Amy & Minako
Location: Minako’s room, Amy’s room
Interacting with: Kayla via text
@BeastofDestiny, Each other @Lasrever, @ThundercrashAmy’s mood:
Frustrated → Thoughtful → Enthusiastic Minako’s mood:
Depressed → Nervous/Excited
7:45
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.
To: Kayla
It is done. I am sorry, again, that this happened.
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.
9:20, taxi going to Delirium
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.
Amy, Minako, & Carmen
Location: Delirium
Interacting with: Each other
@Lasrever, @Thundercrash, @AbandonedIntelAmy’s mood:
Enthusiastic → Confused → Impressed → Excited Minako’s mood:
Confident/SensualCarmen’s mood:
Slightly Nervous → Slightly Frustrated → Anxious → Incredibly Uncomfortable → Slightly Relieved → Apprehensive
A few minutes prior to Gianna’s performance
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.
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