“Don’t worry, Su, we’ll work it out once we get to speak with Vi-chan”, Helga responded with a smile, and then looked over to Sam and Trixy who greeted them. “Well hello there.” She nodded as Su explained who Samantha was, and she shook Trixy’s hand when she got the chance.
“Fine jacket you got there, hah. Any friend of Su’s is a friend of mine too.” She turned back to Su with a wink.
“I haven’t even entered the building yet, but I’m already feeling like home. Let’s go check the place out! We have some time before Vi-chan arrives.”
The group entered the rave, and passed by Eliza, who had decided to channel her Artifact, and gain a glimpse of the future. What she saw shocked her to the core: it was a vision of death and destruction, countless magical girls wearing Beacon insignias dead in and around the club, their eyes blank whites and blood trickling from their noses and mouths. And in the background, their face hidden by shadow, was the stoic smile of a magical girl.
Lily stopped, having realized she was making a scene with her back-and-forth movements. She turned to Alex, and took his hand.
”Y-Yeah, you’re right. This is just like...Hanging out with friends. Nothing weird with that. Ok, deep breaths...”
She took a deep breath, only to stop as she noticed Sakura address her. She made a heavy exhale, her eyes sparkling as they gazed upon her.
”Sakura! Oh my god, you’re so adorable!” She ran right up to her and touched her rabbit ears.
”You look like a little bunny, eee! If you were a real bunny, I bet Tom would like to be your friend~”
She blinked at her question, and gave a goofy smile.
”Not anymore now that you’re here, Sakura. Huh? Who?”
She took her hand, and looked around, followed by a look of surprise upon seeing another girl walk up to them. She opened her mouth, about to ask something, when Thalia revealed herself to them.
”Thalia! Oh wow, it’s been ages since we’ve seen each other, you look so different now!” Upon hearing Thalia claim she wasn’t eligible for a friendship hug, Lily pouted.
”That is a lie, and you know it!” She hugged Thalia, released her, only to hug her again.
”Now you got double the hugs, tee hee~! We have so much stuff to talk about. Hmm...” She took a look at the clock on her phone.
”I suppose Alicia will catch up to us. Everyone, let’s go PARTAYYY!”
She took Sakura’s hand, having misinterpreted her words, and led her into the party.
Lily looked spooked as she saw the cages, until she realized they were for dancing purposes. She ooh’d and aah’d at the exotic and dangerous patrons of the rave; it was like nothing she had experienced during her brief visit to high school parties held at backyards and the like. But, as with all things Lily, she was quickly swept into the moment.
”WHOO! YEAH! I LOVE THIS MUSIC!”
Lily screamed, bouncing and hopping to the music in an overly energetic fashion. Her initial nervousness seemed to melt as she surrounded herself in the uninhibited atmosphere of the rave. At one point she happened to bump into Connie, causing her to stop in shock.
”Whoops, sorry! I didn’t notice you there-Ah!”
She was startled as the masked girl turned, and Lily made a comical reactionary pose.
”Ooh...That mask is scary. But also really cool!” She winked.
”My name’s Lily Lightning! What’s your name?”
She was intrigued by the masked girl, and decided she wanted to chat a bit, taking a break from the dancing.
Elsewhere in the rave, Justine mingled with the locals, chatting and giggling as she shared stories and jokes. “And then she said; fangs for that! Ohohohoo~”
She seemed to be having a good enough time despite standing out a bit in her overtly elegant attire.
Cindy had walked into one of the side halls of the party venue when she happened to meet a curious young man. Her lips curled into an amused smirk.
“Taste, you say?” She scoffed playfully. “You are speaking to Cindy Ford, the queen of Penrose. You must be quite foolish to address me so lightly...Or brave.” She glanced at Ronin, giggling at her guarding enthusiasm, before she lifted a finger up Reaver’s chin. This gave him a small jolt of electricity, causing him to jump a bit, as if having touched a static doorknob. She giggled, her eyes warm on her as her electric form seemed to crackle pleasantly.
“Well, you seem quite intriguing, and we are thirsty. We suppose we could let you humor us over a couple of drinks.”
She took a seat at the center of the bar, causing other girls around her to make room with reverent mannerism. The bartender lifted a car battery to the mixing table, and poured the battery acid into glass for her to drink. “Order anything you want, it will be our treat. Now, tell us your name, and why we caught your eye. Perhaps you’ve never seen a being of pure electricity before? Ronin, would you like something to drink?”
The Cardinal didn’t seem to notice Anaya as she reached the designated meeting point; an empty park in Penrose. The Cardinal, having reached the center of the park, still kept her eyes closed and hands clasped, having begun praying in silence.
At the Beacon meeting, both Leena and FanFan saluted at Alicia, and afterwards Rachel adjusted her glasses. “Affirmative, Penny,” she answered, holding a hand to her ear. “Continue circling the drone around the perimeter. Alicia, keep in contact with the communicator earring Sylvia handed to you.” She also saluted, and Alicia, accompanied by the two Ascendancy agents, descended into the Penrose underworld.
Far from the party, Kimble was accompanying the Beacon squad led by Aurelio and now approached by Dorothy. She no longer had her cat accessories, having abandoned her past completely. The feelings of grief and betrayal still marked her expression, causing her to be quiet for most of their patrol. She was even wary of the monster girl despite seeming innocent. Is she Lamashtu’s spy? She might have been sent to kill me and Mistress. I can’t let her out of my sight, she thought to herself. She nodded in hesitant agreement with Aurelio; that was their job anyway, and if somebody asked for a White Coin, why not give one?
That is, until, Dorothy was completely and utterly spooked by a mysterious dark magical girl who had snuck up on her. The moment she began running off, Kimble took to the air, using her Air magic to eliminate the air resistance as she sped out after her.
“Don’t you run!” She angrily shouted; it turned into a high speed chase, the both of them moving far faster than either the Beacon squad or Hilaria would have been able to, quickly zooming out of sight.