[b][u]11:15 PM
Aquarius Apartments, Bazaar Quarter, Poseidonis[/u][/b]

Karen hadn’t had a very pleasant car ride from the club. Being trapped in that car with a group of strange men eying up the two of them was probably one of the most unpleasant experiences in her life that didn’t involve fighting demons from the outerdark. More than once had one placed his hand on her thigh, which she had calmly moved. She was probably the only one there that hadn’t really gotten tipsy.

The music was also obnoxiously loud, and hurt her ears. Did that make her milktoast? Maybe she needed to try lightening up...but then, these were the guys trying to drug girls from the surface.

Allegedly, anyhow.

Thankfully, they had arrived at their destination--what looked like a fairly luxurious apartment complex. As if it were straight out of some sort of science fiction movie, the hovercar descended to the pavement before the door slid open. Piling out one after the other, the men offered a hand to both of the girls.

Karen didn’t accept as she climbed out.

Ophelia accepted the help as she was offered, stepping out and pausing at Karen’s side.

[color=fff79a]”That had to be the trashiest hover-car I’ve ever ridden in, God. They might as well have dragged us in an inner-tube behind a station wagon.”[/color] She whispered.

Ophelia hadn’t necessarily ridden in an abundance of hover-cars, but recognized a rice burner when she saw it. She had begun to get bored with the men after they stopped giving her alcohol. She started walking towards the penthouse, hooked at the elbow with Karen, without waiting for the men. They walked past the doorman without a word and towards the elevator. The men were just entering the building and caught a glimpse of Ophelia giving them a cheeky wave as the elevator doors closed.

[color=fff79a]”God, what a drag. There’s only so many times a man can look me up and down before I’m gonna have to start charging.” [/color]

Karen breathed a heavy sigh of relief now that they had escaped from the creepy guys, even if it was likely only temporary. Glancing over to Ophelia, she pursed her lips. [color=orchid]”How do you tolerate hanging with people like that?”[/color]

She’d faced literal-fucking-ogres with better manners. Still, she wasn’t here to enjoy herself. Not really—there were lives at stake. If she didn’t do something to stop this, some poor girl could literally have her future destroyed. Maybe several.

Ophelia shrugged. [color=fff79a]”I get what I need from them, then I leave.”[/color]

She hadn’t really thought on it a lot. Most of the time she wasn’t particularly fond of the company she kept. She was fond of the attention she got, and the things she could get out of them, but they weren’t the type of crowd she’d like to be seen with during daylight hours. She was accustomed to having to deal with much more unsavory characters in order to get what she wanted, especially considering her line of work, so a few men with over inflated egos and cheap shoes weren’t particularly strenuous. 

She pressed the button to be buzzed in to the penthouse. 

[color=fff79a]”Herod, darling? It’s Ophelia, we met the other night!”[/color] she said, her voice bright and bubbly. 

The button lit up and the elevator started moving upwards.

Karen felt her stomach lurch slightly as the elevator began to ascend. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to smooth out the wrinkles in her dress. Herod, she’d called him. That was a Greek name, and that usually meant…

[color=orchid]”Is your friend Herod an Atlantean?”[/color] she asked. [color=orchid]”I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect there to be any here.”[/color]

She had assumed this was a drug ring ran entirely by surfacers taking advantage of naive college girls who felt out of place in their new, strange environment. Why would there be Atlanteans here, though, if that was the case? What exactly was going on?

[color=fff79a]”I’d assume so. We didn’t have a conversation about it, but just looking at him kinda gives you that vibe.” [/color] Ophelia said, the brightness her voice had a moment ago gone. [color=fff79a]”God, I need some more alcohol. Could this damn elevator go any slower?”[/color]

Karen, though she didn’t like drinking, wouldn’t honestly mind having a glass of wine herself at this moment. She was...nervous. She’d never been to a party like this before, especially not dressed this way. Her palms felt sweaty, as did her brow. When the elevator slid open, she stood almost straight at attention and raised her hand in greeting to the tall Atlantean.

[color=orchid]”Oh Karen, I’m hi!”[/color] she said with an awkward grin. [color=orchid]”Err, I mean...”[/color]

[color=fff79a]”This is my friend Karen. It's so nice to see you again, I had such a lovely time the other night,”[/color] Ophelia said, her demeanour bright again, like she’d flicked a switch and turned a light on with her personality. 

Herod was a tall man, similar in stature to the Atlantean king, he held himself stoically, there was an appropriate modesty in his posture. His hands were clasped behind his back. The suit he wore was well-tailored, and of quality material, but Ophelia didn't recognize a brand. 

Herod smiled down at the girls, his eyes were dark, but not alarming. “Come in, come in. To be honest, I didn't expect anyone so soon, there's hardly anyone here yet,” He said with a chuckle. “I'm happy to see you back, you left so suddenly last night.” 

Ophelia offered a sweet smile. “My carriage was turning into a pumpkin, and I hadn't any time to waste.” 

He lead the girls inside the mostly empty penthouse, pausing every now and again to tell them about some piece of art he had hung up  on his walls. The penthouse itself was a sight to behold, with high ceilings and sleek  lines. The majority of the main floor had been converted into a glass dance floor, but they only saw it for a moment before they headed upstairs. The second floor was a mostly wide open space, even the master bedroom was mostly open, only separated by artsy slats. They walked past a plush seating area and over to a bar and dining room, Herod took up post as a bartend as the girls sat down at the stools. 

“What's your poison?” He asked, grabbing them all glasses. 

Karen had followed behind Ophelia in silence, both grateful and impressed with her ability to so casually chat up the handsomely imposing figure who had greeted them. It was quite obvious now that he was an Atlantean, and unlike the men they had met at the nightclub, he didn’t appear to be sleazy in the least. In fact, he looked [i]so[/i] clean it was a bit surprising that he would be in a place like this. He just didn’t seem like the partying type.

[color=orchid]”Red wine, please…something sweet,”[/color] replied Karen, smiling up at Herod. In truth, it was the only alcohol she could really stand. Most of the rest tasted like piss to her. Ordering [i]some[/i] kind of drink was necessary if she wanted them to try and drug her, however.

Glancing about the room, it was almost eerie how vacant it was. They must have really been early. Would that make them hesitant to try anything, knowing that there would surely be other guests arriving later?

[color=orchid]”When does the actual party here start?”[/color] Karen whispered to Ophelia.

“And for you, Ophelia?”

[color=fff79a]”I’ll have the same.”[/color]

Herod grabbed a bottle from the wine rack hung on the wall behind him, and turned back to face the girls. Before Ophelia could answer Karen, Herod began speaking. 

“This is a Screaming Eagle Cabernet, from California. You both are from the surface, perhaps you’ve been there?” he said, opening the bottle. He began to pour. 

“And to answer your question, people should start arriving around one thirty, but ?it won’t be a party till around two thirty or three.” He passed them their glasses. “I have to say I was surprised when you showed up so early, how has your evening been?”

As soon as he had finished the doorbell rang again, the spanish men had caught up with them.

“I guess you aren’t the only early ones. Excuse me ladies.” 

Ophelia watched Herod’s back as he walked across the floor till he disappeared down the stairs, sipping on her wine glass. She glanced over at Karen and giggled. 

[color=fff79a]”Not bad, hm?”[/color]

Karen frowned when she saw the sleaze-brigade enter the penthouse, easing back in her seat. [color=orchid]”No, but it isn’t exactly [i]good[/i], either.”[/color]

Something about those men really rubbed her the wrong way. Herod seemed nice enough, but his uncanny hearing was disturbing. Did Atlanteans normally have superior hearing to humans? Maybe it was just him. While Ophelia seemed to be enjoying herself, Karen just couldn’t relax—she’d seen girls be drugged at parties before. She knew the horrible consequences it had on their lives. She wasn’t about to chance that happening to anyone while she was on campus.

[color=orchid]”Listen,”[/color] whispered Karen, making sure that Herod was out of sight, [color=orchid]”If anything goes down, you need to hide. There’s no telling how they might react to having their operations exposed.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]”Don’t worry about me, honey, I’m a big girl.”[/color] 

Ophelia gave Karen an overtly flirty wink. Whether or not these guys had any secret motives to to their party-hosting hadn’t really entertained much thought in Ophelia’s mind. If it took a drug-ring or whatever Karen thought was going on to get the girl out of the dang dorm then so be it. Ophelia was just here to have fun, not meddle with someone’s (albeit illegal) business ventures.

Karen did her best not to blush at the gesture, instead focusing on her cellphone’s clock. Minute by minute she watched as the hours passed them by, very casually drinking with Ophelia to pass the time. She was terribly grateful when more guests arrived, simply because she didn’t feel comfortable with the two of them being alone with so many guys.

While there were a few that had arrived in a slow trickle, ultimately, the main deluge of guests began flooding in at around two in the morning. By two-thirty, the party was in full swing and Karen could once more barely hear herself think for all the laughter and drunken banter cascading off the walls.

Needing to take a break from the increasing claustrophobic environment, Karen had suggested stepping out onto the balcony. The naked air was a refreshing contrast to the smell of booze inside—it had reminded her just a little too much of home. With her back turned to the city, she had a nice view of the partygoers, anyhow.

[color=orchid]”This place really picked up, huh?”[/color] said Karen, leaning back on the railing. [color=orchid]”This is probably when they’ll try something, I imagine. There’s lots of girls for them to choose from now.”[/color]

[color=fff79a]”God, Karen, lighten up. I get you only came out to investigate whatever, but I really doubt anything that horrible is going on. People give other people drugs at parties. It’s like you’ve never had someone snort coke off your ass or something. You don’t need to tell me, I know you haven’t.”[/color] Ophelia said, leaning her elbows on the railing, facing out towards the city. 

She was drunk at this point, she’d admit that. Not completely wasted, she had enough experience to pace herself enough so she could last at least till around five or six in the morning. Surprisingly enough, she had seen a few faces she recognized. A few people she’d seen at the parties of some of the less reputable company she happened to keep had caught her eye, though they probably wouldn’t recognize her. She kept her face hidden in those types of crowds. 

It did intrigue her though, or it would have, if she’d not been drunk.

[color=fff79a]”I just want to see you enjoy yourself. I’m glad you came out with me, I’ve been meaning to get some time with you. Cigarette?”[/color] Ophelia held out a cigarette to Karen, placing one in her own mouth.

Karen honestly felt bad now. She had been so focused on “business” that she hadn’t really paid that much attention to Ophelia. The other girl had only wanted to have a fun night out with her, and she’d been a total stick in the mud. While she [i]was[/i] trying to protect the other girls on campus, she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to live it up a little bit.

[color=orchid]”Alright—snort [i]what[/i] off of [i]what?”[/i][/color] Karen gasped, only just realizing what Ophelia had said earlier. Now she [i]really[/i] needed that smoke. Accepting the offered cigarette, she snapped her fingers to spark a light at the end.

Ophelia covered her mouth with her hand and snickered. [color=fff79a]”Oh, I’ve said too much!”[/color] She grabbed Karen’s arm with urgency, holding back more laughter. [color=fff79a]”Karen, you have to swear to me you’ll never [i]ever[/i] hold me accountabable- accountable for anything I say when I’m drunk. It wouldn’t be fair. It wouldn’t be right!”[/color]

Blowing into the cigarette, it was quickly made apparent that she’d never smoked before as she began to sputter and cough uncontrollably. Glancing to Ophelia with a sheepish smile, she straightened her posture. [color=orchid]”Good shit, huh?”[/color]

Ophelia laughed, throwing her head back. [color=fff79a]“You’re an absolute doll, did you know that? You’re gonna make me melt.”[/color]

She paused and took a drag off her cigarette. The city was really beautiful. Atlanteans really knew their shit when it came to architecture. Or anything else really. I guess they’d have to to build an entire civilization underwater. She couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be here. Even a few years ago she would have never imagined herself here. A few years ago she probably wouldn’t have been able to imagine [i]herself[/i]. 

Karen felt her cheeks reddening again. She decided against taking another drag from her own cigarette, not wishing to embarrass herself any further. Still, this was nice. It was (relatively) quiet out here, and the headache that was starting to build at her temples had mostly subsided. Maybe she had been reading too much into things. Maybe they were just some kind of weird vitamins, and she was blowing it all out of proportion.

It wouldn’t be the first time. Being a superhero skewed your perception of everything. You started seeing plots and conspiracies in even the most mundane of things. Sure, those guys had looked kind of scummy, but that didn’t mean they were rapists or anything.

She needed to relax. She needed to stop being a buzzkill.

Pushing off the railing, she smiled again to Ophelia, offering her a hand. [color=orchid]”Hey, I promised you a dance, didn’t I? How about it? The party’s about as hot as it’ll get tonight.”[/color]

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, but accepted the hand. The cigarette fell over the balcony railing as she dropped it. 

[color=fff79a]”You wait till I’m drunk to ask me to dance?”[/color]

Ophelia wasn’t a fool, even if she was a reckless, drunk socialite trying to hide a double life in a school full of people with mystical or mysterious powers. She knew Karen was probably being friendly, and that was fine, and appreciated, but she couldn’t help her inebriated mind from wondering if maybe the other girl wasn’t just being friendly. Or maybe that was hope. 

[color=fff79a]”The joke’s on you, my dancing only gets better as I get drunker.”[/color]