyes. Begrudgingly, he nodded. “Si.” He said. “Liana, take the Crown Vic and lead us to the apartment.”

At that, Liana nodded and walked to the back of the van, climbing out and closing the doors behind her. It didn’t take her long to get back into her car and start it up.

Kevante climbed up to the driver’s seat, Victor sitting shotgun with him. “Buckle up, bitches. Don’t want the cops stopping us and discovering our shit.” Kevante said before shifting the van into gear, pulling out from the alleyway, heading out into the city.

---

Amelia kept quite for most of the time. Instead of talking she scowled at any guy throwing a bit too cheerful smile at her or Sylvia. Like a mother lion protecting her cub. Of course, it felt a little excessive. But at the same time, she knew it was the best thing for Sylvia. They easily reached the VIP room, where one flash of the gold cards was enough to let them in. Amelia led the girl to a nice and comfortable couch, only to collapse next to her a few moments later. “Honestly?” Amelia asked, peering the lights on the ceiling. “You’re a bit of a bitch.” She didn’t have the mental capacity to remain nice and lie just so someone wouldn’t feel bad. “But then again, we all got our flaws, don’t we?” she said, smiling at the girl. Feeling somewhat revigorated after the short pause she stopped, jumped up and exclaimed: “I don’t know about you but I’m thirsty and hungry! You want anything from the bar?”

Sylvia couldn’t help but snicker at the blonde’s honesty. The words rang true though and she knew it; the Princess of Mayweather had one of the sharpest tongues around. It wasn’t something she was exactly proud of, but she didn’t know how to stop being a complete bitch. Most people sucked, and often times she took it on herself to say what others wouldn’t. Usually it wasn’t with the best intentions though. Here in the room, without all the hustle and bustle downstairs, Sylvia felt more relaxed, especially with Amelia around. That one was already turning out to be one of her most favorite people, even though she hadn’t known her long. As the vampiress stood up, the redhead nestled her head up against the arm of the seat while her long legs sprawled out and took up most of the space, as if she were about to fall asleep. “I’d love something to eat. I think I’m done with alcohol though. I just want a soda or something. I’m not exactly very picky about food, so maybe you should surprise me?” Sylvia cooed, too lazy to get up. Her dark, gleaming orbs practically begged the attractive blonde to grab themselves sustenance. Though, the princess could guess what the vampire really wanted to feed on…

Amelia nodded in affirmation and made her way towards the bar. She wasn’t entirely sure if the place served food, but then again what bar didn’t? When she asked the nearby bartender what she had for snacks the woman rambled off some very complex snacks like scampi with lemon drizzle and cookies made with 5 different chocolates. As delicious as the cookies sounded, it really didn’t seem like the food Amelia was interested at all. In fact, if she remembered anything from Marcus’ stories then it was that fried food was the way to go. So with a bit of color in her cheek she told the bartender that Virgil told them they could have anything they wanted, and right then they really just wanted some fat heavy food. It earned her a scowl, but the name Virgil did the magic trick. The bartender vanished behind the swaying doors. A few moments later a pan flew out. As the door was flung open for a moment Amelia could hear ranting in what could only be Italian. A few moments later the bartender returned with just a hint of vanishing fear on her face. She quickly informed Amelia her food would be ready soon.

With a plate of scampi’s and fried chicken wings thrown chaotically around it, a small bottle of water and a sweet cocktail Amelia randomly choose she returned to Sylvia. Carefully she placed the plate near the small cocktail table and handed the princess her water with a smile. “Sugary drinks will follow, just get that in your system first.” Amelia smiled, as she took a sip of her cocktail. Then, in a moment of savagery, she grabbed a chicken wing and devoured it completely, except for the bone. She did it quickly, but the tasteful food made her fangs come out, helping her to tear off the meat. After putting down the bone she couldn’t help but laugh. “Look at us! Two girls dressed for clubbing half-laying on couches eating fried food in the top nighttime establishment of New York. If this isn’t a story to tell then I don’t know what is.”

The smell of food was a dream come true, and when her gaze fell upon the delicacies that awaited her, she nearly fell in love with Amelia. Good food was the door to a girl’s heart after all! “Oh! This looks wonderful! I never would have expected a von Carstein to enjoy such cheap food though.” she commented as a cold bottle of water was handed to her. As the blonde commanded, the princess took a long swig of the crisp liquid before she bit into her own chicken wing. However, her eyes lit up when she saw Amelia devour her food in nearly an instant. The sight of her fangs brought back the memory of them in the bathroom, and a flush of red spread on her cheeks. Suddenly, the redhead found herself choking on her food, somehow forgetting to swallow in the moment she had been fixated on her companion. Clutching her throat with one hand, she quickly reached for the water bottle once again and luckily managed to wash down the dam of food.

Taking in a deep breath and beating her chest, Sylvia cleared her throat to ensure everything had gone down fine. Slightly embarrassed by the spectacle, her face fell to the floor. “I can’t say I’m really in the mood for clubbing, unfortunately. That’s always been Jenna’s thing. I usually just sit around because I’m not much of a dancer. I like… more intimate things, like long walks and conversations.” For all her sophistication, apparently she really wasn’t a hard woman to appease. Jenna hadn’t ever really caught onto that though. She was always wanting to do this and that whereas Sylvia had wanted to just stay home. Realistically, the two of them had drastically differing wants, something the princess now realized. It was a match that simply wasn't meant to be. She sat there and twiddled her thumbs for a moment before munching on a piece of scampi. “Err… What about you, Amelia? What do you like to do?” Surprisingly, there was some hint of nervousness in the ginger’s voice. It wasn't everyday that she made a new friend, after all. Well, someone who could potentially be more than that too...

Amelia swallowed hard when Sylvia called her ‘von Carstein’. For the best part of her stay at Mayweather, she thought that so far nobody caught wind of who she really was. But apparently Sylvia knew and she wasn’t one to keep her mouth shut. Trying to smile again, she said: “I don’t know what people got against fried food. It’s tasty.” But then Mayweather’s princess started coughing, much to the distress of Amelia who wasn’t entirely sure at what point she should get up and do… something. “Are you okay?” she asked worriedly. Having Sylvia choke on food now wasn’t really what she wanted for the night. Luckily the girl recovered quickly enough.

A little lost in her worried thought Amelia said there. When Sylvia asked what she liked, she didn’t have an immediate answer. Mostly she liked helping other people or doing things with other people so they would be happy. What did she like? Of course, there were the average things like music or food. But everyone liked those. Still, it was really the only answer she really had. “I –euhm- Music? I suppose?” she said, kind of nervous as she fully knew it wasn’t a satisfactory answer. But instead of waiting for Sylvia to try to dig deeper she countered: “So… how did, you know, you and Jenna. How did that happen?” She didn’t sound nervous but rather cautious. The second she learned that Jenna was only 16 flags went up everywhere in her head. Now, after the whole ordeal in the Wolf’s Den, topped off with Sylvia saying they were so different, Amelia couldn’t help but wonder how that all started out.

But there was a secret motive, fueled by the yearning deep inside of her. Love was a foreign concept to her, one her father had ‘protected’ her from. Or so he claimed. The truth was that the very subject scared Amelia to no end and she had no idea why. Was it because it would make her vulnerable? Still, she did yearn for what she perceived as impossible. Yearning turned into curiosity, which forced her to ask the question. How does one fall in love?

Just music? Everybody loved music! Sylvia opened her mouth to inquire more about Amelia’s interests, but was instead met by the vampire’s own question. “Us? Well, we’ve been friends since I was a little girl. Her Auntie Maybell took her to my 10th birthday party, and they ended up being one of the few people that actually showed up. I uh… have never been exceptionally popular. But since then we were inseparable. I thought that our friendship was becoming more than that as she… sexually matured, but I can’t see any future in that now. I don’t know, there’s nothing there anymore. It’s just a downward spiral.” Sylvia gave a summarized version of her and Jenna’s length tale. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but the redhead remained strong. Being without her best friend would be tough, but perhaps this falling out was for the best. Jenna could do everything she wanted, just as Sylvia was free to pursue her own ends.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It was bound to happen one way or another. I’m still going to care about her, even if we’re not friends anymore. Just... nothing more than that.” she reassured her newfound friend with a grasp of her hand. It was strange, opening up like this to someone she barely knew. But Amelia felt like a trustworthy person. Something about the blonde was innately soothing and revealed a different side to Sylvia. “You know, I don’t think I have ever met someone quite like you… You care an awful lot about a rude bitch, you know?” Sylvia suddenly spoke, adding a chuckle at the end. Her cat like eyes narrowed in on Amelia and silently studied every inch of her. She wasn’t sure if this was all just a ploy to bring the vainglorious Princess to her knees or if she genuinely cared about her. If the redhead had to guess though, she was sure the vampiress was an honest soul.

Amelia couldn’t help but chuckle at Sylvia’s comment. “Yeah that’s me! The girl that cares! Honestly, I just want everyone to be happy in their lives. Or at the least the happiest they can be at the moment.” She gave Sylvia a genuine smile. “Even you deserve to be happy.” She added, thinking about Jenna. Her and Sylvia’s relationship was definitely going through a tough spot now. At one side, Amelia wanted to do nothing more than telling Sylvia to definitely not think of the 16-year-old in an amorous way. She told herself that it was mentally unhealthy, for both parties. On the other side, what did she know about something as fickle as love? She never experienced it herself. Or rather, she never let herself experience it.

“I don’t believe that your friendship with Jenna will end here.” Amelia said, before taking a sip from her glass. But not because she was particularly thirsty. It was more to give herself an extra moment to make sure her words wouldn’t hurt Sylvia. “Even friends fight. In fact, it’s what strengthens the bonds. Nothing is harder than telling someone you care about something that’s wrong with her. It asks a lot of courage.” Amelia wasn’t entirely sure if courage was behind Sylvia’s outburst against Jenna. She rather guessed it to be anger, which was actually a little more dangerous. Rage in itself, without any subject even, could hurt and act poisonous. Join that with words and suddenly you were throwing knives at someone you considered a friend. But none of that would help Sylvia, so Amelia kept that part quiet. The most important thing was that Sylvia got a break from today. “I guess the most important thing is that tomorrow you have an honest talk with Jenna.” She honestly hoped Sylvia would do it because it would seem there was more going on than Jenna tricking them into a club.

In between all the eating and drinking, the vampiress’ head began to feel a little heavy. And her skin glowed like she was on fire. All that she would have sensed, if not for the deep conversation she was having with Sylvia. She had to break the love subject, and there was so much she wanted to say to Sylvia. Just wait until she’s a little mature. Or Better not pursue her, it’s what she likes. Or even the classic: You deserve better! But instead of any of those, she just asked: “Do you think you love her?” Before looking down in her 2/3th drained cocktail. She knew the reason why she asked it, or at least she thought she knew the actual one. If tomorrow they would talk, it was paramount that both people knew where they stood on their own feelings. But once again, what she thought to be an honest and pure reason was still tainted by her own yearning to know about something that, to her, was very elusive.

Oh, this woman was a flatterer! Sylvia? Courageous? She nearly burst out in laughter at the notion. There was nothing further from the truth, but the sentiment was well received at the very least. Amelia seemed very concerned with her and Jenna’s relationship, and she had every right to be. It wasn’t every day that friends broke ties at the drop of a dime over pettiness. However, Sylvia knew that the rift between them wouldn’t heal overnight. The wound was likely to fester and grow before it got better, considering Jenna was still a teenager and didn’t know how to deal with her emotions, even less so than Sylvia. The Princess of Mayweather would have to wait a few weeks for the storm to die down. Even if she did try tomorrow, the youngest Lovelace would probably just ignore her.

Then the blonde got onto the topic of love and whether or not Sylvia loved Jenna. That in itself rose a red flag in her head. “Love? I love her as a friend, and I’m sure I could love her romantically. But the truth of the matter is that anything romantic between the two of us would be incredibly toxic. You saw how it went down. Plus, she’s the type to want a polyamorous relationship whereas I’m just want one lover. I can’t sleep around like she does.” she explained to her companion truthfully. “I just can’t see that happening now.” Internally, she wondered why the vampiress was so interested in her relationship with Jenna. The blonde had been on a roll with all these questions, digging deeper and deeper. But to what end?

Suddenly, the presumed answer hit the redhead like a sack of bricks. All these questions and the flattery made sense! “Ooooh. I get it now…” A coy grin spread upon Sylvia’s lovely lips and she shot a glare at Amelia that silently said ‘I know what you’re up to’. “You little minx!” Deftly, her body slid closer to the voluptuous vampires until their noses were only inches away. “You’ve got a crush on me, don’t you? That’s why you’ve been asking about Jenna. To make sure I was going to remain a single lady, right?” Her words were coated in an alluring intrigue, that smug look of hers still beaming at Amelia. By the looks of it, Sylvia appeared quite enthralled by this revelation. She wasn’t entirely sure what had made the von Carstein have a faint heart for her though since she had been nothing but a mess today. Maybe her blood had intoxicating effects on the vampiress? Or perhaps she had a thing for redheads? There was no clear cut answer unfortunately. Nonetheless, the Princess was very interested, especially since the hatchet with Jenna had been buried.

Amelia would have heard it all normally. But as she sipped her cocktail, her senses both sharpened and softened. The music got louder and louder and the thumped in her head. She could feel her skin heating up with the rush of blood. But she couldn’t hear Sylvia’s talking, she could barely focus enough on her mouth which turned blurry. But the lights turned brighter and clearer than ever before. She could barely smell the fried food on the table but that the same time she could smell the lust and sweat coming from the dancefloor. For a moment she could focus on Sylvia, but the girl was already done and now sat a few inches away from her. “I.. what?” Amelia asked, confused, fighting incredibly hard as her blood rose to her cheeks. Though right after she said those words she knew she wouldn’t be okay. “I’m sorry, I’ll be right back!” she assured Sylvia as the vampiress shot up from the couch. Stress was written all over her face. She never experienced anything like that.

Nearly dashing for the bathroom she quickly ran for an open stall and locked herself in. Even through the thick walls, she could feel the throbbing bass from the music. She fumbled for her phone. While her hands kept shaking she finally managed to choose the right number.

“Any particular reason you woke me up, sis?”

“Marcus! Oh god, Marcus you got to help me!”

“Calm down, what’s the matter?”

“I’m at… Oh god. I’m at Delirium and-“

“Wait, what? Why did you go to Delirium?”

“I’ll, I’ll try to explain it tomorrow but Marcus, you have to help me. I’m shaking. I’m hot. I can smell people from the dancefloor and-“

“And you can see colors brighter and sharper than ever before? Bass is thumping in your head?”

“How do you know?”

“I went to Delphina. So I went to Delirium. You drank, didn’t you? No worries, you’re not dying. We’re vampires. Our senses are stronger than those of humans. But we mentally block those out because if we walked around all day like that, we’d overload. Now with alcohol, those barriers are lifted.”

“So I’m overloading!?”

“No, no. One night like that shouldn’t harm you. It’s when you go through that day and night. Which is pretty much impossible unless you’re planning on staying drunk for a week. No, the best thing you can do right now is to just accept it. Let it happen. You’ll feel high like a kite! It’s actually quite fun. Just remember, don’t panic and whatever happens, happens.”

“Thanks. I love you, Marcus.”

“Love you too sis, now go out and party. But remember, you have to call me in the morning. I want to know how you got into Delirium and why.”

He ended the conversation. Slowly Amelia put the phone away again. Just let it happen? Let it loose. She rarely ever let herself go, but now was as good as any moment she thought. Carefully she slipped out of the stall and walked up the to the mirror opposite to it. With a splash of water, she tried to refresh herself, and then looked into the mirror. “Just… let yourself… go.” She said to herself, hoping the moment after she spoke the words no-one was in the stalls. She relaxed her senses, and the grip she kept over her mind. The bass thumping got harder, the sound finer, the sweat got exhilarating. She took it all up, and her heart sent her up high again. Beating like crazy it pumped the blood through her again.

Aw! So she was right! Sylvia snickered to herself as Amelia quickly excused herself to the bathroom, that pretty face of hers scarlet with what the redhead could only assume was embarrassment. She’d heard stories of the von Carstein’s traditional setup and wondered if the blonde had ever dated anyone before. Given her demeanor and supposed anxiety, Sylvia guessed no. Absolutely adorable! The prospect of ending up with her had a giddy feeling well up in her stomach. Such a wild adventure awaited. Though she wanted to interrogate the girl further about her emotions on the subject and cut right to the chase, Sylvia decided to give Amelia some time to herself in the bathroom. Not too much time, but enough to gather her bearings. Only then did she begin to follow the alluring vampires into the bathroom.

Sauntering up the vixen as stood by the sink, she comfortingly placed her hand on Amelia’s back. The other woman seemed a bit out of it, maybe even uncomfortable. “Are you alright? Do you want to leave and go watch a movie or something?” Sylvia inquired, cocking an eyebrow at her charming companion. This club was hardly a place fitting for the two of them, but she was willing to stay if that’s what Amelia wanted. Was Eliana still here? The thought of the bookish brunette partying at Delirium was positively absurd. No doubt she’d left as soon as the fire between Jenna and herself died.

Amelia took a deep breath and was ready to push her off the washing bins to go outside again. For once she’d be alive at night. For days she had the night shift at the infirmary. When she didn’t, watching movies was all she ever did. And as she didn’t have a roommate, she mostly did that alone. Being and doing things alone wasn’t a foreign thing to the vampire. But for once she wanted to be more than just singing along to Disney songs. For once she just wanted to feel alive. No, she wanted to be more than feel alive!

But then Sylvia entered the bathroom, putting her hand on Amelia’s shoulder. Suddenly all desire to live and feel more than alive was pushed back for worry. Sylvia clearly wasn’t in the mood to stay. She didn’t even want to drink. Yet Amelia wanted to. She wanted to do all of that. For once she did not want to be the usual Amelia. The held back girl that was always the caretaker, the friend that made sure everyone got home safely. But those thoughts were unfair. They were selfish. With a deep breath she turned around, and with a weary smile asked: “I don’t know, do you?” She begged and hoped that Sylvia would turn around. That she would want to stay. But for now, that’s all she could do.

“That’s probably the most womanly thing I’ve heard all day.” Their conversation was definitely reminiscent of a stereotypical boyfriend-girlfriend scenario right now, which forced a snort of laughter from Sylvia’s throat. It was fairly obvious that a movie was not in Amelia’s sight, and judging from her earlier insistence that they stay in the club, the princess deduced she had a want to lose herself tonight. “Well, then. Let’s get a few more drinks in you and just maybe you’ll get a dance with me.” the redhead teased. Aggressively, she kissed the other woman’s cheek, grabbed both of her hands, and began guiding her to the dancefloor, the stage where she would show her companion how to have a good time. The vampiress was going to feel awful tomorrow, there was no doubt about that, and there might even be a few regrets made, but as the redhead exclaimed to her, “Don’t worry about a thing. Mama Sylvia is going to take care of you tonight!”

Amelia wanted to be hesitant, knowing full well the Princess of Mayweather might not be entirely up for a crazy night on the dance floor. In fact, was Amelia herself ready for it!? Of course, she danced quite a bit on her own in her room when she was alone. With speakers blaring out whatever club music was popular back then. But she never imagined she’d actually have to dance in such a crowd. But the second she got outside the bathroom something hit her like a truck. The heat, the sweat, the smell of desire. For a moment she wanted nothing more than to return to the bathroom, staying in a safe environment that didn’t engage her senses as much. But she took a deep breath instead, while still being pulled by Sylvia. Her brother said she’d better get used to it.

So that was her goal, to no longer fight her senses but embrace them. She did that, right when they got out of the VIP room and went down towards the dance floor. The air was thick with Gianna’s influence. Amelia saw a girl climb off the DJ stage and a different tune started to play. Was that… Hindi? Amelia couldn’t understand a word that was said, but she liked the beat and more and more people began to dance. Sylvia was able to drag her on the floor. Amelia didn’t really know what to do. But she felt she had to do something. Without even considering if it was a good idea she pulled back from Sylvia, stopping them. She immediately inched closer, not knowing what she’d say. Instead, she let her heart speak for once, without caring for the consequences: “Oh I’m going to dance with you, and you’re going to like it.” With that she opened up her mouth a little, revealing that her fangs were out before she licked her lip and moved a bit away from Sylvia and started dancing.

The music wasn't exactly to Sylvia's palate, as most EDM sounded like squawking rubber chickens set to a simple 4/4 pattern, quite unlike the metalcore and pop punk artists she favored. The dancefloor was awfully crowded, and to make matters worse, it smelled like body odor, alcohol, and sex. How anybody could find this room full of flapping idiots appealing was beyond her, but she'd been with Jenna to so many clubs that it was something she could at least tolerate. Being with a beautiful woman tended to make most situations tolerable, in fact, and Amelia was no exception to this rule. As she lead them through the busy crowd, the blonde suddenly stopped her and neared Sylvia's own body with imposing authority. The vampire's "threat" combined with the baring of her tantalizing fangs sent a nigh orgasmic shiver down the princess' spine. In a mere matter of seconds, she found herself warm with arousal and wanting more of this side of her companion. Dominance was so hot.

"What will you do to me, I wonder? Will you punish me like you did earlier? Oh, please, mistress, anything but that..." Sylvia crooned like a terrified servant awaiting her master's sentencing. They had scarcely begun dancing and she was already wrapped up in a need for the other woman. The redhead closed the gap between her and the beckoning beauty until they were bosom-to-bosom. Her hazel eyes oozed lustful tones as she moved her hips, her arms, and legs in tandem with Amelia's. Neither of them could call themselves professional dancers, but there was a sensual pattern in their turbulent movement. The world around them disappeared in Sylvia's head, just the two of them performing an erotic tango. Right now, the blonde vixen before her could get away with nearly anything...

Amelia’s vampiric nature wasn’t just released, it was given a willing prey. Sylvia had no idea what effect she was having on the vampiress’ darker nature. But Amelia did, she could feel it. Power, hunger, lust. Her heart beat harder than ever. All that only got enhanced by the power of Gianna in the air. She started burning with sensation, with her every move becoming both wilder and more suggestive. Amelia let her hands go over her willing prey, feeling the hot touch of her skin. Before pushing her away slightly, beckoning her to come and pursue her. The vampires loved how much their prey wanted them. How they’d crave and nearly beg for the bite. And they would keep it away from them. Building up the feeling, the want. More than once did Amelia get close to Sylvia’s neck, licking the soft, pale skin there with just the point of her tongue, only to pull back again and throw a mischievous smile.

“Oh I’d punish you alright.” Her vampire side was now in control and it sent Amelia’s body into a rush of different feelings. But mostly she felt happy and completely without worry. Once more she inched closer towards Sylvia’s lips. To Amelia, all of this was but a game. Nothing more but something to pass the time here. And to get ready for the ultimate rush. Using her lips to distract Sylvia she lead the Princess along in the dance in such a way that the moment that right before they touched, the Princess would be turned around and held in a tight embrace. As the vampiress finally gave the bloody kiss on the Princess’ neck. In the middle of the dancefloor.

The elusive game Amelia played with Sylvia, as if she were nothing more than a toy, drove the redhead wild. The touch of her skin, the gleam of her blue eyes, the swaying of those blonde locks... It was as if she were stuck in a sensual dream with a goddess of lust. She had never felt such an overpowering urge, an obsessive need to be taken by anyone. Even Jenna was second rate compared to the vampiress' allure. Finally, after silently begging the Mistress of the Night, Amelia's fangs sank into the flesh of her neck. Euphoria rippled throughtout her consciousness, a sensation greater than any drug or experience could warrant. While she reveled in the ecstasy, her lips squeaked out a soft moan and her lithe hands went back to Amelia's hips, sinking her well manicured nails into the other woman's skin on impulse.

Subconsciously, Sylvia's own powers awoke, and a dim aura of white light emitted from her fingertips. Radiant energy pulsated into the vampire and unlocked the full potential of her abilities. "I want more..." the princess hungrily pleaded, her tone filled to the brim with amorous intentions. Even with all these people around them, she didn't even care if her clothes were stripped off and she was seduced on the dancefloor. She just needed all of Amelia.

For a normal vampire, Sylvia’s power would be enough to send them over the edge. For a normal von Carstein, Sylvia’s power would be enough to turn them into their Elder Form. For most bloodsuckers, Sylvia’s power would have sealed her morbid fate. For once a vampire starts feasting upon blood uncontrollability, it won’t stop until it’s victim is literally drained of every ounce. The princess of Mayweather would have sealed her fate with something as simple but human as an incredible high. But Sylvia’s luck hadn’t run out just yet.

For a second Amelia felt such invigorating power that she could drain her victim in a second. Only an empty husk would remain of Sylvia, and if it would have happened to Konrad or Marcus, no doubt that would have been the exact result. Even worse, Konrad would have transformed. Showing the world just how horrible a von Carstein could look. But no Amelia, who her who life had fought her dark nature. For vampirism was more than being a predator. It had a light side, a guiding side. Their blood could heal, and their long lifespans turned them into wise lords that knew more about life than any average mortal ever could. Vampires weren’t inherently dark, nor light. And suddenly Amelia grasped this.

Her eyes, first dark with wanting, reverted back to their natural blue color. She released her grip on the princess, as the darkness released its grip on her mind. Slowly realization grasped her. Making her realize what she did. For a moment she stood shocked, amid a myriad of dancing people. Happy and content with their life. While Amelia, with her mouth covered in fresh blood, couldn’t even move a muscle after she released Sylvia. Realization hit her square in the guts, as she suddenly dashed away. Worming her way through the crowd with vampiric aggression. I have to get out, I have to go away! I have to… I Have to run! Fleeing felt like the only option. Sooner or later her actions’ consequences would catch up with her. But today, she would not be able to handle them.

The night had steadily been getting better for Sylvia, lost in her dreamscape with the sublime Amelia. But it all fell down in an instant. One moment, she was expecting an erotic escapade, but suddenly, she was all alone. The blonde vampiress was nowhere to be seen, having mysteriously vanished into the masses. Why had she left?! A hollow feeling flooded the redhead, abandoned and let down at the pinnacle of their little adventure. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream and curse this betrayal... but she did nothing. There were no words, no actions that could express how she felt in this very moment. Nothing had gone right today. Maybe she could chalk her assault on Gianna up as a positive, but that would no doubt have a backlash. In fact, this was easily one of the worst days she had the displeasure to experience. The shitty part about it all was nearly everything could have been prevented if she had simply not been a bitch. Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

Her long legs carried her through the crowd toward the entrance. As she moved, some of the dancers stopped their flailing to stare at the bloody mess, twin lines of crimson liquor still cascading from the puncture wounds. Even some of the security guards gave her inquisitive glares, but Sylvia kept moving. There was little reason to stay here now that her sweet Amelia was missing. It wouldn't surprise her if the other woman finally realized she was dealing with a lost cause and abandoned ship before she could even step foot on the boat. Sylvia could scarcely blame her.

Outside, the somber Princess of Mayweather could hear one of the bouncers talk to an overly dressed Asian woman (who was strangely blonde) about how she needed an ID to get in. By the way the girl talked, it was clear she didn't speak great English, but eventually the bouncer, pitying the foreigner, relented and let the woman go in. Sylvia pondered if she should be like that girl: innocent and heartrending, the type of girl that always got what she wanted even when it wasn't asked. Maybe then people would like her and she would stop digging pits for herself. Maybe then she would actually find love.

Texting one of her drivers, Sylvia sat on the curb and awaited her ride. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd explain the blood smeared all over her to her parents. Knowing them, they were going to freak. Not about just the blood, but also the fact that she had been at Delirium, in the heart of Hart territory. And then she'd have to tell them about her falling out with Jenna too. Oh that discussion was going to be absolutely lovely...

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Man, this was actually kind of all right! You know, once he let himself forget everything and just let loose. Kinda refreshing if you asked Keats. Maybe, just maybe, he was actually gonna have a good night! Had a few drinks already, so he was on his way. In fact, he was starting to think that he really could just forget everything altogether. It was a pretty great thought to be having.

And just as he thought that, he heard someone call out his name. Normally that wouldn't be counted as a bad sign for his night, but this particular voice belonged to Gianna. In other words, it was pretty likely trouble, and he didn't really have the option to ignore her either. Listening to her, Keats found himself just a little bit confused as he looked at Gianna's companion. He nodded out of habit, but by that point the one making the request was long gone.

What was he supposed to be doing here anyway? He'd seen the two of them having a drink together, or at least he'd seen Gianna buying a drink for the foreign girl, but-

He paused for a second. If his intuition was right, combined with what he knew about Delirium and the people in here, that had probably not been a normal drink. He was smart enough to guess that whatever had gone into that glass wasn't just alcoholic. Whether there would have been any actual alcohol at all was debatable.

Wait, Gianna didn't actually expect him to..? A seriously dark look crossed Keats' face. Okay, so most likely Gianna thought he was a bit of a thug, but did the bitch actually expect him to be stupid enough not to see what she was doing? Or worse, did she think he'd do it anyway? Like he was some kind of fucking rapist? Gritting his teeth, it took him several moments to even look at the 'foreign girl', and when he did the expression on his face was anything but happy.

Of course, when the girl started cackling, he was taken completely off guard. So much for foreign, apparently. Although at least she seemed to know what was going on. After a blank stare for a few seconds, Keats registered that he was actually being asked a question. Glancing over his shoulder, he sighed. "That... is a complicated one. I wasn't planning on going along with her little suggestion, anyway." he said, obvious distaste for the whole thing coming through his voice as he gestured towards the bar and then back to the girl. "But I guess I'm supposed to be on her side or something. Friend, though, is a strong word. Probably wouldn't go that far."

He gave the girl a slightly nervous grin. Part of him wished it hadn't all been a disguise though, purely because the actual personality was seeming a bit less mentally stable. Was no-one in this school able to function like a normal human occasionally? Okay so they weren't exactly normal humans but that really wasn't the point. The point was that there were a lot of people in here that could murder him if he made them angry and this was seeming like that exact type of situation. There was definitely something off about this whole situation, that was for sure.

Giving the girl a slightly tired look, he sighed. "If you don't mind me asking, what're you actually doing here? Seeing as you're dropping the whole confused foreigner act, I'm guessing there's a reason. Unless you just did it to fuck with Gianna." he smiled with surprising politeness, clearly not being angry at that concept the way he was probably supposed to. Only reason he was really asking was so he knew if he had to leave before shit went sideways. He'd kind of given up on trying to actually stop anything at this point. at this point he'd just go with the flow and see how things turned out. It seemed to be as good an idea as any.

After a drink or two, and a few songs later, Carmen and Hugo decided it was just a little too crowded for them to be together at the moment, so they decided to go look for a place to be alone, for now at least. After all of that passionate movement on the dance floor, and after having the time of their fucking life, they figured they should have a few dances on their own before taking things a few steps further. Walking together with lust in their eyes, they walked out from the dance floor, to the bar and to one of the main doorways, one that led to the main staircase. Carmen giggled lightly, holding Hugo’s hand as they ran up the stairs, heading up towards the restricted zone, the area no one in the club was allowed in... the Beast’s Maw.

Hugo was feeling considerably buzzed as he enjoyed his time with Carmen, one Mojito, mixed with a Morgan’s Punch, finished with a Long Island would get anyone in the ‘mood’ for a ‘dance’ with their partner. He was lead by the hand by this spicy latina, an angel in this devil’s lair, across the dance floor and up a set of stairs. Hugo’s own giggles quickly matching his partner’s, there was a fire already, but a blazing inferno was soon about to be lit.

Carmen had a grin all over her face as she ran up the stairs. “Hehehe… they shouldn’t see us up here.” She giggled as she led Hugo up the stairs. Once she reached the large commercial-grade steel door, complete with rust marks and a door lever, up at the top of the stairs, she turned back to Hugo with a smirk before reading the deteriorating sign posted on the door. “Warning: Authorized personnel only… Sólo el personal autorizado, no hay entrada. Both languages, I’m impressed.” She looked back to Hugo. “Are we going in?” She asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

”Oui, a disappointment they don’t read it in French nowadays though, no?” He was only half joking as he held back his laughter. Normally reading such a sign wouldn’t have bothered Hugo, even now in his rather inebriated state it didn’t, but there was something..foreboding about what lay beyond. All it took was one glance into those Auburn eyes of hers for all those feelings of woe to fall behind. Perhaps it was just the drink, but Hugo felt like he could trust this woman, she seemed to know what she was doing (even if she herself wasn’t completely sober).

Carmen chuckled. “Eh, maybe in Africa, but… oh well, fuck it.” She tried the door handle. “Oh, it’s unlocked, how about that.” She swung the door open, and once she entered with Hugo, she looked around, and stopped right in her tracks.

Torture instruments lay everywhere, with chains on the walls, vertical beds with straps, all kinds of devices on old wooden tables. It looked like pure hell, and with the incredibly dark and flickery lighting, it made it look like it was another set of Saw. Carmen nearly hyperventilated, tapping Hugo on the shoulder. “Holy shit!” She whispered, looking around. “Do you see any of this?” She looked around, standing still in the door frame.

As immediately as Carmen entered the room, so did Hugo, his arms quickly wrapping around her waist as lust overtook him and he planted a few soft kisses into the woman’s neck. It wasn’t until she tapped him that he stopped, somewhat confused and dazed as he looked around, and his eyes widened in terror, ”Mon Dieu…” Releasing his grip on Carmen he stepped around her, boldly entering the room and examining the twisted architecture of the displayed devices. Blood was apparent on most of them, some fresh, some not so, all of his instincts told him the two should flee before they were caught, yet the drunk in him meant to comment beforehand. ”Some would call this a...kink...but I think this might be taking it a little too far…” Turning ‘round, he faced Carmen and walked towards her, taking her hand, ”We must go, Mon Cherie, now!”

As Hugo entered the room, she too entered the room, examining the torture instruments in the room. Once he mentioned the kinks, she nodded. “Yeah… or these could be… some fucked up Halloween Decorations, I mean it is October after all.” She offered some of her sense before touching one of the instruments, bloodying her hand. “Oh shit, that’s real blood.” She gulped. Her heart raced, and immediately she drew her 9mm handgun, pulling it out from under her leather jacket. She looked around fearfully, aiming her pistol everywhere, and once Hugo grabbed her hand, she nearly shat herself. “Shit, nearly scared me there! But yeah, good idea. Meirda, this like some Taliban/ISIS shit right here… these guys definitely aren’t fucking around. There’s an exit downstairs, I’ll cover you.” She whispered before double checking the creepy darkness that laid right before them…

SLAM! The entrance door abruptly closed and the sound of it being locked from the outside could be heard. Soon followed the other doors in the attic they had yet to discover. They weren’t alone, that’s for sure. The warmth was sucked out and left a slicing chill. Off in the distance, there was heavy wolf’s breathing. An actual wild beast was somewhere hidden in this godforsaken place.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

There was no sight of the beast and its drool dropping onto the cement floor of the chamber resonated in the creeping silence. Faint, very faint, steps could be heard around the one-night lovers, as if they were surrounded by at least five others, but still… there was no sign of human existence. Only eerie noises to keep their lovely guests company.

To their discovery, above the Judas Chair (a chair layered with 1,500 spikes on every surface with tight straps to restrain its victim. Made of iron and containing spaces for heating elements beneath the seat), there was a two-wire broadcast intercom that switched on and graced them with a music box melody. The song replaced the emptiness of the Maw and all other noises dissipated. Perhaps, they did enter a horror film… or someone not all mentally there was toying with them.

The flickering light seemed to be dying out. The only source of light in that room was fading. If their senses weren’t heightened before, they would surely be now. The stench of the room was grotesque. Rotton. Rancid. Like death.

Do you feel something in the pit of your stomach? If the light goes out… what would you do?

A honey-sweet giggle replaced the music momentarily. A woman obviously in her 20s that gave off a childlike vibe was on the other end. Her voice was soft and although it was high in octave, it was soothing like a beautiful harp, which contrasted the atmosphere they were in.

“Big brother is watching.” the mysterious woman cooed before adding in her spirited manner, “Do you think it’s smart to have a weapon in our playground?” She went quiet and the music filled the room once more. Through the corner of their eyes, if they took the time to look, the couple could see a door left open (most likely on purpose). Into the door, there waited a medium-sized window surrounded by a worn out brick wall. The moonlight shimmered in, meeting with the lackluster ground like some kind of sign, and white curtains gently swayed with the night breeze. Everywhere else in that room was completely hidden in darkness, so those who weren’t aware of this off-limits area could not tell what was lurking in the shadows.

Louder footsteps could be heard and the direction was coming from… behind them. There was a heel noise to each step but not like female stilettos, it sounded more like male oxford shoes. The steps were precise and intentionally clear. The person behind these prideful strides was most definitely a larger man. How large?

Well, if the two visitors decided to turn around they would see Valerio Hart approaching them. A man of brute strength and muscle. The second eldest son of Leonardo Hart Sr. and his beautiful, angelic wife, Bellissa. The only one on the New York side of the Hart family without powers. For a man with no powers, he appeared far more intimidating than most heroes and villains that walked on campus. A villain whose only means to strike fear in his foes was his very presence, skill, and lack of moral compass. The mere fact that he was the only one of his father’s children to not harness the ability to manipulate darkness or control the dead gave him more of a reason to be a terrifying force to deal with.

He refused to be overlooked. He refused to be underestimated. He refused to lose.

His reputation did precede him… if they only knew. The Tormentor and his family’s executioner. His hands were in his dress pants pockets. His button up shirt was rolled up and his collar was unbuttoned and loose. His expressionless face had a rough, stubble beard, while his melting chocolate orbs were detached, yet deadlock on the back of their heads. Without a doubt, he was a handsome man and these two mouses had entered his trap. He didn’t speak. No, Valerio kept silent.

Waiting. Waiting for their next move. What would they do?

Hugo remained silent, and turned as he gaped in awe at the beast before them, unable to speak in the presence of this man...no he was a monster. Powerful, tall and intimidating at best, at worst...Hugo need not even think of that. He stood in front of the two and the teleporter’s hand gripped tighter onto his partner’s. The two had been lead into a lion’s den, one they could not possibly escape, except without the powers he possessed. The open moonlight window was enough, and regardless of whether Carmen was prepared or not, Hugo could only pray at this point.

Carmen stood there with him, utterly terrified by this turn of events. From the point where the doors slammed right behind her and locked inside, and the fucking creepy-ass music box and beast like breathing and dripping (of what she thought was leaky water or blood), the sucking chill only made her feel much worse. She smelled the death in the air, she felt like if she didn’t do something fast, they were both gonna die in that area, with no one to know where the hell they were at. Or worse, her friends entering the same trap. She stood close to Hugo the entire time, and gripped onto her pistol quite tightly, as if it were her only defense against whatever the hell lies beyond the shadows. She then heard a voice speak, and immediately aimed her gun to where it was coming from… the voice of a woman, taunting them. “What the fuck is this…” Carmen’s voice trembled, her eyes wide in terror. She heard her continue to taunt them, until she heard footsteps. She immediately turned to where the footsteps were coming from, and trained her 9mm pistol in that direction. She watched carefully as the tall man revealed himself from the shadows… he was a huge fucker. A huge motherfucker. She had to tilt her head up a bit in order to look at his head. “Holy… fuck…” Carmen gulped. As he stood there, menacingly, she took a step back, her gun still trained on him. He didn’t pose any threat other than looking scary as hell… though if he made any sudden moves, Carmen wouldn’t have hesitated to pull the trigger.

”Hold on!” In a blueish smokey flash, the two dissipated, right out into open air, it was the only viable option for Hugo, but if he could save this woman, then he would do so. Gripping her tightly, he positioned his body so he was underneath her, and as they fell, he prayed to whatever gods that he might be saved. His wish coming true, as bad as it might have been, he landed back first into a dumpster outside the club; an audible groan escaped his lips as he asked his companion, ”Carmen...Mon Cherie” his pangs were obviously expressed, ”Are you alright?” He didn’t know what he had landed in, but the superhero movies made it look a lot comfier than whatever it was he had just dropped onto.

Carmen looked to Hugo. “Wha-” She gasped as they teleported outside, and were immediately falling. “SHIT!!” She cried out as she felt the sudden sensation of falling from a tall building. She then entered reflex mode, slowing everything down for herself. She then looked around, seeing if there were any viable options to help save their lives in this fall, but it looks like Hugo had that handled. A dumpster below, filled with cardboard boxes and rotten food, was their salvation, and as soon as they landed, Carmen exited reflex mode with a loud groan. “Gahhh… motherfucker!” She coughed, writhing a little in pain, feeling something sharp enter her lower back. “Fuck…” She groaned, feeling around for the source of it. Fucking broken glass bottle… damn superhero movies always lie about this shit. She immediately pulled it out, with intent to heal herself later. “Ungh…” She winced before looking to Hugo. “Ugghh… fucking got backstabbed by a broken ass bottle, but other than that… I’m alive… I think…” She said, looking to him. “C’mon, we gotta get outta here… ungg…” She grunted again, wincing a little as she bent herself. “C’mon, they’re probably gonna send some goons after us if we don’t hurry… up… gahhh… fucking pendejo...” She groaned, trying to climb out of the dumpster.

Valerio sighed at the two running away, “They always run.” His voice was husky and deep. If only they didn’t move a muscle... he was willing to talk things out and it was one of those rare occasions he would have forgiven his trespassers. Unfortunately, they chose to run. Such a bad taste was left in his mouth.

From behind him, the culprit of the playful voice on the intercom from earlier appeared from the shadows, prancing toward him. The second youngest of the Main family and the late Vincent’s closest sibling, only a year older than him, Bianca Hart. She was a painter and drug lord, but most importantly, she was her late grandmother’s successor, who carried on the alias: Witching Hour. Poking her head from behind her brother’s large physique, she smiled up at him, her hair as wild as ever, “Can I go out and play?” The bigger man glanced down at his tiny sister and gave her a nod, allowing her to do whatever she saw fit for the night. He was sure he’d see those two again.

Her attention span had immediately left her brother’s face and to the room with the window, as she bent down and beckoned one of her babies toward her. “Fenrir, come to mommy!” The source of the beast that had drooled earlier prowled toward his master. It was a black wolf, whose ribcage was visible on it’s left side, had his lower jaw missing, his fangs were undeniably sharp, his right socket was hollow, and his entire body, especially his face was decaying. Part of the reason why the attic smelt rancid was because of him. Unfazed and unperturbed, Bianca hugged the undead animal, “You must be hungry.”

Carmen then made her way out from the dumpster, helping out Hugo if she could. She dusted herself off, wincing every now and then from the stab wound she had when she fell in the dumpster. “Fuck… I hope someone at Mayweather has healing powers… that’s probably where we’re gonna need to go…” She thought about it. “Wait… Gianna uh… yeah, we’ll be safe in Mayweather… but… it’s gonna be a long drive so… we might have to get to one of my safehouses.” She panted, standing up. She then realized that her gun was missing. “Fuck.” She searched all around for it, before finding it near the dumpster, slightly damaged from taking a high fall. “There you are…” She picked it up and holstered it. She then spoke in her headset. “Hey, do you guys read? We’ve been compromised, I repeat, we’ve been compromised. Gorrion? Bring me an SUV and an SMG to the parking garage pronto. The rest of you get the fuck out of there and initiate Purge Watch protocol until further instructions are given. We just ran into a fucking hornet’s nest… and I ain’t gonna get my ass stung!”

Hugo accepted Carmen’s help, though he felt sincerely bad for her. Though he had tried to break her fall, it seemed that she had angled herself just right to be on the receiving end of a broken bottle. As much as he wanted to take care of it, there was not much he could do in this situation to treat it, especially not with the potential of that man following after them. After she retrieved her weapon Hugo lead the way out to the street listening intently to Carmen’s conversation, SUV? Guns? Purge Watch Protocol? Perhaps Ms. Carmen was more of a secret agent than she had lead Hugo to believe? Pressing his back against the wall, he peeked around the corner..interesting, there wasn’t a soul in sight neither up nor down the street. Even the front of the line had dissipated along with the bouncers...what on earth was going on? Wait...who was that?

Meanwhile, at the corner of the street, not too far from the alleyway (to her right), Sylvia paced back and forth, huffing to herself. What was taking her ride so long!? NYC traffic was horrendous, but still, she just wanted to be home! Hearing the sound of an ethereal, yet ominous and penetrating, flute whistle, the redhead turned to the noise which was coming from behind her (not the same way as the alleyway). Chills immediately ran up her spine and only hot air escaped her lips. Shakened heart and the palest of faces, Sylvia found herself unable to move at the sight of… this was just a dream right?

In a Bugatti Chiron convertible sports car, standing and playing an instrument in the passenger’s seat, with wild hair flowing with the wind, Bianca locked her dark gaze with the innocent pedestrian. The car was in the center of the road (a distance away) and it was as if all life had disappeared down that street (or someone had blocked off incoming traffic), because behind the small woman were at least a dozen bikers on Superbikes and four Corvettes all completely filled. Though, that wasn’t the unnerving part… even though seeing this unfold in front of her eyes was intimidating as hell (if Carmen and Hugo wanted a car chase, they were going to get one)... the people… the people were visibly…

Dead.

Bianca gestured for the vehicles to go around her, making her the last one in the procession.

Holy shit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Before they got near the corner, Sylvia felt arms wrap around her and in a blink of an eye she was in some random stranger’s car with two low lives she had no relation with-- was she getting kidnapped!? Panic. Panic.

And then she screamed off the top of her lungs.

“Ssshhht! Shut up!” Carmen shouted towards Sylvia. “Your fucking dumbass is gonna get us all killed!” She shouted. “Great. You got the dumbass broad who screams, the stoner and the minority in the horror movie… guess which one’s gonna get axed first?”

A voice from the back of the vehicle piped up. “The black guy?” Liana, wearing nothing but short jean shorts, a tactical vest, sneakers and a grey shirt, sat in the back of the Ford Explorer’s cargo bay, leaning up against the backrest of the backseat that both Hugo and Sylvia sat in. In her hands was an Kriss Vector, and after screwing on the suppressor to the front end of the .45 ACP weapon, she pressed into the side and chambered the weapon. “But as far as I know, it ain’t gonna be today, so you better fucking step on it!”

Carmen winced. “Fucking pendejos…” She groaned in pain from her earlier stab wound as she shifted the SUV into gear. “Did Cisne call in a tow truck for my Mustang?”

“Yep. Everyone else is also going into hiding and activating protocols. They’ll keep their ears open for your orders on our emergency frequencies.” Liana explained. “As for me… well… it looks like I’m gonna be in the long haul with you.”

“Well you better fucking enjoy it while it lasts, because if you continue to shoot off your mouth instead of that fucking gun that haul will be the shorter than you can say fucking Irony.” Carmen said before flooring it, the Ford speeding out from the parking garage and into the street, already driving off at high speed. “You kids better buckle your seatbelts and keep your heads down, it’s gonna be a bumpy ass ride!”

Jostling in the back seat as Carmen sped off, Hugo hurriedly buckled in his seat belt, quickly turning around to find the other vehicles speeding right after them. Who knew tonight would turn out like this, and with death trailing right behind them no less?

---

---

---

Ananya's excitement grew as the music got louder. Taking full credit as the braver souls in the crowd started following her lead to the foreign song, thus slowly bringing life to the dance floor, the drunken girl danced along to the beat of the music with little grace or coordination. She sang along to the lyrics, her fingers curling and gesturing towards some of the other guys standing awkwardly along the sidelines, hoping to get as many people involved as she could before the song could finish.

It worked for the most part. Ananya looked at Lucas, surprised that despite the dance floor growing more crowded by the minute, he was still in her line of vision - dancing. Ananya laughed. She didn't know why – she's drunk, does she really need a reason? – but she didn't expect Lucas to be dancing along with her. Though it lifted her spirits, and as the song grew to a close, Ananya stopped dancing for a moment to breathe. "Was that fun, or was that fun?" The girl's lips quirked up playfully as the song changed to something with a little more bass.

“That was-“ Lucas was used to rapid movements and loud, banging music. But mostly of the training variant. Where sweating was allowed, laughing was discouraged (by very painful hits) and the very idea of ridiculousness was weeded out by pure discipline. Dancing felt like the exact opposite of it all. Of course, Lucas had to follow Anayna’s moves. He never danced before in his life and she seemed to know what she was doing. It also helped a bunch of people realizing that they just should follow her lead. Before half of the song was over the dance floor got filled with people dancing on a song they’d probably never listen to if it wasn’t for this strange, Indian girl. “-something. God, I’m sorry, I have to sit down.” He sort of stumbled his way towards the bar, where luckily enough two bar crunches were free for them. Lucas was already dropping drops of sweat because of the dancing when he arrived at the bar, where he quickly ordered a cocktail. When Ananya arrived, he could only ask: “Okay, where the hell did you learn how to dance like that, because ” he said, as he pointed at the dance floor. “You just lead more than half that dancefloor in a song none of them heard.” It was obvious that he was in a good mood. The night had take a turn for the unexpectable: him dancing. As he expected.

"Booo," pouting at the tired villain in front of her, Ananya followed behind. Despite disappointed that the song was over and people were dancing to something else, she couldn't deny that she was also quite tired from dancing so much. She laughed breathlessly, stumbling a little closer to him so she could hear Lucas over the pounding bass of the new song. She followed after him towards the bar, taking the remaining seat to his side before letting her head drop against the bartop.

"That-" Ananya's voice started off muffled, before her head shot up, laughing again and leaning her chin against her palm, talking louder so he could hear her. "- was not dancing, that was just... uh, fun! The other girl before, the really pretty one, now she danced. I just got everyone to let loose a little bit." Ananya then turned to the bartender, tiredly ordering a glass of water to soothe her parched throat. "Now, I'm gonna be a little cocky and presume that you had a helluva time." She looked at Lucas one more time from the corner of her eye, her eyes twinkling in mischief, before she took a sip of water from the glass handed to her.

“Fun fact, that beautiful girl that danced? That’s Gianna.” He said with a smirk. Referencing her attempt to bluff her way in. He found it pretty ironic that she didn’t even know how Gianna looked. Maybe he should introduce them. Though Lucas felt as if right now wasn’t the best of time to go up to Gianna. The day had been long and once he got near Gianna he’d be forced to talk about certain things. He didn’t want to avoid her. But at the same time, being near her would summon up some undesired, recent memories. No, tonight was about forgetting. Which, in a strange way, meant forgetting Gianna. Even for just a moment.

“Some call it cocky, I call it confident.” He said, with a quick wink before he took a sip from his cocktail. “Yap. Definitely had a great time. An unexpected great time cause, honestly, I never expected to dance with an Indian girl I haven’t met until a few hours ago! But look at us! We dominated the god damn floor!” It was pretty obvious that Lucas was high spirits. Laughing at absolutely nothing as the alcohol took over more. He just let it all go, the stress, the insanity of today. It gotten the better of him before. But not tonight. This girl was too fun to let it all get spoiled over. “So what about you? Imagined your night would be like this?”

Ananya's grin dropped for a second when she remembered the lie she tried to pull over Lucas, laughing awkwardly while rubbing the back of her head. "I guess I should've researched better." She finished her drink before laughing again. "I'll give myself credit for trying. I'll accept that you tried star I've seen floating around the internet."

Ananya looked at her empty glass, contemplating whether she wanted a little more to drink. She was already too far gone, why not just throw caution to the wind and have fun? It's not like she'll get this opportunity often. She'll figure out her list of names some other time - but for now? Her goal was to have fun. "I'll have what he's having!" Ananya flagged down the bartender again, pointing at Lucas' drink before beaming at the person and thanking them. Once she was sure that her drink was coming soon, Ananya turned to face Lucas, laughing again. "I guess we're the life of the party, eh? Well I'm glad I decided to lie to your face outside. Hell-" She cut herself off as the bartender slid the cocktail towards her. She raised the glass, her hand shaking slightly as she raised it in a toast, "-I wanna raise a toast to this. To our, err, weird friendship." Could she even call what they had a friendship? Probably. She's drunk, she'll call things whatever she likes.

“To whatever the hell this is we both have!” Lucas toasted, not even knowing what they were. Tonight’s friends? Long term friends? For now, it was whatever it was to him. Tonight everything served the singular purpose of making him happy. Of course, fate had different plans for him. It was when he laughed with something Ananya said, that he picked up a particular scent.

For the entire night, a certain smell hung in the air. It was subtle. Lucas wouldn’t have smelled it if his brain didn’t randomly focus one sense at the time. Still, it was there. A sort of sweet touch in the air. But now a new scent was introduced to the room he was in. A scent his brain recognized. One his nose instinctively picked up. One he was familiar with, yet tried to forget. His mind landed back again, realizing the sudden emotional danger he was in. “Shit.” He whispered, as he suddenly looked around like some hunted deer smelling a predator. “Shit, shit, shit.” He couldn’t see her. He couldn’t see her. But she was here. He was sure of it. Far too sure. After 3 years he hoped that she wouldn’t have this effect on him anymore. But she had.

Then, if by some nightmarish version of fate he saw her. Bright lights behind her turned her all but a black figure. But the contour was enough to throw Lucas into a fight-or-flight reaction. And for the first time in his life, his body choose flight. “Shit!” he exclaimed. Immediately forgetting Ananya. Not that he wanted to forget her. It was just that his brain pushed out all that was not… her. His primal instincts took over. Frantic like a newly released animal he began to push his wait through the thick crowd. Going to the front entrance was impossible. He’d see her. No worse, she’d find him. Instead, he went towards the side staircase. He almost fell down through the door, but once it closed, he slammed his fists on the opposite wall, yelling: “Damn it!”

Was it something she said? Ananya lowered the glass, a lost expression on her face as the playful banter between the two newly classed friends suddenly turned... weird. She watched with a mix of confusion and horror as Lucas stumbled away from the bar as if he'd seen a ghost. Forgetting about her drink, Ananya stood up to follow after him. She didn't know whether she triggered something or he was finally feeling the effects of alcohol, but the Nag wanted to make sure he was okay. With the way he was stumbling through the door - almost falling! - there was no way she could leave him on his own to deal with whatever was going on.

"Hey! Lucas! What happened?" There was concern lacing her voice, but Ananya didn't approach. Instead, while keeping her distance, she stretched her arms out as if trying to pacify him from a distance. "Is everything okay? I-I'm sorry if I did something wrong." How was she supposed to help when she couldn't even think clearly? Her mind was still hazy, her head still throbbing slightly from drinking and the loud music. This... was not the fun that Ananya wanted, but she couldn't ignore a friend in need.

His brain slowly let outside impulses back into his mind. It was at the very end of Ananya speaking that he heard her. He did turn around, trying to gather his bearing again. “Yes, No! I… Ugh, just. Never mind. I’m fine. No, wait. I’m not. It’s just that. Ugh.” Well he did fail spectacularly in keeping it together in front of a new friend. How did she still have so much power over him. His heart still felt ready to skip a beat. It still wanted her. After all that happened. “You want to get out of here? Like, you know, wander Central Park maybe?” he tried not to sound too stressed out. He didn’t want to be in the club for much longer. Every lasting minute he was there she could find him. Then again, he didn’t want to ruin the night for Ananya.

Still unsure, the Nag responded "if that'll make you less freaked out, sure." Ananya took a moment to breathe before approaching. Drunk or not, Ananya didn't push her luck by asking him to tell her what just happened. It wasn't her place, plus he didn't seem like he would be able to tell her properly anyway. Instead, trying to get him to think about something else, Ananya gave him an unsure smile. "Come on, you can push me on the swings."

Going through the front entrance was out, Lucas didn't seem to want to go anywhere near the club anymore so Ananya decided to try help Lucas out of the club. Maybe some fresh air would do well for both of them. It's not like she knew anyone else in the club, so she was sure that she wasn't going to miss much if she left a little early. Plus, it was too stuffy and hot for her liking.

Taking a deep breath to keep it together, just enough to get out, and started walking down the stairs. Just one flight down and he was near the door of the alleyway. They very same door Eliana and her band had used to get in not 2 hours ago. Once outside and after a quickly look left and right, Lucas was assured that he was safe. So he could ease up. His joyful mood returned again as he said: “Sorry for that. You know, shit happens and stuff. Okay let’s go to Central Park. Though I’m guessing we should first get something to keep us going?” Lucas knew Manhattan at night better than anyone. He knew which shops kept open just a little longer than they should maybe. Or the shops where a certain bottle could be bought that one couldn’t actually see from the outside. So after a quick stop they reached the fence of Central Park with the bottle in a bag. Lucas, with somewhat of a playful grin, looked at Ananya and asked: “Did you ever actually break into a place?”

"I think that you're forgetting that I go to a school for heroes." She deadpanned. Well, technicalities. Ananya's goal was never to be a hero in the first place, but to perfect her skills as a Nagin to protect her brother and maybe one day help protect other Nags from the snake charmers from suffering the same fate her mother did years ago. Wow, who knew that alcohol would make you remember unpleasant stuff? Ananya's nose scrunched up as if she were trying to forget the memory before continuing."Well, I'm far from what one would consider a hero buuuuut," Ananya just shrugged, "I think I have enough grip on my morals to know I shouldn't break the law." She decided not to bring up what happened at the club, instead to forget about it and maybe hope that Lucas wasn't going to go crazy on her again.

“Mueh. Morals at midnight are for those either too boring or too stupid to have fun.” He teased. “Besides, it’s just getting in a park. Why the hell would they even close the place at night? It’s perfect for night strollers!” he exclaimed, examining the fence. He actually never climbed over the fence before. But hey, first time for everything! “Besides, I thought you wanted to get on the swings?” After that, he made the choice a whole lot harder. He started climbing the fence. It was high enough that it was a challenge, but he did reach the top and strategically placed himself on top of it. Between 2 spikes. He extended his hand down towards Ananya, saying: “So are you coming, or are you going to break the mood of tonight?” He definitely knew he was somewhat of a manipulative asshole now. But he was also convinced she’d have more fun if she came than if she went homebound now. Besides, he already held his arm out. Even if she wasn't that good of a climber, he'd help her out on that.

"If we get caught, I'm gonna blame you." It was an empty, childish threat, but Ananya smiled. She wanted to have fun, right? And what else could she expect from a villain? Ananya eyed the fence first, but she knew even if she did have enough strength to pull herself up, there was no way she was going to be able to climb a tall fence while she was still buzzed out of her mind. Looking at Lucas, she narrowed her eyes before taking his hand to help herself up the fence. She struggled for a moment before finally climbing over. "There is no way I'm going to be able to climb over that again, that's enough exercise for tonight." She then peered down at the ground, before hopping down.

She couldn't let him think that she was a spoilsport. Looking at the bottle in Lucas' hand, Ananya grinned as an idea formed in her mind. "How about this? Whoever swings the highest on the swings gets to drink first." She challenged.

“If a cop comes, I very much doubt he’ll ask who’s to blame of all this.” Lucas smirked at Ananya. It was true though. No cop would care ‘who’s at fault’. They’d both get arrested if one found them. Not that one would. Lucas wasn’t an idiot. He’d make sure they wouldn’t get caught. Central Park had enough nooks and crannies and darkness, in the very end, was his friend. Lucas just jumped down when the Indian girl said she wouldn’t get over the fence again. “Well, guess we’ll have to sleep here then.” He didn’t want to admit that he really didn’t want to go back to Mayweather. Only trouble awaited him there. Even in the early morning he was supposed to meet up with the principles and Mrs. Lovelace. In the back of his mind the idea lived to never return at all.

But he couldn’t do that. He had people that cared about him, that depended on him. Gianna, Brenna, Keats. He had friends that were dealing with the same problem: that Delphina was no longer Delphina. Maybe they couldn’t go back to the golden time again, but they sure as hell could make Mayweather a better place for themselves. Maybe that meant making friends with a Mayweather? Whatever doubt he may still had about befriending Ananya vanished the second she proposed the drinking game. “Are you very sure about that?” he asked, not really giving her time to answer as he took her hand and pulled her through the dark of Central Park. They soon reached the swing. What was he going to do? Play devious or nice? “You want me to go first? Or you?” Why was he playing nice?

"It'll be like camping but without the comfort of a sleeping bag. Or tent. Or anything for that matter." It wasn't the first time Ananya would have to sleep rough, she and her mother used to go to the woods nearby their home in India when she was still alive. It was fun mother-daughter bonding time while Sunaina would teach the younger snake about the life of a Nag, and often they'd nap in the woods after getting too tired to go back home. Ananya smiled faintly at the memory.

Ananya could help but rethink whether it was really a good idea to propose a drinking game, especially since she was already so buzzed. Hell, chances of Ananya even winning was probably low, but at least they'd have fun on the swings right?"You go first. I need to see how I can beat you." Lie. She needed to see whether it was a lost cause to win the challenge.

“Camping? That would require us to sleep. You think I’m going to sleep tonight?” he asked jokingly surprised at Ananya. Maybe he should sleep. He’d have a tough night ahead of himself. Then again, maybe being exhausted and letting it all go over him was a better idea. He tried defiance against the head Warden with little success already. What hope would he have with the Principles of both schools? Lucas knew that adults hate it when children are right and they are wrong. So they wouldn’t even admit it. But they love hearing how right they are, especially by those younger. Yeah, maybe just a tired, docile Lucas was required at dawn. He just had to pull through until 11, after Mrs. Lovelace’s talk. For that, he’d probably have to drown himself in caffeine, though. But after all that, he could sleep it all away.

“No seriously, haven’t you ever seen the sunrise after a long night. I mean, sure, everyone has seen the sunrise from over the horizon. But after hours and hours of darkness, the dawn is so tranquil. You have to see it!” He said, as he smiled a genuine smile. He remembered watching the sunrise from a hill after pulling a night through. He didn’t do it often, and that memory was the only one he had where he was entirely alone. He’d never forget the pure sense of serenity.

“You’re afraid you’re going to lose, aren’t you?” smirked Lucas, after Ananya said he should go first. “Any rules you want to put up before I start with this?” This was a challenge for her because Lucas knew a lot of tricks. Would she get them all? He very much doubted it.

Sleep was for the weak anyway. Why waste precious time laying in one place in a catatonic state for a couple hours when you could use that time to be productive and actually get stuff done? Sure, a nap is good here and there to freshen up a tired mind, but to waste hours doing nothing? Ananya hated it. "Watching the sun rise is always beautiful. You could even say it brightens up my mood while I pray in the morning." Ananya grinned at herself for the pun she'd made, biting down at her lip with a funny expression on her face.

"Hey! I always believe in the underdogs. You may be-" Ananya flailed her hands about, trying to figure out the words that could describe Lucas but to no avail, "...you, but I think I might have a chance." Probably more lies. Who was she trying to fool? "Only rule is... to have fun! Oh, and no powers. So that makes it two rules. Uh, don't think there's anything else I can add to that." She then gestured towards the swing, "let's fly."

Lucas grinned from ear to ear. Oh she had no idea. “Okay, that pun was so lame. Don’t do that.” He first said. Before he jumped on the swing. He had no intention what so ever to sit down. Instead, he started shifting his weight back and forth while standing. The higher center of mass allowed him to go up further and further. Until his entire swing was nearly 170°. It was insane and utterly dangerous. But oh so fun. “You sure you’re going to beat this!?” he yelled at Ananya watching. When he looked forward though, he saw the stars for just a moment before it all switched out for the ground. The tingling in his stomach made him laugh out in happiness. Something he hadn’t felt for days now. Eventually he slowed the swinging down a little. But not entirely. Instead he just jumped off at the highest point. After a quick combat roll he jumped up and, for a second, stuck with the landing. Until the dizziness from the roll and the alcohol swirling in his stomach took over and he promptly fell on his back. On the ground, gazing at the stars he was still genuinely laughing.

Now that she was not expecting. Ananya couldn't even complain seeing as she hadn't mentioned that sitting was a rule, but it didn't stop her from pouting and crossing her arms against her chest. "That's not fair! I didn't know you were gonna do that!" Ananya's laughter stopped as she watched Lucas leap off the swing and do a roll, concern building up in her until she realised he was still laughing. "Show off." She mumbled under her breath as she realised he was okay.

Unless Ananya copied what he did, she didn't think she would be able to beat Lucas. Instead, Ananya pulled off her boots, tossing the heeled shoes over her shoulders so she could walk barefooted towards the swing. Sitting down, she held onto the cord that held the swing up tightly. "Are you ready to give up that bottle?"

Lucas moved swiftly behind her, inched close to her ear and whispered: “Are you?” After that he just grabbed her around her waist, blocking any movement. Effectively stopping her from swinging. All the while he deviously laughed. “I win! I win! I win!” he kept on yelling, not caring if the world heard it. He was drunk and happy. The increased heart rate of the swinging only pumped the alcohol faster to his brain. Eventually, he did release her, moving in front of her again. Laughing like an idiot. “You said no rules, only fun.” He grinned. She should have known better when she went up against a Delphina. “Feel free to try and get back to me.” He now challenged her.

"Y-you cheat!" Ananya called out, surprised at the sudden embrace. She tried wiggling out of his grasp, but it did nothing more than just delay her from completing her half of the challenge. As Lucas walked around to face her, her mouth formed an exaggerated pout. "Chicken! You got scared that I would beat you!" Probably not, but it did wonders for her ego just to think of it like that. Hearing his challenge, Ananya's pout changed into a smirk for a split second before hiding it up with an innocent smile. "Get back at you? Well..." Suddenly, Ananya reached out to grab Lucas, her fingers brushing against his side as she mercilessly tickled him. "You're gonna regret saying that now~!"

“Sure girl, I’m the scared one.” He joyfully mocked the girl as he turned his back to her, leisurely walking up to the bottle they bought. When she talked about getting back to him, he could help but scoff at her. How could she get back at a guy like him? He was practically a tank. He could lift her up if she dared anything. Well, he did believe that until she started tickling him. Suddenly his eyes shot wide open as he started laughing far too loud. He dropped to his knees, trying to push her hands away from him. But without any focus from the laughing, he was only half successful. “Stop it! Oh, damn it, stop it! I swear stop it or you will regret it!”

Then he saw a beam of light. Suddenly his mind went back to serious mode. Of course, there were guards patrolling the place. Just putting up a fence probably wasn’t the only security they had. The flashlight betrayed the location of the guard. Lucas grabbed Ananya’s hand and started running towards a nearby rock, dragging her behind him. He promised her they wouldn’t get caught and he intended to keep that promise. Eventually, they reached the rock and Lucas pulled her in close, covering her mouth with his one hand and holding the finger of her other hand in front of his lips, motioning her to be quiet.

Who would've guessed that Lucas's weakness was getting tickled? For a moment Ananya saw Adarsh in the place of Lucas, her younger brother taunting her the same way Lucas had been doing before - so her first instinct was to just tickle the smug look off his face. Ananya never expected it to work! Despite his warnings, she continued. She wanted to get back at Lucas for stopping her, and now that she knew he was ticklish there was no stopping the Nag.

...Well, except for the patrolling guards. She saw the flash of light a little too late, glad that Lucas had been quicker to notice and react. Her mind was still reeling from the fun so when Lucas began pulling her along to look for a hiding spot, Ananya followed without resistance. Her heart thumped loudly. Were they going to get caught? The last thing she wanted was to get in trouble for being found in a place she wasn't allowed to be in. What would Mrs Lovelace say? Ananya bit down on her lip to stop herself from making any sounds, her ears listening out for the approaching footsteps of the guard nearby.

There was no way the guard couldn't tell that there were tresspassers nearby: the swing was still swaying in the wind, the seat warm to touch, not to mention Ananya's boots were carelessly tossed nearby as well as the bottle of alcohol Lucas had bought from the store. If anything, the guard would probably look around to make sure that they were gone. Hearing the guard step closer towards the rock, Ananya pressed herself further against Lucas and the rock to avoid getting caught. The snake listened for more sounds, anything that could tell her that they were in trouble. Her hand reached up to curl around Lucas's arm, tightening slightly as she wordlessly tried to warn him that the guard was still around - not that he needed any help to know that anyway. Several minutes passed before Ananya heard the retreating footsteps, the guard leaving. Trying not to be too hopeful, Ananya squeezed Lucas's arm in warning, waiting for a couple minutes longer just to be safe before letting go of his arm.

The two were now pressed close against each other. Lucas could even feel the heat of Ananya’s skin. No doubt she felt his. His heart was beating away in his chest because of the tension. Still, he kept his hand over her mouth, not knowing if even by instinct she’d make a noise. Gasping or breathing heavy would be enough for the guard to catch them. He couldn’t let that happen. A flash of thought past through him. Should they be found, he’d knock the guard out cold. He knew he could. But that was his last resort, so he shoved the thought away again. For several moments he didn’t hear anything. But the hand around his arm told Lucas that Ananya preferred to wait it out a little longer. Not a bad idea. He stayed there, with her. Holding her close but not moving an inch. He couldn’t see the light of the flashlight nor could he hear any footsteps. Eventually, after a few minutes. He released his hand from her mouth.

“He may still be around.” He whispered close to her ear. His mind was racing. The fences were high, and every business was locked down tight at night. The only reason to put a security guard on patrol at night was to check for intruders in the park itself. He guessed that there weren’t too many to get caught it. Further, while Central Park had a lot of walkways, it also had a lot of ‘wild places’ where someone on the walkway probably couldn’t see you. Central park was, in fact, filled with these spots. Besides, the guards were probably lazy. Patrolling a place like this at night probably got pretty boring. “When I say go, you dash for your boots and follow me, okay?” the bushes were the nearest spot. Beyond that was a bit of green covered by trees. From there they could still go either place they’d want. Or just stay there. Slowly Lucas crept from out of his hiding place, looking around. No light, no footsteps. He was gone for now. “Go!” He said to Ananya, as he too got up from behind the rock and dashed towards the bottle. Looking around would slow him down, so he just hoped she could follow. Lucas managed to grab the bottle and kept running towards the bushes opposite of the walkway near the swingset. Jumping in. A few seconds later he saw the flashlight shining. The guard probably didn’t see him jumping in the bushes. He just hoped Ananya was just as lucky.

If there was any moment that Ananya was most grateful for her enhanced sight and hearing, it was tonight. Whilst her abilities weren't exactly at it's peak, she could still use it enough to determine when it was safe enough to make their escape. Ananya breathed a sigh of relief as Lucas released his hand from her mouth. She knew they were far from guarenteed safety, but this was better than nothing right? Ananya numbly nodded along to Lucas's plan, anxiety building up in the pit of her stomach. 'Why'd I have to take off my boots?' She adjusted her position so she was ready to bolt towards her boots as soon as Lucas gave her the signal. And as soon as she heard him, Ananya sprinted behind Lucas, her eyes glued to her boots that were tossed about a metre away from the swings.

There was no time to think. She pushed Lucas out of her mind for a moment so all she could do was run for her shoes, but without Ananya's complete focus on the run towards it she failed to notice the protruding root of the giant oak tree, causing the girl to crash against the ground with a grunt. The fall caused her to lose her breath, and she lay still on the ground for a moment with her foot aching. The grunt and sudden rustle of clothing had caused the patrolling guard to look back once more, but Ananya rolled in her spot just in time as the flashlight illuminated the space she once occupied. This time there was no stopping the guard. Alerted, the officer came to investigate just as Ananya attempted to crawl around the tree, stumbling up onto her feet and pressing her back against the tree trunk. There was only one way out of this...

Squeezing her eyes shut, Ananya imagined her snake form. She thought of her second half, her Nag form and before she knew it her body started reacting. Numbed to the pain, Ananya felt her bones break and reform, her tanned skin slowly hidden under shiny black scales. Her eyes grew wider, and by the time she opened it, she could see much clearer in the dark. Ananya slid out of her dress, her body sliding against the ground and up the tree just as the guard turned around. Her lower half curled around a branch, high enough to be away from the guard's eyesight, and hidden just enough in case luck wasn't in her side. The guard approached the tree, his flashlight shining against her dirtied dress before he tutted under his breath, mumbling something about indecent teenagers before walking away. The nag waited, her eyes watching the guard disappear long enough before the snake slid back down along the body of the tree and the process begun again. Ananya returned to her human form, quickly and quietly changing into her clothes (and grimacing at how dirty the white fabric had become) before peeking around the corner of the tree and running towards her boots. This time she had more luck with grabbing her boots and hurriedly wandered into the direction Ananya last remembered seeing Lucas disappearing off to.

When a moment passed and Lucas still didn’t see Ananya jumping in the bush near him, he looked back. He saw her, just rolling away back towards the tree. “Damn it.” He whispered to himself. He already prepared his first. Was he willing to do it? Saying he would was one thing, but doing it was something different. That was assault. There was no preparation for it, no people to fall back on here. It was an evil thing to do, knocking someone out. But he was a villain, so he figured that yes. The next logical step after bullying would be actual assault.

But then he saw something… strange. Ananya began to transform. Her body shifted that made Lucas grimace. It couldn’t be healthy. But when she slid out of her dress, Lucas' heart jumped and he looked away. “What the…!?” he exclaimed softly, to still not alert the guard. Did she just turn into a snake!? Shoving away the shame he felt for almost seeing her without clothes he looked back, the guard was shining on the dress. For a second Lucas had to grin. What would the guard be thinking? When Ananya came back down again after the guard left (Lucas kept an eye out for him) he did look away again for a second. Not wanting to spy on a girl that was getting dressed. Or did he? He was a guy, he couldn’t help it. Sometimes he turned his head a bit, just to see her from the corner of his eyes. Until he realized what he did and forced his head to look away again.

Eventually, she reached the bushes, and Lucas quickly crawled towards her. “Okay, first off, that was awesome. Turning into a snake.” He said. “And secondly…” he opened the bottle of booze and handed it to Ananya. “…you deserve this.”

Ananya didn't exactly expect her plan to actually work. Even as she stumbled behind the bushes that Lucas was hiding in, she was still expecting the guard to suddenly notice the missing boots from beside the swing and come looking again. But when the guard disappeared around the corner, leaving the two alone again for that moment, Ananya let out a sigh of relief before collapsing, laying on her back with a soft groan. Shifting was always painful, even if Ananya was used to the pain by now, but it still hurt even today. Her joints felt sore, and all Ananya wanted to do was curl up forever. When Lucas offered her the alcohol, Ananya let out a breathless laugh before she sat up (still mindful to keep low enough to avoid detection) to take the offered bottle. "It was either that, or play hide and seek around the tree until inevitably getting caught." Then Ananya's face grew red. "Wait!" she whisper-yelled, eyes wide. "You saw that? Everything!?" Oh boy.

What other cliche was Ananya going to do? Getting drunk for the first time and breaking into a closed park wasn't enough, now she had to dress in front of Lucas!? Ananya took a swig out of the bottle, pressing her dirty palm against her mouth to muffle her cough. "If I give you this bottle, will you promise to forget whatever you saw?" She avoided looking at Lucas as she pushed the bottle in his direction, the top of her ear (and pretty much her entire face) still inflamed.

Lucas was far too far away to even care for whatever he did. To him, whatever he did, he just did. He didn’t think about it anymore. It took too much effort. He had to think about every word he said for days now. As if every syllable could be used against him in the court of law. But now he was exhausted. He couldn’t keep the façade. He silently took the bottle off Ananya and took a swig. “I saw some of it.” He answered, in a neutral voice. “Which part you want me to forget?” he asked before taking another swig. Finally, he felt serene. It was such an alien feeling to him. But now, as the cool midnight wind rustled the leaves of the trees above them, and the small spec of darkness gave them an open view of the silver dotted sky between the green above them. What else could one feel, if but for a moment, but calm and peace. He looked over at Ananya and for a second got worried. Because she looked as if she wasn’t feeling that.

"All of it, preferably. I did just give you that entire bottle as a bribe." Ananya grumbled. Ananya then stifled a yawn, her eyes stinging as she tried keeping an eye out. It would be best not to bring that topic up again, Ananya knew that if she thought about it any longer, she'd combust from the embarrassment. "So are we planning on camping here or try to get outta here?" Ananya asked. No matter how much the Nag wanted a warm, comfortable bed to curl into, Ananya could tell that she wasn't going to be able to fight off the urge to sleep for long. Shifting into a snake had drained most of her remaining energy, and now with the fun seemingly over because of the damned guards there was no reason for Ananya to try and fight her exhaustion much longer.

She was tired. He saw it in her. In the way she spoke and looked. It got even more obvious when she asked if they’d camp there. With both of them so exhausted, and him having to wake up early, sleeping in Central Park might not be such a good idea. For one, it got cold and he didn’t want Ananya to get sick. Why did he care so much about the girl? He just shrugged it off. “I got a better idea. Just euhm, stay awake a little longer.” After that he pulled his phone from his pocket and quick-dialed 1.



After that quick phone call, he pulled up Ananya from the ground and tried to support her as they snuck towards the nearest gate. On their walk, Lucas asked: “You got a room yet at Mayweather?” if she didn’t, he wouldn’t mind letting her sleep in his bed for a night. He heard the couches in the recreation room were pretty soft. Eventually, they reached the gate unnoticed. But it was locked and Ananya was in no way to climb over the fence. “Crap…” Lucas looked around for a moment. No cops, no activity, not even cams. Nobody would see them. He took a deep breath and a golden force enveloped his right hand. With one slam the metal bent a little. With the second slam, there was a sizable dent in the lock. After 3 hard punches the lock finally gave in and he could open the gate. “That’s going to be in the news…” Lucas said to himself, as he and Ananya get out of Central Park and awaited their transport.

Lana Farweight was pretty ‘used’ to having to pick her baby brother up. He got in all sorts of trouble. Constantly. And she saved him up. Constantly. But that’s what family is for. Oh, he’d definitely get a scolding. She’d do it tomorrow when he had a hangover. Just to make it worse. But she would come. Always. Family cares for each other. Eventually, she arrived at the entrance. Seeing the gate slightly ajar. She knew better than to ask. She saw her baby brother and… a girl? Not one of Gianna’s gang. She certainly wished he’d stop talking to that monster. Did he? “Hey! You two! Get in!”

A little longer? She could do that. Probably. Ananya stifled another yawn before nodding, letting Lucas pull her up. She didn't let him do all the work, last thing she wanted to do was make Lucas drag a dead sleeping body towards the gate when the chances of being caught by another patrolling officer was high. Ananya eyed him from the corner of her eye when he asked about her room, nodding slightly. "I don't recognise my roommate though. Amelia? Yeah, Amelia something. Huh. It's strange how I don't even know many Mayweather students. Is that weird?" She was barely aware that she was rambling. It was the only thing that was keeping her awake, except for the lingering fear from almost getting caught. "I should stop hiding in the training room and library so much. Maybe that's why I don't have many friends. OH god I was supposed to get names for that tourna-thingie. Y'know that one-" Her rambling grew quieter as Lucas broke the lock open to let the two of them out. It was only a matter of time before someone came to pick the two of them up. Vaguely aware that it was possibly the person Lucas was talking to on the phone earlier, Ananya could barely raise her arm in a limp wave before sighing. She didn't need to be told twice to get in. The quicker she could get to a comfortable surface, the better. "Another friend? Hello. I'm snake. No. I'm Anananya." She huffed as she said her own name wrong. "Wow, I don't even know if this is the alcohol or the sleep talking. Hey. Since we're friends, you should know that this guy is a peeper. He watched me get dressed. How rude, right? I paid him with alcohol to shut him up so..." She prattled on, her voice growing quieter as her eyes grew heavier. She couldn't stop herself as her head slowly leaned towards the side, resting on Lucas' shoulder before mumbling something that sounded like comfy before growing silent.

“Nice to meet you, Anananya. That’s a pretty name.” Lana was always genuine with her compliments. Especially now as Lucas finally brought a good looking girl with him. Not that she thought that Brenna or Gianna weren’t good looking. They just weren’t looking like they were up to any good. Then again, she had no doubt Lucas got the poor child into some trouble they needed to be saved from. Her brother was such a bad influence. Always had been since… well… Her. When both the kids got seated, Lana started the car and the short trip back towards Mayweather. The girl was definitely a cute one as she mumbled on about roommates and friends.

“He did what now!?” Not even a few seconds into the ride and she already threw a furious gaze in the back mirror towards Lucas. Who sat there petrified. “I-I can explain!” He stampered, clearly fearful of his sister’s wrath. But then he realized literally everything they did was pretty much illegal. The more Lana would know, the worse. Especially now. What if Mrs. Lovelace was still awake!? The thought was stupid, should he be sober. But his drunk brain was already panicking. “I –euhm- we…just.” No, he couldn’t find an excuse. For one he was drunk and tired. So lying already got harder. But him lying to his sister? That was just impossible. “Sorry..?” he stampered out, in a way of half-hearted apology as he didn’t know what else to say. “Oh you’re going to get it tomorrow. You better charge that phone!” It was clear Lana was not at all pleased.

But in secret she was. The two in the back were total cuties. Whatever Ananya said, she clearly trusted Lucas as she was now literally sleeping on his shoulder. Maybe he finally found a good girl for him? She’d have to stick around for this. Family day would be the perfect opportunity to get to know the girl better.

After a trip that felt like it took ages, Lucas and Ananya were finally dropped off near the dorms. But to Lucas, it was far too clear Ananya was in no state to even move. So he could do only one thing. Gathering up all the power he had he lifted her off her feet and carried her up the stairs. “Oh god, this was a mistake.” He mumbled to himself. Luckily he knew Amelia’s room number. Only for the sole reason that she was the only one who knew he got hurt so bad. If she leaked it, he would know where to find her. But now he knocked on her door for a whole different reason. The girl that opened up, though, was not the beautiful ray of sunshine that he saw at the infirmary. “It’s 2 in the morn- oh… Oh come on in.” the girl sniffled. Her make-up was smudged with long lines of her cheek. Clearly, she had been crying. A lot. In fact, he was fairly sure she still was. Silent he walked in, put Ananya down in her bad and finally covered her with her blanket.

---

---

When Gianna began her performance, there were many words that could be used to describe it. Captivating. Enchanting. Mesmerizing. Arousing. For the time in which she was up on her stage, twirling around the pole with all the sensuality and elegance of an ancient Greek nymph, she was without a doubt the centerpiece of the entire club, and all eyes were on her.

All, perhaps, except four.

Those four eyes belonged to a pair of girls out on the dance floor, and at least one of them, a young looking Asian in a red dress, wasn’t paying the Delphina senior any attention in the slightest. Of course, she had paused to look when the music dimmed, but once it started back up, so did she. The mind of the eldest Ikeda daughter was comfortably insulated inside a fantasy concocted by her own power; she needed no assistance in bringing out her desires, for they were already on full display. While she lacked the sheer talent of Cupid’s Psyche, Ikeda made up for it with a confidence and surety that was almost brazen. Every click of her heels on the floor, every sweep of her arms and sway of her hip was simple yet refined, relaxed yet purposeful, elegant yet daring: the movements of one who was in perfect awareness and control of their body. Her dance was a challenge, and a promise, one that spoke volumes without a single word.

Of course, one couldn’t issue an invitation like that in a crowded nightclub and not have a few who would try to accept. Indeed, as the Delphina senior’s performance ended and the crowd pressed in around the pair it was more than a few men, and even a couple women who would sidle up in an attempt to get close to what they saw to be the exotic girl putting on her own show, and it was here that her real strength showed itself. Every hand that came in askance, every smile that tried to entice, every body that pressed up in demand, was gently yet firmly brushed aside in a manner that did not disrupt her rhythm. Those who persisted, and there would always be one or two, would find themselves on the receiving end of a violet gaze that, while not threatening, shook them to the core and left them feeling like they had just stared down a tiger. The message soon became clear: Minako Ikeda was not concerned about if anyone was watching the show (though virtually everyone was). Participating, however, was only done on her terms, and the crowd realized that respecting that was a wise course of action indeed.

In fact, the only one who consistently remained close to her was her dark-haired companion in a blue dress.

The companion in question was a little less immune to the effects of either performance. Despite being perhaps a little drunk, she’d carried herself with remarkable restraint and control throughout the evening despite her friend’s show - the memories of their talk earlier in the day still relatively fresh in her mind, particularly the awkwardness involved when she’d pushed something. While she had her suspicions as to her friend’s exact ‘mood’, she didn’t want to risk anything, putting the attitude change down to the atmosphere and new environment of the club. Beyond the occasional glance that she couldn’t stop herself from taking, she hadn’t seemed too affected compared to the dancers surrounding them.

Once Psyche’s performance had started, it was easy to see the girl’s controlled manner starting to fade away. She’d started to let herself get closer, dancing becoming less restrained, freer, everything just seeming a little bit more exciting. Her expression had begun to change with her behaviour, ignoring the glares of those around her as she drew nearer. A slow, small smile had begun to spread across her face. Where once her eyes had lingered for a brief second before darting away, they now raked over every inch of the other girl’s body with a ferocious intensity that could only be described as hunger.

It was a gaze that Minako did not shy away from; in fact, she opened herself more to it, drawing closer until nearly every movement caused the pair to briefly brush up against one another. ”You seem to be enjoying yourself a lot, Amy.” A sensuous smile played about her lips, her own eyes taking in every inch of her friend’s form with an equal, albeit tempered interest.

The look Amy gave in return was almost predatory. With a smile, she slowly and deliberately brushed up against her friend and spoke in a low whisper. ”I could say the same for you.” She smiled, then drew back slightly, casting Minako a playful look as though she were daring the other girl to come closer. It was almost a challenge, in a way.

In two steps, Minako moved forward, taking Amy’s wrist and spinning them both until the other freshman’s back was pressed fully against her front, arms crossed in front of her so that Minako’s hands were cupping Amy’s opposite hip. ”How can I not?” she whispered in Amy’s ear with a voice that sent a shiver racing up her spine. A heartbeat and they were once again apart, Minako’s eyes travelling up Amy’s body from her heels to lock with her grey ones, wetting her lips with her tongue. ”When I have such good company to share it with?” She had to speak a little louder to be heard over the music.

Normally, Amy would have continued with their verbal tug-of-war, but all thoughts of putting together a retort disappeared from her mind as soon as her eyes locked with Minako’s. Even though she’d felt it before, the girl’s powers seemed to be affecting her even more strongly this time - although that was probably just herself being a little more sensitive at this point. As it was, what had before been a slightly pleasurable if unusual feeling was now positively irresistible to the dark-haired girl.

Her lips parted slightly, breathing getting slightly faster as she continued to hold the other girl’s gaze. The rhythmic pulsing light that she had thought she’d seen in Minako’s eyes the last time was definitely noticeable now, flowing out to bathe her in an inviting warmth that seemed to suffuse her mind and body, making it impossible for Amy to look away. Maybe she could, maybe she couldn’t, but either way she really didn’t want to. It felt so good to just lose herself in it. Unconsciously, she took a step towards Minako, a feeling unlike anything else Amy had ever felt before radiating throughout her being, like violet sparks shooting along her thoughts, exciting her.

She wanted to listen to her. Wanted to do whatever she said, wanted her. Even the thought of it made Amy’s whole body feel hot. Her voice low, eyes clouded in an expression torn between adoration and pure lust, Amy spoke. ”What do you want me to do?” she almost growled, completely taken in by the other girl’s power, the uncontrollable feelings that kept rushing through her as she looked at Minako.

As she came into reach, Minako’s hands settled on Amy’s hips as she smiled, encouraging the girl to follow her swaying movements. ”You’re already doing it. Just move with me.”

”Of course.” Amy was quick to listen, following Minako’s dancing and settling her own hands at the other girl’s waist. What she hadn’t anticipated was the feeling she would get from listening - from obeying Minako’s orders. As she began to move in sync with Minako, everything she’d been feeling before seemed to intensify almost without warning. The more they danced, the stronger the effects seemed to get, the hotter Amy felt and the more obvious it became. Hunger and desperation were etched on her face as she looked at Minako, finding herself wanting the other girl more and more with each passing second. All she could think about were the feelings coursing through her body and the girl who was causing them. Nothing else mattered.

---

Across the club, a certain red head was not enjoying herself. Avalon had been brought up on cocktail parties and galas, not the clubs of New York City. Even as a teenager, the house parties she went to were never this wild. Still, she had a job to do, and that job required her to be here, at least for a little bit.

While she’d instructed Will to get close to Eliana Lovelace, Avalon’s job was a bit different. Sam had sent her a picture of an Asian girl, no one she’d seen before, gallivanting around with Gianna. Any new cohorts of the Delphina Queen were important enough to become possible cohorts of Avalon, depending on their allegiance. If she was lucky, this new player hadn’t made a decision yet, and Avalon could rope her over to Sam’s side of things, taking one more of Gianna’s pawns.

This new plaything of Gianna’s was proving very hard to find however. She’d spotted Will, the Ice Queen, even Carmen Chavana, though only God knew what she was doing here. And then, as she pushed her way through the crowd, she spotted her, dancing sensually with a dark haired girl. Reinvigorated by her find, Avalon put on her friendliest face and strutted over to the pair, unaware of what she was getting herself into. ”Hey! You guys go to Mayweather right? I’m Avalon!” she said, dancing to the music and grinning wildly, despite her utter hatred of her surroundings.

For some time, Amy and Minako had swayed together like that, both savouring the intensity of the pleasure that filled them. Finally, a chipper voice at last caused the more dominant of the two to raise her head, looking at the girl over Amy’s shoulder. ”Hmm?” Slowly, her eyes roved down and up Avalon’s body, taking in every inch of the black dress that hung from her shoulders and put her tantalizingly on display. It was obvious that this was a girl who possessed excellent taste in fashion, and was, to put it in lovingly crude terms, fucking hot. In fact, one would have to be blind to not notice it, or that she was obviously dressed for fun. Something that Minako decided that she was more than happy to accommodate her with. After all, as she had said to Carmen, the more the merrier.

Licking her lips, her glowing violet eyes settled on Avalon’s emerald ones with a look that made it clear just how much she appreciated the newcomer’s appearance, and how little innocence that appreciation had. ”Avalon? That’s a lovely name.” Minako effortlessly slipped around Amy and moved with the sinuous grace of a tigress moving towards its prey, never losing her rhythm with the music or breaking eye contact. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you, Avalon,” she smiled, the name rolling off her tongue, ”What brings someone such as yourself out tonight?”

Amy’s reaction to Avalon’s arrival was significantly less welcoming. Even in her current distracted state of mind she knew who the redhead was, and could put together a few theories about what she would be doing in Delirium of all places which didn’t exactly make her thrilled at the girl’s presence no matter how good-looking she was. The fact that she’d chosen to interrupt their dance just added to Amy’s annoyance and she found herself unbelievably frustrated at the whole situation - in more ways than one. While her attention remained firmly on Minako for the most part, the look she shot Avalon was more than enough to convey her feelings about the intrusion.

Avalon’s body was flooded with warmth as this mysterious acquaintance of Gia’s looked into her eyes. No. More than her eyes. It was almost as if this girl was staring into her soul. And it felt...grand. She no longer needed to force a grin, it simply came, and she soon found that this club wasn’t all that bad. Quaint even. She looked into Minako’s eyes, doing nothing to break the bond that was unknowingly forming between her and the mysterious Asian girl. ”If we’re being honest, it was you,” Avalon said as she began to dance, moving her body to the music.

She couldn’t lie to this girl, this wonderfully nice, incredibly beautiful girl. How could she? She was just so wonderful. ”Some rather powerful people have taken an interest in you. What are you doing, running around with Gianna Daniels?” The red head’s question may have been accusatory, but her tone was anything but. It begged for this girl to grace her with an answer, to honor her with a response. She was too far into the spider’s web. There was no escaping now, at least not on her own.

Swaying in time, Minako just smiled. ”I’ve been dealing with powerful people my entire life, Avalon.” She really did like the way the sophomore’s name sounded in her mouth. ”There’s nothing new about that.” Mindful of someone that she was neglecting (which wouldn’t do at all), she slowly turned around to face Amy, frowning as she caught the sour look on her friend’s face. ”Amy, don’t be rude. We have a new friend who wants to join us, be nice.” Continuing with her twirl, hips sweeping around as she moved, she once again made eye contact with Avalon, guiding the girl until she stood between Minako and Amy, the better to look at them both. Tilting her head, Minako pursed her lips as she considered the question. ”As for Gianna… she helped me out when I first arrived at school, and we do see each other now and again.” As she spoke, she gestured for Amy to come closer, then settled her hands on Avalon’s hips, gently guiding her until their movements were mirror images of each other and moving herself closer until only a few inches separated their faces.

The look on Amy's face had only gotten darker as Avalon revealed her reasoning, but upon hearing Minako's voice Amy's glare faded completely. "You're right," she murmured quietly. Of course, what was she thinking? There weren't any problems here for her to deal with anyway - or at least she'd gone far too deep to actually care. As the other two began to dance, she took a fresh look at the newcomer. Now that her misgivings had disappeared, she could definitely see where her friend had been coming from - and when said friend beckoned her closer, she didn't hesitate to draw towards the pair as Minako pulled Avalon closer. The lust from before once again ruling her mind, and she approached, pressing closely against the taller girl's back with a dangerous smile, hands brushing across her ribs and looking past her at the girl who was the real focus of her attention. But for now she’d been ordered to pay attention to Avalon, and that she was certainly doing.

Minako’s smile widened as Amy complied, nodding her head to indicate her pleasure with the action before turning her attention back to the enraptured Avalon. ”I consider her to be a friend, though I am sure she has her own intentions. Everyone does, even you,” she pressed more firmly against the sophomore, subtly grinding Avalon between herself and Amy as Minako whispered in her ear, ”Avalon.” The slight tremble that she felt run through Avalon’s body made her quietly giggle, and Minako drew back enough that she could look directly at her blushing face, loving the way the rich color made her adoring green eyes stand out even more. ”But, things like that are worries for the morning. Tonight, I just want to dance with my friends and have fun.” Cupping Avalon's cheek in her hand, Minako pressed more firmly against her as her knee slipped between the girl's legs. ”Do you want be my friend, Avalon?” she asked quietly, her tone heavy with implication and desire.

Avalon was not quite sure what was happening, but any fight she might have had was gone. Somewhere, deep down inside her, there was a voice that was warning her away, that her target was more than she seemed, but it was so quiet that its existence wasn’t even known to the red head. All she wanted to do was dance with these two girls, and that’s exactly what she’d do. She ground against Minako, and shivered as she posed her question. ”Yes. I’d like that.” The normal hint of sass in her voice was gone. Instead, her statement was tinged with a breathy joy, betraying the desire building up inside her.

Across the dance floor, through a crowd of drunken young adults, a very drunk girl with jet black hair had attracted an even bigger crowd than before, and she was having quite some time. Until she decided she wanted another drink. ”Sorry, boys, but I’ve got shots to take. Catch ya later!” she said with a giggle, strutting across the dance floor, and straight into the practical threesome that was going on between Amy, Minako, and Avalon. ”Get a fuck-” she began, before being cut off by the intense eyes of Minako. Suddenly, she just wanted to dance some more. Who needed another shot? This girl in front of her was just as good as liquor.

Looking up as a slight chill drifted across her bare arms, Minako blinked at the girl who had plowed into their group. There was something about her that seemed familiar, a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that said Minako knew her from somewhere. ”Oh! Gomen’nasai,” she said gracefully, steadying Avalon and Amy as they recovered. Whoever this girl was, she was easily just as attractive as her new friends, and Minako gave her a friendly, if hungry smile. ”Hmm, have we...” Her brow creased, then flattened as a memory rose. ”Oh! I know you, you’re a friend of Gianna’s. I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of being introduced.”

Brenna’s blank face quickly transformed into a smile as the girl spoke to her. Avalon was staring daggers at her, but the Ice Queen didn’t care. ”Yes, I’m Brenna,” she said, her tone chipper yet strangely flat. This was not the voice of someone who was truly in control of herself. It was the voice of someone who was in a very strange place, a place that she couldn’t quite understand. Talking to this girl made her feel so good, she never wanted to stop. Her hips swayed to the music and she continued smiling at the Asian girl, ignoring the glares from Avalon.

Minako’s eyes walked up and down the Delphina’s body in open admiration. ”Brenna,” she said quietly, almost as though she was speaking about a lover, and her own hips resumed their undulating movement. ”Well, any friend of Gianna’s is a friend of mine. My name is Ikeda, and I would love it,” Minako’s voice dropped slightly as she emphasized the word, ”If you joined us.” Turning around, she smiled lovingly over her shoulder, gesturing with her sweeping hands in an invitation to come closer. When her attention returned to Avalon and Amy, however, she caught their less than pleased expressions, and frowned reproachfully. ”Girls. Is that any way to treat a new friend,” she chided as Brenna pressed herself up against her back, each of Minako’s hands coming up to caress and cup the respective Mayweather’s face. ”This is supposed to be a night of dancing and smiles, not anger and frowns. Let’s have fun!”

With those words, Minako closed her eyes, letting the music direct her body and her mind enjoy the touch of the three very, very sexy women who surrounded her. In that moment, she, and they, were nothing more than conduits for the warm, pure pleasure that flowed through them, and each had never felt more desirable, more natural, more wanted in their lives. It was a feeling unlike any other, like the entire rest of the world was fading away, and the only thing of importance was each other, and the one who had brought them together. ”It can be so tiresome, arguing and fighting over things.” Her words drifted into each of the girl’s minds, as feather-soft and gentle as a caress as they sank deep into their subconscious. ”It takes so much energy, and leaves us so angry and hurt. In the end, what does it get us? Nothing but pain and sorrow.”

Her expression fell for a moment, and her movements slowed. ”It leaves us alone.”

As Minako spoke to them, Amy seemed to become more relaxed about Brenna’s presence, the voice in her head that had been screaming at Amy how dealing with either her or Avalon was a very bad idea being effectively silenced. She certainly didn’t dislike either of them personally, and that was apparent from the way she was acting - the only thing holding her back was knowing about their feud. But that was just stupid, wasn’t it? Worrying about something like that. No, she just had to focus on what she wanted now.

With this thought, Amy was quick to rejoin their ‘dance’ properly, this time her attention being focused entirely on Minako once again. She felt wanted by the other girl, felt needed, and the feeling was mutual. That was certainly apparent in the way Amy’s movements had changed as she pressed up against her friend’s front, eyes almost seeming to shine with desire as she continued to move against her. Her gaze travelled up Minako’s body, blatantly focusing on a few very particular areas, but froze once it reached the other girl’s expression. She looked sad. Amy couldn’t have that. With a small smile, her hand travelled up, placed gently on the side of Minako’s face just to make the other girl look at her. She didn’t say anything, but the message she was trying to send was clear - Minako was anything but alone.

Avalon had since stopped staring daggers at Brenna, too distracted by her dancing with Minako to really even pay attention to the Ice Queen. Brenna had since joined the triad of dancers and now this quartet seemed to meld together perfectly, in a sensual display of their beauty. Whatever Brenna might later remember of this night, it would be tinged with a healthy dose of confusion as to why she’d ever become so erotic with these girls, most of whom she despised merely on principle. Tonight though, the feud mattered very little. In that moment all either of them cared about was that Minako was no longer happy. So, they drew even closer to their mysterious new “friend” an effort to gain her attention and make her feel as if she had plenty of people to keep her from feeling so lonely.

Unable to help herself in the face of their eager, concerned expressions and exciting touches across her body, Minako smiled and pressed into Amy’s hand, one arm slipping behind her to pull Brenna’s torso more firmly against her back and the other sliding across Avalon’s shoulders beside her, once more letting herself sink back into the rhythm and the thrill of the three bodies against her. The lights, the music, and the delicious sensations sent pulses of heat straight to her core, making her want to sigh and feeling more alive than she ever had before. ”Having a chance like this, just letting all that tiring anger, all those worries just drift away. Just… letting go, it feels… so good, doesn’t it. Being with friends,” she arched her back, pressing her breasts into Amy’s, ”Meeting new ones,” her hand curled up to brush over Avalon’s cheek and the shell of her ear, ”Having that pleasure,” grinding her ass into Brenna’s waist, ”It’s the most… incredible feeling. They make life worth living,” she smiled salaciously, ”Don’t you think?”

Brenna grinned, her eyes dazed, affected not only by Minako’s influence over her, but also by the alcohol she’d been drinking for most of the night. ”Yes. Yes they do, Ikeda.” she said, grinding into the smaller girl. Avalon was too distracted with her dancing to vocally respond, but she nodded in agreement. Anyone who knew either girl would suspect something fishy, knowing very well that Avalon was rarely one to keep her mouth shut, and Brenna found very few people who actually made her life worth living, and none of them were standing in front of her. But the Ice Queen felt so immensely pleasured when she agreed with Minako, that she felt no need to stop. And so, she nodded and swayed her hips.

Amy couldn’t bring herself to disagree. Everything the girl was saying rang true to her, and this had been her idea, after all. What she’d wanted, really. To spend time with Minako, to meet other people, to let go of all her worries for the night. How could she argue against it now? So instead, she just murmured in agreement. ”Of course.” Smiling softly, she leaned into Minako’s touch, meeting the other girl’s eyes with a gaze filled with desire - desire for more. After spending so much time under her friend’s spell, Amy’s patience was giving way, and it was definitely beginning to show.

Minako met her friend’s gaze without fear, her violet eyes almost literally burning with a lust that was scarcely contained. ”If more people sought out pleasure like this, and spent less time trying to tear one another down, I think many people would be a lot happier.” Even her voice was husky with desire.

As Minako finished speaking, the last remains of Amy’s self-control finally gave in. Whatever little wall had been holding her back from doing anything reckless just collapsed, forgetting about whatever consequences might have weighed on her mind. She wanted Minako, and Minako seemed to want her, too - and as the thought crossed her mind, there was nothing she wanted more than to act on it. To show her friend just how much she wanted her. Drawing the other girl closer, Amy hesitated for a brief second - but in that moment, nothing other than her lust seemed to matter, as she leaned in and kissed the other girl fiercely.

As far as kisses went, it was… not particularly special. Amy had kissed a fair amount of boys before, but she was far from skilled, and her ardor made her rushed, sloppy. Minako had even less experience, having spent her entire life up until this point being dedicated to learning the ins and outs of her family’s business; add in the fact that she had had zero inclinations towards any possible suitors, and it meant that she had had no romantic relationships of any kind. The action caught her off guard, and her inexperience showed, but deep as she was inside her own trance, she made up for it with an even greater and far more commanding intensity, pulling Amy tight against her body and practically forcing her tongue into the girl’s mouth, as though she was claiming Amy as her own.

For all of a few seconds.

Despite her dominating mood, something began percolating in the back of her mind, a feeling that began growing in strength that there was something not right about this situation, something that she was forgetting. The feeling persisted, and it began showing in her body language, the grip of her arm around Amy’s waist growing slack with confusion, the intensity with which she reciprocated her friend’s desire weakening as her brow furrowed. Then, like a mirror shattering on the ground, her trance broke, and she realized what precisely she was doing, where she was doing it, and whom she was doing it with.

Minako’s eyes shot open as panic surged through her, and she broke the kiss with as much abruptness as Amy had initiated it with, stumbling back against Brenna as she gasped for breath. ”Wha...Amy? Why did you...” She looked around her wildly, taking in the sight of Avalon clinging to both herself and Amy, feeling Brenna practically grinding herself against her back.

Amy looked bewildered by Minako’s sudden pulling away, her own eyes having opened a little more slowly only to be confronted by the expression that was twisting the other girl’s face. Even while under the trance, Amy found herself taking a step back. Why did she seem so panicked? She gave her friend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. ”Did I do something wrong?” she asked, concerned. Wanting to step forward, but not quite feeling confident enough to, Amy continued, sincere worry breaking through past any other thoughts she may have had and shining through her words. ”Is there anything I can do to fix it? Anything at all?”

Her thoughts consumed in a hurricane of turbulent emotions, Minako brought her hand to her mouth, looking at her friend with a stunned expression. She could clearly see the path of events that had brought her to this point, she just couldn’t believe how she had been acting. Why had she been acting like that? She hadn’t had anything to drink at all, in fact, she still felt quite like herself. If it wasn’t for the sensation of Amy’s lips still tingling on hers, and the pervading smell of sweat, smoke and alcohol, she would swear that she was dreaming, that this was just another of her fantasies featuring her friend a couple random girls she had seen. The pulsing heat in her body continued to fill her, turning into a terrible pressure in her head, like her skull was going to crack open and explode. Tears began pooling in her eyes. ”G...g...gomen’nasai!” she gasped, falling back into her native Japanese as she turned and began pushing through the writhing crowd of dancers, unaware and uncaring of just where she was actually going. There were too many people, too many lights, too much noise, she needed space and it just hurt so much!

Still not quite understanding what had happened, Amy stood fixed in place for a few seconds, eyes tracking Minako as her friend disappeared into the crowd. Internally, her thoughts mostly consisted of worry and concern. Everything had been fine, there was nothing wrong until... Oh. Of course - of course it was the kiss. She didn’t think she'd done it out of nowhere. Minako had seemed just as caught up in everything as Amy was. Unsure of herself, guilt rushed over Amy. It was a mistake, she had to apologise - but would the girl even want to see her?

Finally making her mind up, but without really paying attention to where she was going, Amy wanted to start after Minako, to try and fix whatever had happened, but she’d lost track of the girl in the crowd. Amy paused, glancing back at the other two members of the dance with guilt clear on her face. What were they meant to do now?

Brenna stalked up to this stupid girl who’d upset her new “friend,” a scowl on her face. ”You upset her! You bitch!” Brenna shrieked as she got up close and personal with Amy. Before the other girl could even respond, Brenna shoved her, earning a terrified scream from Avalon, and sending Amy stumbling back, while Brenna sneered.

Avalon simply stood there in shock, her eyes wide. Minako was gone, upset and hiding somewhere. What could she do to help? She turned away from the other two girls, and began stumbling through the club, searching for Minako. Where was she? Tears began to stream down her face as she became more frantic in her search, and it wasn’t long before she was sobbing in one of the bathrooms, unable to find her friend.

Any casual, or preoccupied onlooker could be forgiven for thinking that Minako was drunk. Head down, unsteady and swaying on her feet as she staggered through the crowd, she was barely watching where she was going. An advantage to this was that almost everyone she bumped into (which was a lot) simply brushed her off. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for some people to go just a little overboard at the bar as the night progressed. Hell, Minako wasn’t only who was having trouble keeping their feet under them, though in those cases it was used as an excuse to cop a feel of whomever it was that they happened to fall against.

If anyone had bothered to actually look at her, however, it would be plain to see that all was not well with Mayweather freshman. She wasn’t watching where she was going because her head clutched in her hands, in a desperate and futile attempt to relieve the pulsating pain that was currently beating a tattoo against the inside of her skull. Tears were now falling freely down her cheeks, smearing what makeup she wore, and a broken stream of Japanese flowed from her lips. This was not the appearance of a girl who was enjoying herself.

Not everyone was content to let her pass, though. An arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against a tall dark-haired man who openly leered at her. “Whoa, hey now hot stuff, where’re you goin’? You’re lookin’ fine tonight.”

”Itai… wa teishi...kuda…” The whimpered words were almost completely unintelligible beneath the booming music as Minako twisted in an attempt to free herself from the man’s grasp.

The man simply grinned as he ground against her hip. “Hey, come on, don’t be like that.”

It was getting to be too much for her. The music was too loud, the man was wearing some sort of spicy cologne that making the pain in her head worse, and the dense crowd of people was making her feel like she was suffocating. ”Teba...nasu!” With desperate strength, Minako shoved the man away from her, catching him off guard as she tore from his grasp and sending him staggering into another nearby couple. The action also gave her some much needed, albeit little space, and she continued on in her search for relief.

She didn’t make it far before she collided with another girl in a red dress, knocking the drink in her hand to the floor, and this time Minako’s legs nearly failed her, dropping her to her knees.

---

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---

The first thing Ananya noticed when she awoke was that throbbing pain in the back of her head. It was unlike what Ananya had ever experienced before. Her eyelids felt heavy, and the ringing in her ear never seemed to stop. Groaning, she sat up on the bed, the blanket falling off her body as she peered towards her ringing alarm clock. "So that's the ringing..." She muttered, reaching out and slamming the clock from the stand, causing it to fall onto the ground with an audible crack. The sudden sound caused the Nag to wince, her eyes still squinting at the somewhat opened windows in front of her.

Ananya groaned, rubbing her head as she tried looking for anything that could soothe her parched throat. "How'd I...?" Ananya looked around the room, rubbing her forehead as she tried racking her brain for the events of the previous night. It wasn't like she remembered nothing, it came more in little snippets, the rest being too blurry to totally make out what the hell was going on. Ananya remembered getting dropped off at Delirium, then finding Lucas and lying to his face about her purpose for being there. Ananya cringed at her lie. How could she have thought she could've gotten away with that? Anyway... then she remembered drinks... loads of it, and then that's when things got hazy. "Wait, why are my clothes so messy?"

Amelia had, quite possibly, the worst night of her life behind her. For starters, she could barely fall asleep as she discovered just how much she could cry. How did she fall this low? Was it so easy to fall towards her other side? To give in to her nature? She did horrible things to Sylvia. Basically using and seducing her but thinking nothing more of her as a walking, breathing, warmed-up blood bag. How could she think like that about people!? When she finally nightmares kept plaguing her. Mostly of her father, who’d sent her to Delphina on the ground of her villainous behavior. She screamed and kicked but the burned out husk of the Delphina school still dragged her in. Towards the darkness.

At 5 in the morning, she shot up in cold sweat, crying out. After that, her immediate thought was to worry. About Ananya. Lucas had carried her and the girl seemed to smell as much as booze as Lucas did. The last thing Amelia wanted was to accidentally wake the girl up. But she seemed to be sleeping straight through it. At least the vampiress had that going for her. But sleeping wasn’t an option. So instead she went to the kitchen.

Following hours she was filling by watching Disney movies (with her headset, so not to wake Ananya) as she lips synced all the songs. If she knew them or not, it didn’t matter to her. She just went along with it. She kept sitting on her bed, but with arms flailing and ‘dancing’ to the music. When she wasn’t singing, she was eating ice cream drowned in chocolate syrup. For just a few hours she wanted to be happy. Even if that happiness was entirely synthetic.

But then Ananya woke up. Amelia didn’t see that until she heard a loud bang of an object falling to the ground. She turned around and saw her roommate just wincing at the sound. Amelia took off her headphones and immediately went to her cabinet. As student nurse, she always had some medical supplies on hand. Right after Ananya asked why her clothes were so messy, the blonde put a glass with a painkiller next to it on Ananya nightstand. “Take it and down the glass. You’ll feel better.” She said to the Indian girl after which she walked back to her bed and sat cross-legged. “Can’t really answer why your clothes are dirty.” She admitted. Though she was very curious herself. Well, she did mean how the answer would start: Lucas. But what did he do? “Lucas carried you in. That’s how you got here. I didn’t know my roomie knew the big bad puppy of Delphina.” She carefully joked. “What happened last night? Looks like you had quite a party.”

Ananya grimaced as the sound caused Amelia to stop watching her movie. She uttered a low thank you as Ananya took the painkiller and glass of water, tossing the pills into her open mouth before washing it down with liquid heaven. "Oh thank you, god, I needed that so much." She spoke after a minute once she felt like her throat was willing to cooperate more. "Puppy? Lucas isn't anywhere as cute and innocent as a puppy." She huffed, before groaning as she attempted to slide out of her warm bed.

"I just met him yesterday at that party. I wanted to check out the party and hopefully get a couple names to choose from for the tournament, but Lucas caught me out in my lie. I told him I knew Gianna." Ananya paused for a minute, waiting for Amelia's reaction as she checked through her drawers for a fresh change of clothes. "Still brought me inside though, dunno why. He got me drunk, and I can't remember much after that." Pulling out a pink tank with a long black skirt, Ananya folded them and placed them to the side. "Did anything happen last night? You don't look so good." She nodded towards Amelia's somewhat puffy eyes.

Amelia winced when she heard Ananya claimed she knew Gianna. That was just a bad idea all around. Nothing good came of it. Amelia never met the queen of Delphina. She saw her, though, sometimes. The worst thing, though, was what she heard. She fully realized that not all gossips should be believed. But when so many people talked about one woman and all had the same story, how much of it were lies and what was truth? “That probably wasn’t such a good idea. They don’t call him Gianna’s puppy for nothing. If what they say is true, that guy would beat someone bloody if she just wants it.” Amelia explained.

“I-I’m okay” I bit someone and it made her.. wobbly on her feet. After we confessed to her supposed lover. Which wasn’t that mad. I then proceeded to do it again when I got drunk. On the dancefloor. Oh but before I bit her I played with her as if she was nothing but a sentient toy. As cherry on the pie I was such a coward that, when I realized what I was doing, I just run and left her out on the dancefloor with nobody she knew. I’m horrible. “Sort of.”

“But… wait. Hold on! He asked you inside? Like… what? Did he drag you before Gianna? Did she get you drunk? I mean, you should tell an councilor if they forced you to do drink!” Amelia immediately kicked into worried gear. Her most natural state. As well as the easiest way to surpress her own guilt. She’d have to talk to Sylvia. On the dancefloor she may have been a coward, but now she’d have to live up to her choices. Still, she sincerely hoped it wasn’t the case. She did expect Lucas to be capable of forcing a girl to drink. But the vampiress just hoped her roommie hadn’t gone through some sort of hell or something. It would certaintly explain the dirty clothes. Or at least start explaining it.

Ananya's eyes narrowed at Amelia's vague answer. Part of her wanted to push the girl into telling her what was bothering her, but she wasn't sure whether they could be considered close enough for Ananya's interest in the matter to be anything other than annoying or in bad taste. Maybe it would be best to leave it; let the vampire say it when she's ready. Nodding to herself as if silently agreeing, Ananya then returned to sit on her bed, facing the blonde. "I don't want to seem insensitive but if there is something that is bothering you, you can tell me. I'd be happy to help, even as just a listening ear." Ananya added a hesitant smile at the end, unsure how the vampire would take her concern. She waited for a moment before answering her questions, speaking up a little louder as she could feel her headache slowly recede.

"No, I-uh, never met Gianna. Um, he did sorta force me to drink at first but I suppose I decided to keep going, going by how much my head hurts and how little I remember about the night before." She then laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "My feet do feel a bit sore though, and I briefly remember dancing." She then looked down at her dress, her thumb brushing against the dirt marks. "I guess after that I went outside? But I don't know what I'd be doing to make my dress so dirty. And I can't even find my boots I wore last night... Did I even wear my shoes back to our room?" Ananya tilted her head.

“Thanks.” Amelia gave Ananya a sincere smile. But it felt quite strange to be offered help, as she always was the helper. Not that it felt bad in any way. It was just a new feeling. One she didn’t think she was worthy of. Especially not after what she did. Venting wouldn’t help, only living up to the consequences would. “It’s not insensitive. It’s actually really nice.” A master in turning around conversations. That she did learn from her father. She turned Ananya’s care into praise for the Indian girl. And it should be praised. It was a good thing to do, caring for one another.

“Yeah, Delirium has a wicked dancing floor.” A flash of Sylvia and her there went through Amelia’s head, immediately making her face a little darker looking. “You went outside? Well, that’s a start. You don’t happen to know where you went, do you?” Of course Amelia was super interested now. Where did Lucas lead her too? Some villainous lair? That wouldn’t explain the dirt. There aren’t that many places left in New York where you could find actual dirt. How deep down the rabbit hole did Lucas get the poor girl that she remembered this little of last night? “You didn’t have shoes on, or with you. I’m sure they’ll turn up.”

Ananya's cheeks grew dark at the praise, and she cleared her throat while avoiding eye contact. She wasn't used to praise, so she always reacted awkwardly when someone decides to compliment her. "Thanks? I, erm- it's good to that people care about you, y'know? I may have only known you for a few hours at tops, but you're still my roommate and I care." Ananya bit down at her lip to stop herself from rambling.

"Erm," She paused, closing her eyes so she could think. Where did they go? Now that was the million dollar question. She forgot about her boots as she racked her brain for any ideas, but the dirt on her clothes could've been from anywhere! "I remember getting up on a tree. Like, sliding on it. So it's safe to say something forced me to shift, which might be the reason why my clothes are dirty?" There was still a dull ache in her bones, the sign that usually reminds her of her recent shift, only this time she couldn't exactly remember what happened, except that something happened.

“Shift?” Amelia had no clue what the girl meant with shift. Well, she had some clue. Shifting was the term supers used who could transform into something. She knew this because, technically, she’s a shifter too. But she never shifted into her Elder Form. She didn’t want to. Ever. It was the symbol of giving in to her vampiric nature. Still, she was curious. “Does it hurt? I mean, the shifting?” She could have asked into what she shifted. In hindsight, she actually thought that would be a more polite question. But it would seem curiosity kept winning out from her. She could only hope her roomie wouldn’t take offense in it. Because she sincerely didn’t mean any.

“Well, there aren’t that many trees in Manhattan.” Amelia started, visibly pondering on the situation. There were a few parks with trees. Manhattan wasn’t entirely devoid from green. But most parks closed at night. “Did… did you climb a fence? Or something? I mean, the only trees there are, are in parks. And –euhm- those close at night…” Did she really break into a park at night? Amelia sincerely hoped she didn’t. The girl seemed to be in a pretty confused state about it all. Maybe if the hangover resides a little would she remember anything? But that could only happen if she wasn’t too far off on the night itself.

Does it hurt? Ananya rubbed her elbow, squeezing down gently at the skin with a hiss. "Sort of, I mean I've shifted enough so it doesn't hurt as much - or I guess I'm just used to it? It's the lingering pain afterwards. That's how I know I shifted last night." Ananya sighed. "I suppose I might've forgotten my shoes wherever I shifted, I may have been too drunk to have picked them up when I changed back into my clothes..." She sighed with disappointment this time.

When Amelia asked whether she climbed a fence, Ananya shrugged. "Probably? Honestly it's all blank. I have to decide whether it's worth asking Lucas what happened last night but I'm not sure whether I really want to know..." What if she'd followed along with some evil scheme? Hell, maybe she initiated something evil under the influence, Ananya had no idea what sort of drunk she was. "Maybe it'll come back to me, or maybe its best if I plead ignorance."

Amelia listened attentively as Ananya described her shifting. But the more the girl talked about it, the less the vampiress looked forward to it. Getting used to the pain wasn’t on top of her bucket list. Could she live her entire life without turning into an elder? Her dad wouldn’t like that thought. He wouldn’t constantly stay in the Elder form. But during certain ‘events’ he reveled in nothing more than shifting and showcasing his strength. But then Ananya said something strange. Some really weird. “Wait… hold on… you changed back into your clothes with... Lucas nearby?” Did she do it!? Already!? Did he!? Maybe that was why her clothes were so dirty! Amelia blushed a little by the mere thought. But at the same time the vision of Leon shot through her mind.

Ananya's cheeks grew red, her hands reaching up to cup her cheeks as if to soothe her flaming skin as she thought about it. "Er- I mean- no!" Surely nothing like that happened, maybe Lucas didn't see her shift! He may be a villain but surely he didn't... Ananya sniffed, muttering under her breath. "Eh bhagvaan maine kya kiya..." She then looked at Amelia, her mouth pulled down to a frown with a flustered look, "Can you help me find out? I don't know whether I can face Lucas alone..." She closed her eyes again, rubbing at her inflamed face until... "Wait! I remember guards! Maybe you're right, we broke into a park?" That would be a more... innocent... explaination why she had to change with Lucas nearby...

The doubtful denial didn’t really make it more believable. In fact, Amelia immediately saw how red she got by the mere mention of it all. The cherry on top was the Hindi which Amelia couldn’t understand. Maybe her great-grandfather could. But she wasn’t about to call him just for this. Luckily for the girl she mentioned breaking into a park. “Okay, first off, let’s check the news.” She sincerely hoped that Ananya wasn’t in the news. The sheer amount of trouble that would cause would be unprecedented.

Break in at Central park

Somewhere around midnight one or several people managed to break into central park. How exactly these young people got inside is still unknown. Security guard Roy Breaker was patrolling the southern part of Central park when he came upon clothes. He told us that he heard a noise and saw movement near the swings. When Mr. Breaker returned with back-up to find the people responsible, the clothes, as well as a bottle of alcohol, was gone. So far there is no evidence of the act other than the broken gate on 59th street and 6th avenue.

At the same time Lucas hit send on his phone:


Amelia looked up from her laptop, a bit flustered. “Well… I think I know where you guys went.” She sheepishly said as she turned the laptop around to show Ananya the news. Amelia recognized the broken gate as Lucas’ MO. And the fact that nothing else really happened was a blessing. But Amelia was still confused as of what exactly all happened. Like why exactly she had to change.

She was in the news.

How much of a coincidence would it have been if on the one night she was drunk out of her mind, two people broke into Central Park around the exact same time Ananya's memory becomes... hazy. She bit down on her lip, feeling the ball of anxiety grow in the pit of her stomach. Were they going to get into trouble for this? No one knew for sure it was her and Lucas that broke into the park, but Ananya couldn't help but think that somehow news would get out and Mrs Lovelace would find out.

Ananya wasn't sure whether she was happy with the development. Sure, nothing indecent happened, but she and Lucas broke into the park last night! Her eyes scanned the article thoroughly, her hand flailing behind her to grab the vibrating phone. "Came upon clothes..." Did she shift to avoid getting caught? It sounded like something she would do if she had no other choice. It made sense anyway, Ananya noticed her knees were a little scraped up. "So we broke in, tried to leave, I fell and shifted?" She muttered to herself before looking at the phone.

It was from Lucas.

She stared blankly at the bright screen, eyes narrowed. Did she ever give him her phone number last night? But that explains how Lucas and her managed to escape Central Park and return back to Mayweather. "At least I know where my boots are." Ananya turned the phone so she could show it to Amelia. After she was sure her roommate had read the text, Ananya brought the phone towards herself and began typing out a text.



Hesitating for a minute, she asked Amelia. "Should I ask Lucas if he's free? So we can ask him what happened?" She was still looking down at her phone, her fingers hovering over the on-screen keyboard as she decided whether or not it was a good idea.

“You can try? I’ll be there to support you.” No way Amelia would leave Ananya alone now. She clearly was quite upset about what all happened. And she actually had reason to be. Going out with Lucas, how could that ever turn into a good thing? He may have carried her up the stairs but that hardly made him a saint. But Amelia would lie if she wasn’t a little curious at what actually happened. So far she couldn’t really piece together the story entirely. “You feeling better right?” I mean from the hangover? A simple check-up question. She just wanted to be sure Ananya was OK. Else, she looked at her arm. Maybe a drop of her blood could help? But how would you offer someone that? With an absentminded fingernail, she trailed over her own arm.

After last night she realized far more that she was a vampire, not a human. That, in itself, wasn’t so bad to her. It was just that she thought differently last night. Or rather, she learned the full extent of what she would dare think and do as a vampire to a human. Was that how her family constantly thought about people?

"I feel better, thank you." Ananya gave Amelia a small, tired smile before returning to her phone. She was grateful to have a kind roommate that was willing to help out despite not knowing what was going on. It definitely made things a little easier to deal with, having someone around for support. Amelia didn't seem like the type to judge, so that was an added bonus.



Ananya was vaguely aware she'd written we instead of I, because part of her was sure that Amelia was also interested in knowing. She showed her the text again. "Now we just wait..." She sighed. She pulled up her email app on the phone, typing up her message to Mrs Lovelace.

What was she even going to say? She didn't know what names to put in. Last night was supposed to be her time to find out names but meeting Lucas had thrown that plan right out the window. 'Maybe I should write his name just for messing my plans up last night.'

To: Lovelace, Cecilia
Subject: Opponent choices

I wanted to get back to you with my choice of opponents for the tournament quickly, but I ran into some trouble last night so I haven't got three names. I do know two I would like to fight though.

1) Tristram Cringe - I didn't like how he behaved with you during the meeting. Plus he's a little weird.

2) Lucas Farweight - Because of reasons.

I haven't got my third name, so I'd be fine with you choosing whoever you'd like for the third choice.

“He’s strong though. He tried Red Level. I mean Mrs. Lovelace actually let him have a shot at that.” Amelia said, worried. Of course, she put him on her top 3 too. But that was because she wanted to prove he wasn’t the strongest there. Now, in hindsight that might not have been such a good idea. “You’re right when you said he ain’t a puppy. I –euhm- saw the consequences of what he could do.” He could rip his own fists open apparently. If he could do that to himself, where would he stop against someone else? But not only that, he had done horrible things to Eliana. The more she thought about it, the stranger Ananya and Lucas’ relation seemed. “You and Lucas… Are you guys like… friends?”

Ananya narrowed her eyes at the text. Awesome!? How was breaking into the park and getting an article written about it awesome? And what the hell was that winky face for!? Ananya growled under her breath, "Kaminey..." She put the phone away behind her. She knew she had to get back at him for almost getting her into trouble.

After hearing Amelia talk about how strong Lucas was, Ananya almost facepalmed. Of course the person she'd put in her list would be an impossibly strong opponent - he's even attemped the Red Level for God's sake! Ananya groaned, "The Gods are definitely angry at me. Lucas is a demon and I'm being punished for something!" She then paused. Friends? Thinking back to last night, thinking about the things she did remember from last night, could she call them friends? She made a face before shrugging, "I think so? I mean, he's not that bad." For a villain, he was definitely not what she expected. Sure, he forced her to drink (but soon after she started to drink on her own), and even saw her change - but he wasn't evil. "Yeah, I think I could call him a friend."

Amelia jokingly waved at Ananya to get her attention when she cursed. “Hey, not to be racist here but I don’t speak Hindi yet.” She was joking, obviously. But hearing another language always made her feel insecure. As if a person was talking about her. She could never know. Then again she wanted to learn more languages to talk with other people. And more importantly, to understand them. In every language there are words that don’t exist in others. Words that are often used to express a certain emotion. To Amelia, actually understanding one another’s language is the first step towards fully understanding each other. “You have to teach me that someday.” She grinned.

“No! No! Lucas is just-“ He’s a Delphina. They have screwed up morals. He drinks like a sailor, fights like a boxer and laughs like a drunken captain after a big haul. That’s just how he is. That’s his version of fun. “-he got a unique way of making fun. Look?” she showed her screen to Ananya again. “See? They haven’t seen anyone. There are no pictures of you and Lucas. You’re in the clear! Nothing will happen!” Amelia tried to assure her roomie. “Besides! What would an awesome person as yourself even be punished for!” Amelia definitely got excited now, trying to pull Ananya into the very same happiness that it brought.

That excitement only grew as she heard that Ananya definitely thought of Lucas as a friend. Who would have thought! A Delphina pureblood befriended a girl from Mayweather! She couldn’t wait until she could tell Eliana. No… wait. Eliana wouldn’t like that, would she? She gets bullied but some other girl is friends with him? Still, it was one step towards peace between the two schools. “That’s fantastic!” The vampires couldn’t contain herself as she pulled Ananya in for a hug. “Who would have thought this bastard would befriend a Mayweather! You’re an angel, Ananya!”

Ananya's cheeks flushed slightly, "Sorry, I forget that I do that sometimes." It was a habit for Ananya to revert back to Hindi in times of stress, it was her first language afterall. Some words in English could never describe exactly how Ananya was feeling better than Hindi could. Ananya grinned back at Amelia, feeling relaxed in the vampire's prescence. It would be great to have someone to talk to in Hindi, so Ananya jumped on the opportunity to teach Amelia."Sure! I can do that! Though... you may end up learning how to curse before I teach you anything else." She laughed sheepishly. It's safe to say that Ananya swears a lot when she gets stressed, something about cursing was always so satisfying, even if it didn't do much to help in the situation.

Amelia... was too kind. No, she was precious. Ananya was surprised at how much joy and positivity the blonde in front of her had. It was amazing. She truly hoped that Amelia would never have to face a single day of sadness. "Let's hope you're right, I just don't want any trouble. Maybe I have to thank Lucas for not leaving me in the park. You said he carried me in here?" Was he really a villain? She hadn't heard much about Lucas before, but Ananya had only arrived on campus a while ago so she might've- no, most definitely missed a lot. Especially as Amelia hugged Ananya, cheering on their friendship, Ananya was sure she had yet to see the bad side of Lucas.

Did she really want to though? She hugged back briefly before pulling away from the hug, with a question in mind. "Why're you so surprised about that? Is Lucas really that bad?" If Ananya was going to accept this friendship, she might as well find out exactly what sort of person Lucas was.

She couldn’t really lie, could she? She heard the stories. Knew what Eliana went through. She knew about the kid, Milo. “He-He’s not really a saint.” She stampered. She hated to talk ill about people. But she hated lying equally. Then again, was everything she heard actually true? Even about that one locker instance? Or the hallways with the book? Amelia heard a lot, but saw very little. Then again, she was just a freshmen. For now she kept a low profile. But she definitely wanted to be more important. And that wouldn’t change by just sitting and doing nothing. But neither would just doing stupid things to stand out.

“But that’s what I don’t get!” Excitement returns. “He carried you up here! Like, not even brutish or so! He was holding you in his arms!” He nearly kissed you on the forehead! She wanted to add that. But she wasn’t really sure if she actually saw that or wanted to see that. She decided to keep it quiet. For now. “How bad can he actually be!?” Probably very bad. But he seemed to have a good side at least. It was a start.

Not a saint? But who was a saint these days? Well except for Amelia, Ananya had yet to find someone with pure intentions. But it wasn't like Ananya could blame them, especially in a dog-eat-dog world. Plus it was to be expected from a villain to do evil things, but she hadn't seen Lucas do anything terrible last night. "I don't remember him being terrible with me, even as I lied to him in the face when we first met."

"How does someone even carry someone brutishly?" Ananya laughed, shaking her head. So Ananya must've passed out sometime after escaping the guard and before arriving at campus for Lucas to have had to carry her all the way up to the third floor. Her mind thought back to the text he sent, the text about her boots before her mouth dropped. "Wait..." She grabbed her phone again, scrolling to find the message. "He has a sister?! He said I left my boots in her car, but I don't remember meeting anyone else? Oh God have I've already embarrassed myself in front of his family! She's going to think I'm some weird drunkard that likes to roll around in mud and leave her boots everywhere!"

“They throw you over their shoulder and don’t give a damn crap if the bone hurts.” Amelia immediately responded, remembering how her oldest brother often carried her when she misbehaved. She learned her lessons quickly. “It’s just so weird that he’s so…almost nice! To you. But to others…” Eliana. “…he’s so horrible.” She pointed out, but not with any less excitement. As if she was happy that she discovered Lucas had a good side despite his massive evil side.

“Wow…. Hold on, he has a sister?” That was new? Nobody ever told anyone Lucas had a sister. She jumped back towards her own bed and scrambled for her computer. After not even a minute of frantic clicking and typing, she looked up from her screen, while holding a massive grin and her phone up. “Guess whose number I got.” Not her cell phone, sadly. But considering the day and time, there was a high chance Lana was at work. Of course, Amelia wouldn’t really call if Ananya didn’t want to. But on the other hand, a little apology wouldn’t be that bad? In fact, an accepted apology was exactly what one needed to feel better about the situation. “At least now you can apologize for being a dirty, mud rolling drunk that leaves her boots everywhere?” Amelia joked to keep the mood light.

Ananya didn't know whether she was supposed to feel guilty. What did she mean by that? "Almost nice? To me?" And what about the rest? What made her so special to warrant Lucas being 'nice' to her? There were too many questions running through her mind, her mouth pulled down into a frown. Before she could voice any of them, Amelia returned to her own bed excitedly to look for something.

"Wait- no! I'll embarrass myself even more! What am I even supposed to say? Oh hi Miss Farweight, I'm sorry for being weird when we first met last night, your brother got me drunk and we broke into a park and I had to change in order to avoid getting caught, also I'd like my boots back?" Ananya cringed. "I don't even remember meeting her! I don't know whether she'll even remember me." 'I hope she doesn't...'

“She’s the older sister of Lucas. Seriously, how bad can you look compared to him?” She was rather genuine with that. But then again, she didn’t want to force the issue. She really didn’t want Ananya to embarrass herself anymore. Or feel embarrassed. But then again, she also felt that whatever she felt now could be a lasting issue. “If you want, I could call her? You know, feel the water. See if she minds everything you did?” It was a genuine offer. But also slightly insane and a rather stupid one. “Besides, you don’t really have to go in detail for what you’re apologizing. Oh and remember, Lucas is coming over with those shoes.” She winked with that last part. Just to joke a little with her roomie. The vampiress was quite happy with the whole situation actually. She didn’t really know how she could use it yet to make both schools as one, in peace. But it was a piece of the puzzle. Maybe if she could manage to let Lucas apologize to Eliana? No, that was a step too far. She was visibly pondering behind her laptop.

Looking up stories about the girl. “Lana Farweight. By some known as the hero Seraphim, donates 150.000 dollars to the Central Park Preservance Association.” She started reading the titles from articles out loud. “Seraphim volunteers are refugee center.” The titles kept on going. “Miss Farweight Middle School presentation: doing good starts every morning.” Amelia looked up from behind the screen, still smiling. “She doesn’t seem like the one who minds much. She actually looks like a really understanding person. Who would have thought Lucas was actually her brother.” Of course Amelia had heard of the Farweights before. Her father made sure to know a few family names. Among them were the Harts too. “Besides, something is telling me she’ll remember you. You two… sort of met… like less than twelve hours ago. She can’t have forgotten about the girl drunk alongside her own brother!” She certainly couldn’t when Konrad mentioned a girl’s name.

Ananya groaned, collapsing onto her back on the bed with her arms spread out. She wanted to apologise for acting like a complete idiot, but she wasn't sure whether she was going to be able to without... well, being an idiot. Plus, wouldn't it be creepy for her to call up Lucas' sister despite not knowing either of them for more than a couple hours at most? But surely it would be a good move for her to apologise, being a new friend and all. Ananya swallowed her pride, grimacing before sitting back up again. "What's her number? I'll try to apologise but you gotta promise you'll take over if I screw up."

The stories Amelia read out loud made Ananya wonder- how did Lucas become a villain? Lana seemed like a sweet person, a great role model for other heroes going by charity work Lana would complete. Was Lucas just being a rebel? Ananya snorted at the thought. Someone becoming a villain just to rebel against their family. Surely that was taking things too far. "I honestly do hope she's forgotten. It would make this conversation a lot more easier. But you're right," she sighed, "but a girl can hope, right?"

Amelia grabbed her own phone and started typing in the phone number. “Don’t you worry. I’ll grab that phone the second you start doing something stupid.” Then again, she never really defined what she thought to be stupid. Honestly she thought that rambling was just innocent insecurity. Lana was clearly a woman capable of forgiving a girl that. Amelia would only take the phone over should Ananya become rude in any other way. Or if she started speaking Hindi. Well, it felt as if her speaking Hindi had large chance to happen.

“Here.” She said, handing the phone to Ananya as she sat down next to her on the bed. The phone went over a few times, until Lana picked up:
”Farweight Foundation Public Relations. How may I help you?”

Oh God it's really happening. She took Amelia's phone, listening to the dreaded rings before she heard the woman on the other side speak. "Err, namastae, aap-- Err, sorry," Ananya pressed a hand to her mouth, inhaling sharply as she looked at Amelia. The call had barely started and Ananya was already screwing up! "Sorry about that, erm, Miss Farweight, I'm- I'm Ananya Sharma, the erm, girl you picked up last night?"

Amelia literally face palmed and then nearly scrambled for the phone as Ananya started speaking Hindi. “No, no, no, no!” She nearly grabbed it but right then Ananya started speaking English. The vampiress let out an audible sigh and mouthed: Don’t do that! She kept her ear close, though. With her vampiric sense focused on it, she could hear Lana speaking. Still ready to grab the phone in case of something.

“Oh, Anananya right? How you doing? Did my brother take care of you?”

Ananya shrugged, but kept the phone glued to her ear as she waited for Lana to continue on the other line. She cringed as Lana called her Anananya, but she was sure it wasn't a mistake. "It's Ananya," She corrected quietly, before clearing her throat. "I-I'm okay, dealing with the hangover and he did. He was kind enough to carry me to my room, according to my roommate." Ananya eyed Amelia. "I, erm, wanted to call you to apologise for my behaviour last night. I wasn't in an appropriate state to meet you last night, and it's ten times worse knowing that you're Lucas' sister- I hope you don't hate me? I mean, that was probably not the best way to meet your brother's new friend and all and erm-" Ananya bit down on her lip as she realised she was rambling. "I'm sorry." She wasn't sure whether she was apologising for rambling or for her behaviour the previous night.

Ananya could probably hear a squee coming from the other side of the phone when she told Lana he carried her upstairs. “Ananya? Are you sure it’s not snake?” Lana teased. “No problem. Trust me. I’ve picked Lucas up in worse states.” Lana said with a genuine and reassuring voice. “I wouldn’t hate you over just being drunk and tired. You went out with Luke so I did expect him to have someone with him who was…well… Just don’t worry about it. All is fine.” Of course, Lana would leave it at that. “I do need to ask you something, I hope you don’t mind it. Are you Delphina or Mayweather?”

At the same time, Amelia sat next to Ananya listening in closely. She mouthed: You gave her a wrong name!? Obviously that was probably a bit embarrassing. But the older girl clearly didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she teased Ananya about it. The Vampiress couldn’t help but grin as Ananya told Lana Lucas carried her up the stairs. The squee told her Lana and Amelia probably had similar thoughts. Then Ananya’s rambling began. Soon the vampire wasn’t so sure if she wouldn’t grab the phone from Ananya after that. If anything, Amelia fully expected her to switch over to Hindi. Though luckily it appeared that the Indian girl realized it herself and swiftly finished with a sorry.

Squealing? Did Lana trip on the other side? Before she could ask out of concern for the older hero, Lana teased her. "N-no-" It wasn't the first time someone had joked like that, but it still flustered her each time. Despite her nerves, Ananya had to pat herself on the back for not returning back to Hindi, despite how much she wished she could. Ananya shrugged at Amelia's direction, mouthing back a reply that sounded like I was drunk, as if it was going to save what little dignity she had left. How could she say the wrong name, even when drunk? Anananya? How did she even mess up that bad!? Also, what exactly did Lana mean by that? Someone like what? Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at Amelia, a little confused, as if Amelia had all the answers.

"I'm a Mayweather student," she answered, a little hesitantly, as if her friendship with Lucas was on the line with this answer.

“Oooh. I knew it! Well, I’ll make sure you get your boots as fast as possible. Oh and again, don’t worry about last night. Stuff happens. But I have to go now, Ananya. I’ll talk to you later! Bye!” And with that Lana hung up. She was a bit in a hurry, as she did have a job she had to take care of.

“Well… Seems like the sister approves.” Amelia beamed as Lana ended the call. She got bubbly again, happy that her roomie wasn’t hated. Actually, she was bubbly because it seemed as if Lana genuinely approved of Ananya. At least her day grew a little brighter now. “And you didn’t revert to Hindi!” She exclaimed happily. “See, nothing to worry about! Well… except Lucas… I hope you’re not afraid of facing him. I mean, he will come in for your boots tomorrow… want me to take ‘em for you?” It was a genuine offer. A weird one though. Ananya claimed to be Lucas’ friends but seemed a little on edge of meeting him alone again. Maybe it was because of what happened last time the two were alone? Alas, she just offered the idea because she wanted to have Ananya a way to get out of the situation. Not everyone should be brave constantly.

Well that went well... Ananya listened to the dial tone, her mouth opened as her goodbye never reached the other end of the phone. She looked at the phone before handing it back to Amelia. "I think that went well?" She was unsure, eyebrows still furrowed. Lana seemed way too excited from her answer, and going by how excited Amelia looked, Ananya was sure she was missing something.

"Wait! What do you mean approved? I needed to get her approval?" She wasn't aware that she had to get approval for friendship. Her cheeks grew red, if that was the case then Ananya was glad that Amelia encouraged her to apologise for her behaviour last night. Ananya's confusion melted away as she smiled at Amelia, "You would do that for me?" Ananya wasn't sure whether she'd be able to look him in the eye after what Lana said. Peeping? God help her...

Maybe Amelia shouldn’t have mentioned ‘approval’. It sounded weird, especially when Ananya still thought it was about friendship. Amelia caught up quick enough on why Lana was so happy. Maybe they both thought a little too much out of the situation? Alas, that didn’t really matter right now. She was just happy Lana had no ill feelings towards Ananya. Or rather, Ananya was now assured of that. “It’s nothing! Really, it’s nothing!” she assured Ananya. For now, it did really mean nothing.

“Of course I’d do that for you!” Okay she was genuinely surprised Ananya would take her up on that one. Then again, maybe it was all getting too much for a second. Having just called his sister to apologize and then seeing how not just her but also your roomie got all happy about the situation probably didn’t help. Still, only now did she realize that this could lead to Ananya avoiding Lucas. “But –euhm- just a fair tip. I hope you’re not planning on running or avoiding him. I mean, sure I want to take your boots tomorrow for you. But as friends you have to face each other someday. You know?” Amelia started realizing that that might be a less than the desired thing to Ananya. It felt so weird, having someone as a friend but still avoiding that person.

With narrowed eyes, Ananya dropped the subject. It really didn't feel like nothing, it felt more like Ananya was missing out on something, but she didn't know how to ask. "Well... at least our friendship has been blessed by Lana, so that's good, I think?" She then stood up, stretching out her tired limbs as she felt her body regain some energy after the tired night she'd had. Her smile never left her face as Amelia assured her that she'd do the pick up for her.

"Thank you, Amelia." She stopped stretching to smile at her gratefully, walking over to the girl to hug her. "Really, I owe you." Ananya was aware she couldn't avoid Lucas for very long - she wasn't planning on it anyway, but she wanted to give their friendship a couple days. Or at least enough time for Lucas to forget about whatever he saw last night. "I know, I'll face him again soon. Just not yet? I don't know what Lana meant by peeping, and while I may have an idea... I would prefer not to find out." If it had anything to do with that winky face Lucas had texted her, Ananya definitely did not want to know.

---

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Once more Lucas found himself in the strange moon flowered garden he found himself not so long ago in. He woke up amid an opening of grass, from which traveled a gravel road flanked by the glowing white flowers. But what was truly strange was the fact that Lucas knew he was asleep. A little bit confused he stood up and followed the gravel path towards the gazebo. Knowing full well that the other side of it was a steep cliff into nothingness. Above him, the galaxy showed itself in the colors he thought only telescopes could reveal. Vibrant shapes of nebulae colored the heavens in red, green, purple and the darkest of blue. All upon a canvas of black dotted with innumerable silvery dots of light. This time, unafraid but curious he walked up towards the black hooded figure standing in the gazebo. “Not going to expel me this time?” he asked as he took his place standing next to Darkstar.

“No.” The voice was distorted. Ethereal. Heavy. A power coursed through the very words it spoke. A power that was not there the last time. Yet it held no offense against Lucas.

“That’s a start I suppose.” Lucas diverted his attention as the endless sight before him. Much like the night sky on earth, looking at it wouldn’t hint away any movement. But looking and looking back at it later would show how the whole heavens have shifted. Now too did the nebulae dance slowly across the eternal cosmos. “Why did you bring me up here?” he then asked, still looking at the slow show before him.

“I brought you here to apologize.” Said the strange creature next to him, seemingly not taking away his vision either from the magnificent, colorful theater. “Something happened and… You were not supposed to find me yet.” It continued to explain. “I wish I could take it back.”

“I don’t.” Said Lucas, as he stopped marveling at the skies and returned towards the white flowers. Which somehow looked equally fascinating. He never saw anything like them before. “You saved me.” He continued. Everything felt so clear now. The illusions cast by the shades in the Red Level. How they forced him through such horrible things. He remembered vanishing, and when he got back everything was blackened by fire. Still, he knew it was the Darkstar that protected him then.

The Darkstar, floating off the ground followed him into the garden behind the gazebo. Silence fell over the place. Lucas took a seat on the grass, looking over the whole garden. “What are you?”

“I could not tell you.” The cloaked figure kept his distance from the boy. “Explaining what I am would be akin to explaining an Egyptian farmer how Quantum Mechanics work. First I would have to teach you the very fundamentals upon which not just this realm was built, but the others as well. I would have to explain to you the many dimensions, of which your kin only knows 4 for certain. I am afraid, Lucas, that explaining what I am would cost you your life and that of a hundred generations after you.” It circled Lucas now, who kept perfectly still. “I know this is not the answer you desire. But comprehension is not infinite. It’s bordered by understanding.”

Lucas, for once, seemed to be content with that. He knew that pushing the thought was a bad idea. Or rather, it was a hopeless cause. “Then where are we?”

“I can only offer you glimpses of the whole truth, considering your limited awareness of the universe.” When you blink, you’re only blind for a fraction of a second. But in that fraction, everything around Lucas had shifted. He found himself in a Japanese garden. In front of him there was a bridge leading to a small terrace with two chairs, a small, wooden table and two white cups with something steamy in it. The sky was blue with a cloud left and right. The sun stood high and warmed the world Lucas found himself in. An old man sat on one of the chairs, smoking a pipe crafted into an Asian dragon. The man was dressed in a long, colorful robe. Lucas knew it was the Darkstar. He crossed the bridge onto the little island and took a seat next to his own power. In front of him, he saw numerous streams flow in from an endless amount of directions. Even streams completely unsupported dropped in the creek before them that flowed around the little island there were on. The shores were flanked by blossoming cherry trees. Their pink petals dotting the flow every now and then. Yet up in the sky it betrayed that they were not on Earth. Huge orbs floated overhead. Moons either masive or incredibily close. But colorful and bright. “Beautiful.”

“Look into the water, Lucas. What do you see?” the Darkstar asked him, and Lucas obeyed, looking over the side of his chair into the very clear water. He saw all kinds of life. Fishes, turtles, frogs. Some motionless in the water. Others going as the stream goes. Yet some creatures, like the little turtles, managed to get ashore for a moment to flap around or warm themselves in the sun. “Humans are fishes.” The Darkstar began to explain. “They must follow the stream. Once chosen a path, a fish cannot change it. This is true with humans and their relation towards time. Once committed to a path, one cannot change course. Fishes must follow the stream.” Lucas watched attentively. It was true, no fish was trying to swim against the current. “However, where we are, is here. On the island, -“ “Between time.” Lucas interrupted, observing the fish and other aquatic creatures. “We… I am a turtle.” He followed up, looking at the small shells lying on the shore. “Very true.” A puff of smoke came from under the hood of Darkstar. “A glimpse of your power.” He added. But Lucas got up from the chair to the clear curiosity of the Darkstar. Who slightly turned it’s ‘head’. Lucas patiently waited, but lightning fast he grabbed a fish and pulled it out of the water. The initial movement seemed violent, but as he held the fish in his arm, walked across the little island towards the other side it was clear he had no ill will towards it. Slowly he released it into the other side of the island in which it swiftly continued on its journey. “That’s a Darkstar power too, isn’t it?” he asked, standing knees deep in the temperate water towards the blackness of the hood where the Darkstar’s face was supposed to be. Instead, a puff of smoke rose from under the hood. “A fast learner, you are.” He followed up. “Sadly you are not entirely correct. Such movement is not that simple. There are other laws at work there.” Another blink and Lucas found himself back in the white flowered garden.

“So this is an island in time?” Asked a still standing Lucas to nowhere in particular. As there was no Darkstar to be seen. But an ominous voice said: “Yes. Time has little to no meaning here. It a place disconnected from the stream.” Lucas nodded in understanding as he returned to the gazebo. Looking from the cliffside over down. Where there were still milky colors to be seen. “It’s beautiful here. In this refuge from the flow. I wish I could come here more often.”

“In time. Even the turtle must learn how to swim ashore.” The ominous voice of the Darkstar commented. “However, even the turtle must return to the waters in time. I’m sorry, Lucas. I’m afraid you must go.” Lucas walked up towards the gazebo and watched down the cliff into the endlessly filled void. “Goodbye.” He took a small jump and tumbled down. The next thing he knew, his eyes shot open to be greeted by the sun shining through his window.