Obvious warning for alcohol (please drink responsibly when you drink irl) and weapons (also not a good combination irl so please don’t do dumb things)
Girls Night Out
“I don’t know about this…” you trail off, eyeing your reflection in the mirror. “Won’t someone recognize us?”
“Not when I’m finished with you,” Yusra mumbles. She grabs a can of hairspray from the table and begins to coat your hair in a glittery red film. When she’s finished you look like you murdered someone before jumping into a bucket of glitter. It’s not your everyday look, that’s for sure.
“Look up,” Yusra commands. You obey, and she begins to smudge cheap black eyeliner around your lids.
“I’m not going,” you hear Lia call out from the bathroom.
“Yes you are,” Yusra responds.
The door flies open, and your jaw hit the floor. You can’t tell where the leather begins and Lia ends. It clings to her every curve. She blushes at your reaction. “I can’t go out like this! Where would I put my gun?”
Yusra looks up from your makeup and raises a suggestive eyebrow. Lia’s blush deepens by a hundred shades, and she barricades herself in the bathroom again.
“Where are Carina and Kaya?” you as Yusra.
“They’re meeting us there. Best to go in smaller groups, draws less attention.
There,” she concludes, taking a step back to admire her handy work. You’ve got to admit, she was right. Nobody would recognize the face looking back at you. Yusra walks over to the bathroom door and bangs her fist against it. “Ay, I’m not letting you ruin the Princess’s birthday. Let’s go.”
While Yusra coaxes, or threatens, Lia out of the bathroom, you examine your reflection more fully. The denim mini skirt you’re wearing barely comes to the middle of your thigh, ripped fishnets the only other thing standing between you and the cold night. You pull a leather jacket off the vanity in front of you and pull it over your white tank top.
“Draw less attention,” you mutter to yourself. The three of you couldn’t blend in if you were a Vitamix. Yusra’s leopard print pants are as loud as your new, sticky hair, and if you couldn’t take your eyes off Lia, you can only imagine what a bunch of drunk men will think.
An hour later, the three of you find yourselves standing in a line outside of a brick building in the industrial section of town. The booming base, barely muffled by the building’s walls, prevents any conversation. Lightning crackles in the distance, and you hope you’ll make it in before the rain begins. When you finally get to the door, the bouncer looks you up and down before giving you a silent nod and opening the door for you. You make your way to the bar.
“How will we find the others?” you yell at Yusra, trying to overcome the music. Yusra nods her head, inviting you to follow. You weave through the sweaty bodies in the club–
“Carina?” you yell, and the woman turns to you.
“It’s Carrie tonight,” she responds, running her fingers through her obviously fake pink wig and winking at you.
“She’s already three in,” Kaya informs you.
“Well let’s see if we can fix that,” Yusra says, slapping a stack of bills on the bar and motioning the bartender over.
Carina spins around. “It’s my friend’s birthday,” she says, grinning at the bartender.
He pours a round of shots for the five of you. You pick one up and get ready to down it, but Carina interrupts you.
“Wait! We have to have a toast for the birthday girl!”
Even in the dim light of the club, you can see Lia roll her eyes.
“To, to, to friendship!” Carina finishes.
The rest of you imitate her and pour the liquid down your throats. This is the first time you’ve had liquor on Zemia. Only wine is served at palace dinners. The alcohol burns its way down your esophagus, but you’re undeterred. “Another,” you tell the bartender. He nods and pours.
As the night wears on, your lose count of how many drinks you’ve had, and you feel like you’re floating through reality. The music is softer, the lights dimmer, and your body lighter. You look around at your friends and grin.
“Let’s dance!” you say like you’ve had an epiphany. You pull your friends onto the dance floor, and not even Lia resists. You move your body with the beat of the robotic music, and Lia mirrors you. Carina watches fascinated and tries to join in, but it’s far too late in the night for her fine motor skills. Kaya giggles at her and grabs her hand.
“Like this!” she shouts, jumping up and down. Carina begins to laugh and follow her example.
“Seyvians,” Yusra observes sagely, shaking her head.
“Come on Yusra,” you beg, “dance! It’s my birthdayyyy!”
Yusra laughs at you and begins to bob her head with the beat."
“That’s the spirit!” Carina calls out, and Yusra laughs.
“Hey!” you say, turning to Lia, “what did you do with your gun?”
“You wanna see it?” Lia asks.
“Yes!”
Lia pulls it out from under her breast and hands it to you with a flourish."
“That was sooo cool,” you say solemnly. “You are the coolest girl I know.”
“Awww, that’s so sweet,” Lia says, hugging you.
“That’s your gun?” Kaya asks, joining your circle. Lia nods. “Wow. You’re such a bad ass!”
“Thanks,” Lia says.
“Can I see it?” Carina asks. You pass it to Carina, and she closes her hand around it. “Wow! It’s so light?” Lia nods sluggishly. Carina turns it over in her hands and points it at the ceiling. “Is it loa–” Carina begins to ask, but before the words can escape her mouth, she’s already pulled the trigger.
The music stops abruptly as the dancers begin to flee the floor.
“Not anymore,” Lia answers, unconcerned.
The next thing you know, a squad of armed punks has formed a circle around you. The one at the front is tall and pale. He has short green hair that clashes against his red plaid pants. Those gray eyes are unmistakable though.
“Arvin?” you ask.
“Happy birthday,” he says, snatching the gun away from Carina.
“Hey! That’s not yours!” she complains.
“Can you give us a ride home?” Kaya asks, yawning.
hope you like it, it ended up being really long lol
It always feels good to stand up to Emperor in the council scene but doing so almost invariably boosts rebellious to above 60.
