"Ding! Bingo..." Meliana exclaimed, mask over her face as she held another card in between her fingers. Breaking into another dorm was easy; she just had to time it in a way where she wouldn't get caught. Either that, or they already saw her and didn't care. Not like it mattered if they did, or didn't. She got what she wanted.
All of it leads to one place: that arcade. Meliana rolled her tongue across her bottom teeth, skittering out from the dorm room, attempting to sleep as much as she could before the big day tomorrow, weaponless.
Fuck, I should've waited to hand over my weapons. Whatever... I just... have not to get noticed. Meliana thought to herself, jumping out of her seat. 5:30 pm —that's the time —and maybe she'll find something then, a proper lead, a piece of evidence that's truly tangible.
The next day, once it was 4 pm, Meliana stopped at the Academy's gate, marking the location on her phone. She was sitting just outside the brick wall, tail proping her up slightly.
Meliana's eyes widened, eyes locking on a small, blond halfling girl sneakily setting off into the city, clutching a backpack close to herself. Meliana glanced around, watching the small woman run down the hill.
"Now... that's odd," Meliana mumbled to herself, following a decent distance behind.
***
"♪I'm gonna live till I die! I'm gonna laugh 'stead of cry~! I'm gonna take the town, and turn it upside down, I'm gonna live, live, live until I die!♪"
Dahlia and Emma sang together at a private Karaoke lounge, both laughing as their voices grew louder and louder. After they finished the song, Emma was left winded, throwing herself onto one of the couches, laughing.
"Gods! This was so fun! I love..." Emma snapped into a blank expression. "I love hangin' out like this!"
Dahlia smiled. "I-I'm glad you think so. This is my first time doing karaoke with a friend!"
"Me too! I normally do it alone!"
"You know, you're actually a pretty good singer, not perfect, but not bad at all."
"Wow, never thought I'd hear a compliment like that from you. You're not half bad yourself, Dahlia, but... I'd like to hear you sing without us singing over each other."
"Then I will ask the same for you, dear Emma." Dahlia stands up, taking one of the microphones set out for them, and picks the next song on the tablet to sing. "Let's play a classic..."
Piana begins to play, and it is readily apparent that she just put on Bring Me to Life, by Evanescence.
"♪How can you see into my eyes, like open doors~!♪"
"Oh, no, I have to do the male vocals!" Emma laughed to herself, grabbing one of the mics. "♪Wake me up!♪"
"♪Wake me up, inside!♪"
"♪I can't wake up!♪"
"♪Save me~!♪"
"♪Call my name and save me from the dark~!♪"
"♪Wake me up!♪"
"♪Bid my blood to run~!♪"
While this is happening, Meliana continued to follow the small halfling girl, trailing a good sixty to eighty feet away, one of her spare daggers tucked into her waistband. She hopped from building to bridge, to alley, and so on, keeping herself in the shadows so as not to be noticed.
After an hour of walking, they finally arrived at the arcade. The halfling girl seemed cautious, carrying a glaive and a shield. As she came, she circled the arcade for a moment before crossing to the front door, knocking on it.
The door swung open, revealing a man in disco attire, wearing round sunglasses and a big smile, with golden grills. "Yo~! Little lady~!"
The girl recoiled. "Um... y-you sent me this..." She held up a card.
"Indeed, I did!"
"Why? Who are you?"
"It's simple! You signed the survey!" He leaned on the doorway, his expression relaxing. "You feel like an outcast, yeah? Someone who doesn't belong? Weren't you the girl whose party was bullied cause you wouldn't kill a rat?"
The halfling swallowed hard. "Y-yeah... yeah... how...?"
"That's what the survey was for! It's to find people like you, and we don't just accept anyone~! We accept outcasts and adventurers!"
"So... why... why did we meet here?"
"To keep our club under wraps. We don't need everyone under the sun flooding in, y'know? This is a special place for people like you to be accepted."
"A... club?"
"Don't worry! We have something for everyone!" He smirked, holding up a finger. "You just have to give it a singular try! You don't have to come again after that if you don't like it, okay!? And we won't force ya into anything you don't want."
"A-Aren't clubs those really loud places where people a-are drinking and p-partying?"
"Yeah, but we have all sorts of rooms that you can use to personalize your own experience, and who knows, maybe loud music and a bit of dancing is exactly what ya need!"
"So... why'd we meet at an arcade... before going to the club and not straight there...?"
"'Cause, watch this!" He jumped inside, hopping over to one of the arcade machines that remained there, and flicked it on. "Some of these still work, it's a good way to pass the time when you're waiting for people to come... which they don't sometimes, so... I need something, y'know?"
The girl chuckled. "Is that the only reason?"
"Yep! Pretty shallow reason, but not every reason has to be deeper than it needs to be! Occam's Razor is what some may call it~!" He paused, turning off the machine. "Anywho! Do you wanna go?"
"Uh... sure."
The man jumped out from the arcade, leading the halfling girl behind him. "By the way, it's good you brought your weapons, this is a club for adventurers as well after all."
"Weapons are allowed, like the Academy?"
"Yep, sometimes people get into fights. Like I said, we accommodate everyone! Don't worry too much, by the way, we have clerics on standby in case things go too far."
"Well... it-it's not like I hate fighting..."
"Well then, you'll fit right in, won't you?"
Meliana tilted her head at the exchange, brow pinched as she watched them leave. For now, she was to keep following them.
"♪Now that I know what I am without~! You can't just leave me~! Breathe into me, and make me real... Bring me... to life~!♪" Back at the karaoke place, the two continued singing their hearts out, Dahlia immersing herself further into the music. "♪Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling~! Only you... are the life among the dead~!♪"
"♪All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see, kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me--♪"
"♪I've been sleeping a thousand years, it seems, got to open my eyes to everything~!♪"
"♪Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul!♪"
"♪Don't let me die here!♪"
Eventually, they reached the song's crescendo, both of them taking a pose against each other, smirks on their faces. Emma rubbed her chin for a moment. "Maybe we should've invited Meli?"
"I was gonna ask that, have you been able to find her?"
"Nah, I have no idea where she is. I've been meaning to give her weapons back, but..." Emma shrugged. "I texted her tho." She shows a text message she sent Meliana that went unread.
"Huh...?" Dahlia rubbed her chin as well.
"Probably just doin' research, lookin' for her friend or something. Sometimes I could get focused like that too, just... the whole world doesn't matter, you just want to lock in on that one thing!"
"Fair. My creative endeavors don't involve so much concentration, so I can't relate all that much, but I think I get it."
"Or... she could be on a date...?" Emma shrugged.
"Really, Meli on a date?"
"I dunno, it's possible~!" Emma smirked, getting ready for their next song.
Meliana sneezed hard enough to see stars, forced to shake her head to regain blood flow to her head. She blinked, looking at the outside of the club as it went down into the basement area of a building. "There it is..." I need to see the inside... She paused, thinking to herself. Going by myself into enemy territory like that is the last thing I'd ever want, though... so... what... what do I do? Wait the rest of the week, wait for things to get worse, when I know I can stop it sooner rather than later?
Meliana considered her options for a while, head propped against a nearby wall. Maybe... maybe I could find a loophole? A beat. First, I should see if there are alternative ways inside.
Meliana ran on all fours into the club's side alley, looking for any way inside through vents, openings, or any part of the building above.
After listening in closely, she could hear music coming from one of the vents. Alright! She took out her toolkit, brought it to the screws, and just as she wedged it into one of the divets in the metal, it got stuck, almost impossible to turn. "What?" The harder Meliana pulled, the more he noticed an arcane seal set onto the metal. "They fucking thought of that?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course, they thought of that; it's a fucking club for adventurers."
Meliana licked her lips, attempting to find any other way in from the outside, being given no quarter. I... I'll have to do this the shitty way then.
Later in the day, Meliana contacted the rest of the party and met up in the Academy's courtyard. She sat down on a nearby fountain, sipping on a diet soda. Emma and Dahlia arrived soon after.
The first to speak was Emma, who handed Meliana back her weapons. "There ya go, they should be nice and upgraded for ya."
"Gracias, roja."
"R-Red?"
Meliana pointed at Emma's hair. "That's your real hair color, right? Cool nickname, no?"
Emma blinked, "A... A nickname, huh?" She looked weirdly proud.
Dahlia looked at both of them before pointing at herself. "Should I call you that, too, then?"
"H-Huh?" Emma shook her head. "N-Nah, nah, I'd prefer it if it didn't become a frequent thing. I like Emer, or Em, thanks."
Meliana raised her hand to catch the two's attention. "By the way, the reason why I called you guys is cause I found a cool place that we could hang out while we're still on our break."
"Hm? Like... a vacation thing?"
"Nah, not really, I just found a cool club though that exclusively... hold on." She pulled out her phone. "As said in the tagline, accepts outcasts and adventurers! Sounds perfect for us, no?"
Emma visibly cringed at the idea of entering a club. "Uh... a-are you sure? You want to go to a club?"
"It could be fun, drinking, eating, having a good time, maybe get a dance or two in? It's not like it'll be crowded —everyone, too. It has a booth and room service. Oh? A jacuzzi too?" Meliana showed a list of things the club has on the phone with associated pictures, shrugging at the party.
Emma looked over at Dahlia, who shockingly seemed interested.
"Also, we're allowed to bring our weapons inside!"
"Well... that sure... makes me feel peachy."
Dahlia looked at the two. "I've never been to a club before."
"I-I'd imagine." Emma snickered.
"But I wouldn't mind going to one."
Emma pursed her lips with a pinched brow. "Uh... Well... if you wanna go, I'll go."
Meliana smirked. "You two sure are attached at the hip, huh?"
"That's because!" Dahlia raised her voice before throwing an arm around Emma's shoulders. "We're best friends~!"
Emma chuckled. "Y-Yeah, technically day one's, y'know? So... just... kinda how it goes."
Meliana nodded. "Well... you guys wanna head to the club?"
"Oh, shit."
[♪The National Anthem - Radiohead♪][1]
Soon enough, the party arrives at their destination, led by Meliana herself, sporting a black hoodie over her usual gear. Emma herself was wearing a denim jacket over her shoulders, a black shirt underneath, gear kept at her side in a sports bag, whilst Dahlia wore what she typically wears, an oversized hoodie and jeans.
They descended into the basement, a non-existent line greeting them with a Jotun bouncer at the front, who seemed to have had a look of recognition at Dahlia. As they approached, he smiled. "Greetings, kin, are you and your friends adventurers?"
Meliana held up a verification card, prompting Emma and Dahlia to do the same.
"That's what we like to see, you're welcome inside."
As they slipped inside, Meliana mumbled. "Easy enough."
"Easy... easy enough what?" Emma questioned, heading through a dimly lit hall which was slowly filled with the loud thumping of music. The yellow fluorescent lights flicker out as they reach an open area, a dance floor set up right before them, lit by neon lights and the vague silhouettes of people dancing.
Dahlia pinched the hem of Emma's sleeve, politely guiding her throughout the crowd, Meliana following with a smirk on her face. Eventually, she looked up at the two. "You two have fun, I'm gonna look for a date." Following with a snicker as she sank into the crowd.
"Ah. She abandoned us."
Dahlia scanned the environment like a lost child. "So colorful." She looked over at a gorgeous, well-endowed Drow woman from the Under City playing as a DJ. She was practically half naked, exposed to the world as she joyfully bounced to the music.
This place, nobody cared who you were; people just wanted to dance, play, or drink.
Dahlia looked over at Emma, who was visibly retreating from anyone who came close. "Let's go somewhere less crowded! Uh..." She pointed to the bar. "There!"
"Wait--"
Before Emma could respond, Dahlia was pulling her straight across the dance floor and over to a nearby bar. Dahlia sat down on one of the stools, and Emma followed, awkwardly pulling herself up onto the bar counter, meeting her gaze with a black-haired half-elf, glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.
"Anything I can get you two?" The girl spoke up.
Dahlia blinked before turning to Emma. "I've never had alcohol before."
"I'm... guessing you want to try some?" Emma asked in turn.
Dahlia smiled, nodding. "Yeah, it could be fun! Have you drunk any before?"
"I have... uh... once I turned eighteen, my Uncle let me drink." Emma rubbed her chin. "Could we get a strawberry margarita for the big girl here, and for me, could you get me a hard cider?"
The bartender nodded. "Comin' right up."
Dahlia looked to Emma expectantly. "Does a strawberry margarita taste good?"
"Yeah, very sweet, but ya gotta make sure to mix it up once in a while if you don't wanna taste the alcohol."
Dahlia looked over to the DJ. "Wasn't Viana also a Drow?"
"Well, they're still technically an Elf, but yes, they are a type of Elf."
"I didn't know that before, I just knew that, if they had purplish skin, they came from the Under Cities."
[♪São Paulo - The Weeknd♪]
Emma's head bobbed slightly as the music changed. "Uh... yeah, they're incredibly uncommon, so not a lot of people even know that they're called that. Apparently, there's a bunch of Drow in Draudilythill, though."
The bartender returned with Emma's hard cider. "There you go." She turned to Dahlia. "We'll return with your drink soon."
Dahlia nodded. "Thank you."
"Honestly," Emma continued. "Viana was the first Drow I'd have ever seen, then the next would've been that one fuck I killed at the catacombs." Emma glanced at the DJ, trying to look away. "G-Gods, she sure... uh..." She shook her head, "Never mind."
"She's really letting them hand out there, huh?"
Emma almost choked on her drink. "W-Wow~! I definitely didn't expect you, of all people, to say that."
"I-It's really hard not to notice when she has the dress all the way down to her stomach, y'know?" Dahlia paused, "Doesn't it hurt like that?"
"Does it hurt for you?"
"Huh?"
Emma coughed. "Does, never mind! I didn't say anything!"
"What did you say though!?"
"It was nothing, I didn't say anything! I was thinking out loud!"
Dahlia pointed at Emma's drink. "Can I try it?"
"Uh... go ahead, it isn't that strong."
Dahlia took a sip, twisting her lips in response. "It burns like medicine, but it tastes good."
"Yep." Emma took the glass back, looked at where Dahlia drank, and hesitated to continue before just chugging it down out of embarrassment.
Soon enough, Dahlia's strawberry margarita arrived. She held the glass in her hands for a moment, swishing around the ice and liquid inside for a moment before taking a sip. "O-Oh! This is really good!"
"I know. You can't even taste the alcohol!"
As Emma and Dahlia continued talking, Meliana sat alone in the crowd atop a tall chair next to a small, round table. A woman handing out drinks passes by, Meliana snatching one from the tray before periodically sipping on it herself, swishing the alcohol in her mouth for a moment. Seems it isn't poisoned.
A young man, about the same age and height as Meliana, the cat anthro, hopped onto a seat right next to her. "Yo."
Meliana lifted a brow to get a better look at the Kathomo catman, "Yo..."
"Are you new here, dame?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"I'm Aoderiin, you can call me Ao. What's your name?"
"Meliana, gato."
"Pleasure to meet you as well, petit dragon."
"Why'd you come over to me, gato?"
"I was curious, you looked to be brooding mysteriously in the corner, so I figured I'd attempt a conversation. It's hard broaching stuff when everyone can stomp on you in an instant."
"And it wasn't just to hit on me?"
Ao froze, as if caught, tail puffing up. "Uh... yeah... I guess." He chuckled.
"You're comin' in with a lot of confidence there, gato."
"I heard confidence can take you miles, so..."
"What made you so interested, huh?"
"Maybe that iridescent glow that comes off your scales when shone against light? It creates a beautiful color, y'know?"
Meliana's eyes widen in surprise at his response. Getting a better look at the guy, he wasn't bad-looking himself, being of the Tuxedo variation of Kathomo Catfolk, which places greater emphasis around his face, leading into a white streak through his bangs. A scarf interlined with metal sheets sat around his neck, which especially caught Meliana's attention.
She pointed to the scarf. "Is that your weapon, gato?"
"Yep, pretty cool, right?"
[♪Big Poe - Tyler, The Creator♪]
"Oh shit~!" The crowd exclaimed, parting into a circle in the middle. Meliana looked around, concerned, as Ao shared a wide smile. "Dance battle!"
A thin mermaid-human hybrid and a taller wolfkin girl battle it out, both showing off their skills on the dance floor.
Dahlia's face lit up once she heard the words; at this point, she went straight through three refills of the same drink, whilst Emma was on her second. Dahlia stood up, "We should go and watch!"
"A-A dance battle!?"
"Yeah!"
"Uh... okay?"
Dahlia grabs Emma's hand, pushing through the crowd far enough until she can see the two dancers going at it.
"Oh, shit, I can't see--"
Before Emma could continue, she was quickly picked up by Dahlia, causing her to let out a small yelp as she was lifted above the ground. Emma's face was flushed, looking over to Dahlia, who didn't seem to notice what she had just done.
The DJ shouted from behind her equipment, "Dance, dance, dance!"
[♪Sugar On My Tongue - Tyler, The Creator♪]
The dancing continued, Meliana slowly getting into the groove of the music.
Ao noticed, smiling. "Let's dance!" He jumped off from his seat, dancing with the music.
Meliana hesitated for a moment, a smirk on her face, before jumping off as well, joining the catman in his antics.
Eventually, Dahlia brought Emma back to the bar, a massive smile on her face, slightly flushed. "This has been great!"
Emma pulled on her collar. "A bit too humid for my taste, though."
"Maybe it's the alcohol? I do feel super warm!"
"Yeah, speaking of, you need to slow down. At least have some water with what you're having."
"Huh!?"
"Order some water!"
Dahlia gives Emma a thumbs-up, ordering herself water.
After the song ended, a massive woman, easily trumping the size of most adventurers in the room-- a Half-Minotaur woman revealed themselves right beside the DJ, dreads rolling off the side of their head, a massive smile on their face. "Hello world! As you can see... I'm back from my trip~! I hope my workers have all treated you well whilst I was gone, let's keep this party going~!"
Everyone there cheered.
Meliana's attention was immediately grabbed by the Club Owner suddenly showing up. The massive woman spun around, slipping backstage, further into the club. Kylika Maudrin... Meliana thought to herself, turning over to Ao. "Yo, here." She slapped a piece of paper into his chest. "You can call me later, okay?"
Ao, breaking character, blinked. "W-Wait, what?"
"See ya." Meliana slipped away, rushing through the crowd, attempting to intercept the Club Owner. She rounded to the right, met by a large hallway with various glass booths, right across from doors leading to private rooms.
Making an estimated guess, she rounded the next corner, beaded curtains separating her and the hedonistic pursuits inside the various rooms lined across this thinner-looking hallway, leading straight into the back of this club, which seemed to have been where the Owner was heading.
Meliana rushed through the partygoers, slipping past before meeting with stark, gray walls, and in that moment, she spotted the large Minotaur woman walking into the back, and side by side, men clad in red armor stood.
Meliana attempted to make a break for the door, slip in just before it closed, but she was too late; the door slammed shut, knocking her into it.
[♪Love Can Be... - Vince Staples♪]
"Y'know..." Dahlia spoke up, turning to Emma. "I'm feeling hot!"
"Hm-- No shit, you've gone through seven margaritas now!" Emma paused for a moment. "Actually, I'm cutting you off!"
"Aw~!"
"Don't 'aw~' me!"
Dahlia gave a big, toothy smile. "We should dance~!"
"D-Dance? Me!? Dance!?"
"Yeah! We should dance!"
"W-I dunno--" Before Emma could continue talking, two arms landed onto the counter in front of her, forced into the embrace of what looked to be a Wolfkin woman with long black hair. A smirk on her face as she pushed a few strands of her hair behind one of her ears.
"Yo~! Haven't seen you around before~!"
"W-Huh!?"
"What's your name, girlie?"
"E-Em-- W-Who are you!?"
"You can call me Puppy, darling~! I saw you a bit ago, and you look like a fish out of water... Are you a virgin? How about a real woman teaches you about the world, okay?"
"Y-Wh-HUH!? Wh-What!? N-No! I'm good!"
"Oh, come on~! I know you want to, I can see the tempt--"
Suddenly, Dahlia catches the woman off guard, slapping her hand loudly across the countertop, making it shake violently. Dahlia leaned in, showing off her imposing size, bangs slicked back, jaw tightened, ears flattened against the sides of her head. "I believe my friend... said, no... So... shouldn't it be time for you to FUCK OFF!"
The girl's eyes are wide, shocked by the sudden mood change. "S-Sorry... y-yeah, you're right. Yep..." They awkwardly rubbed their palms across their jeans before squeezing through the crowd, avoiding Dahlia's sight.
Emma was just as shocked, watching Dahlia's expression of rage go straight back to the bright smile she had earlier, hair still up. "Holy... shit..." Emma hissed out.
Dahlia looked back at Emma. "What an annoying person, hah!"
"R-Right... also, did you just curse!? I-I've never heard you curse!"
Dahlia blinked. "Yeah, I guess I did." Dahlia's face became pinched. "Gods, it's hot." She threw off her hoodie, revealing the loose, sleeveless white shirt and black sports bra she wore underneath.
W-What the fuck is going on!? Emma screamed in her own head.
Dahlia let out a sigh of relief. "Let's go!"
Emma sighed in sympathy, taking off her own jacket as well, wrapping it around her waist. Dahlia mimics Emma's motions, wrapping her own hoodie around her waist as well.
"Let's dance!"
"U-Uh... yeah!"
Before Emma could say anything else, Dahlia grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her into the crowd, dancing almost immediately to the beat. Emma hesitated at first, but couldn't help herself —doing as Dahlia did, both losing themselves to the music.
Back with Meliana, sat close to one of the vents of the club, and just like before, nothing, met with an arcane lock. "Fuck!"
Meliana clicked her tongue, heading towards the bathroom instead, hoping to find maybe some opening within this building's defenses.
Opening the door, she went inside, looking and hoping. She stepped into one of the stalls, closing it behind her. She brought her attention to the vent above, sighing at how high it was. "It's a gamble..." Meliana whispered. She positioned herself on the lid of the toilet, and just as she was about to make a jump for the vents, someone opened the door to the restroom, cutting her off.
Meliana crouched low not to get anyone's attention.
"You don't have to worry about anything, babe, we're just gonna have a little bit of fun, alright?" The voice of the DJ.
"Can't we just use one of those private rooms...?"
"But it ruins the fun. Gotta have some risk in our lives, no?"
"A-Also, aren't you a contractor. Won't you get in trouble for not being at the table?"
"I got someone to replace me, it'll be fine~!" They both enter the stall right beside Meliana's.
Fuck... Meliana cursed in her head.
Outside, both Emma and Dahlia rested in one of the glass booths out in the nearby hall, sat side by side, an arm resting across Emma's backrest. Both of their faces are flushed, exhausted.
Dahlia smiled. "That was awesome! Man... the alcohol is really getting to me..." She slumped into her seat, eyes in a daze.
"You're... quite the powerhouse, Dahlia... Gods. Where'd all this energy come from? The cursing, as well, by the way." Emma laughs.
"I-I dunno," Dahlia snickered. "I just got really mad when she was close to you like that, so I thought it'd make sense to just... y'know?"
Emma is confused by the statement, scanning Dahlia. "So... why's that? Why'd you get mad?"
Dahlia shrugged. "I dunno."
"Anyways... It's just interesting seeing new sides of you like this, girl."
"Is it bad...?"
"Hell no, it's... uh... kinda... You were kinda awesome back there, I ain't gonna lie." Emma chuckled.
"Did you think I was cool~?"
Emma rubbed the back of her neck, smiling ear to ear. "No shit, yeah, you were. You're always cool though, so... you don't have to be concerned about being not cool, and stuff."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah, absolutely!"
Dahlia's smile softened. "I think you're really cool too."
"I dunno about that... I..." Emma's expression dropped. "I... I don't think I'm... you're always out there-- if anyone's cool, it's Rider. He's a... well... ironically a machine! They're a monster out there, you're a monster, Meliana's a sharpshooting master!" Emma licked her lips, thinking about what to say next. "And... me... I guess I'm a decent support. Honestly, all I bring to the table is Rider... at this rate..."
"We... regardless... Emma... we rely pretty heavily on you, Emma. You're better than you think, and even if you think you rely on Rider a lot combat-wise, you can easily bridge the gap! I know you can!"
"I'm... I'm no Hero, that guy, he's someone to rely on. I might not care about the guy very much, but I do respect him."
"Yeah, but I don't want him."
"You'd probably fit right in with his party, y'know?"
"And as I said... I don't want to be a part of his party... I want you... Emma."
"But... why? Why me?"
"I dunno, maybe it's cause you're my best friend?"
Emma chuckled. "Best friend..." A beat. "You're so... simple, y'know that?"
"Is that bad?"
"No... I... it's uh... charming, I guess."
Dahlia let out a humored huff, looking over to a couple making out right across from them. "Oh, well..."
"What?" Emma followed her gaze, causing her to jump as well. "Oh, Gods, wow..."
Dahlia stared for a few seconds before looking at Emma. "Have you ever heard of the myth about first kisses tasting like lemons?"
"U-Uh... why are you bringin' it up?"
"I dunno, I just thought it would be interesting to talk about... do you think they do?"
Emma shrugged. "N-Not like I'd know... I-I've never kissed anyone before."
Dahlia chuckled. "Me neither. N-Not like I had anyone that I was close to until recently, of course."
"Y-Yeah..." Emma cleared her throat.
"Is there anyone you wanna kiss...?"
W-What? Why'd she ask that? Maybe... no, I'm assuming too much, I shouldn't jump the gun. "Uh... I-I dunno... Do you?"
"Mhm... I dunno... I don't really know how I'd even feel if it ever happened."
Emma swallowed. "Well... s-when... someone does know, they'd get a pull in their stomach, and... they want to be close to a person, I think."
"Wanna try it?" Dahlia questioned jokingly, a smug smile on her face.
Almost like the ringing in one's ears after an explosion, Emma's head rang with those words. One moment, her head was filled with thoughts, and the next, it was a white room and the sound of tinnitus. What, what, what, what, what, what do I do here? She's messing with me, but what's the move? Should I call her bluff? What do I do? Fuck, fuck, idiot, do something, say something!
"Did I surprise you?" Dahlia started laughing. "Sorry! I know it was an odd thi--"
In a split second, Emma grabbed Dahlia's collar, calling the bluff; she went for it. Emma's lips met with Dahlia's. Fuck! Fuck! What am I doing, fuck!
Dahlia froze for a moment, arms stretched out defensively. Emma inched away, her face completely red from the kiss, but before she could escape, Dahlia leaned in, and once again they found themselves locked, Dahlia's massive arms wrapping around the small woman's body.
The moment lingered, Dahlia leaning in more and more into the kiss, practically pressing down onto Emma. F-Fuck... I'm lightheaded... Emma huffed, her thoughts a mess, white knuckling Dahlia's collar.
The sounds of music were drowned out, as if submerged in water. Their eyes flickered for a moment, finally parting from one another.
Dahlia's hand slipped beneath Emma, placing the auburn-headed girl on her lap, enveloping them both in her warmth. It was in one, slow motion, before Dahlia went back in for more, kissing Emma again, lips wrapping over the other's.
Meliana put both palms up to her ears as the DJ began making moves on the girl in the stall beside her. I need to get the hell out of here. Meliana slowly scooted herself off the toilet lid and onto the seat, then began making her way down onto the ceramic tiling below.
"W-What are you..." The other girl groaned, but her voice got louder. "W-Wait! W-what ar-- stop! St-"
Meliana froze, eyes widening, watching their legs flail out from the wall separating the two stalls. Wheezing words of "Stop," and "Please, no" escaped from their lips, but in the end, it didn't matter, soon enough falling limp.
Snap!
The body stiffened and fell, slapping onto the floor, the girl's hollow eyes staring blankly out, a bite mark in the neck, skin pale.
The Drow DJ laughed. "You... Kobold girl... You can come out now."
White scales flash against the disco ball above, EDM music filling the club. "Alright, people, it's time for the main event!" A draconic, lizardkin with white scales and hypnotic eyes dances behind the record table, a checkered shirt unbuttoned, revealing their chest. A toothy grin spread across their face... a scar on their neck, just below the jaw. "Get ready now~! The party's just gettin' started!"
The door to Meliana's stall is ripped open by the Drow DJ, a massive smile, fangs poking into her bottom lip. "Come on~! Shouldn't you be partying?"
[1] I'd recommend listening to the associated songs in bracket from here on