[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjY2LjIzOWE5YS5WbUZ6YUhScElFNXZkWEksLjAA/tarkista-tiedot.regular.png[/img][/center] [hr] Vashti perked up as she heard the ding of the elevator. She tilted her head, saw Madison being carried by Herik, dropped back against the couch with a thump, and stuck her lip out. Some girls had all of the luck. Vashti realized then that Madison was passed out and chided herself. It was stupid to get jealous of a drunk girl. Still, her self-awareness did nothing to cure her envy. Today was turning out to be a horrible day. She looked like an idiot at the meetup, acted like a total asshole to girls higher up in the pecking order, and now was being a total sourpuss for an utterly benign reason. She wished she could blame her behavior on the Leviathan, but even before it her emotions ran rampant. Vashti sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. What a headache this was all be— A cry of surprise escaped her throat as she was effortlessly lifted up out of her slump like a ragdoll and constricted between a massive pair of arms. Momentarily panic switched over to even more panic as Vashti realized Herik was hugging her. Words tried to form on her lips as her feet dangled uselessly off of the ground, but the only thing that came out was excited gibberish. Before she still fully comprehended the greatness of the moment she was in it was over as Herik gently set her back down on the couch. "Thank you!” [i]Ohmigod[/i]. “You're a lifesaver.”[i]Ohmigod ohmigod[/i]. “How about I treat you to dinner, yes?" [i]Ohmigodohmigodohmigod.[/i] Vashti felt her face flush as her eyes darted around the room. This was a prank. Revenge for her shit behavior. No, wait, he was serious? Really? Buy her dinner? Buying dinner was big. Buying dinner was really big. It was practically date territory. Wait, was it one? Holy shit. She needed to breathe. She needed to change outfits. She needed to not have a creepy alligator hybrid body. Most importantly, she needed to say something, because right now she was just staring at Herik in disbelief. She hopped up to her feet. “D-dinner? Yes! Yeah! Awesome! That’d be great! Totally! I’m in!” How many ways could she give him an affirmative? Vashti never would know, because the goth waiting for the elevator came over. [color=#FFD700]"Hi, I'm Sin, the best summoner in the world."[/color] Vashti gave her a horrified look. The only sin here was that this girl had managed to summon up a total vibe killer by interrupting the chemistry that was [i]clearly[/i] sparking between Vashti and Herik. [color=#FFD700]"So uh... You're one us yeah?"[/color] [color=darkcyan]“Geez, I still hope so,”[/color] said Vashti. Wait, did the girl just assume she was in the Coven? Did that mean she walked up to everyone introducing herself as a summoner? Vasthi shook her head, wiped the ugly look from her face, and smiled. She didn’t need to butt heads with anymore of the Coven. [color=darkcyan]“I’m Vashti, the best elevator repair-girl in the world.”[/color] Meanwhile, the other girls were rushing around and Herik had checked his phone. Something had gone wrong. Before Vashti could even consolidate plans with Herik, she was whisked away into a different car. [hr] Vashti might’ve been sullen on the way to the Coven’s lair, but nobody could ever be sad in Fantasy Land! Or so said the broken sign covered with dying spanish moss. It was an odd concept for a theme park. Most bragged about being the happiest place on Earth. Fantasy Land was content with just not being depressing and, unlike when it was open, it actually succeeded. There was a haunted house that probably had an actual murder in it, the unearthed dinosaur bones of rollercoaster tracks that were quickly degrading looming off in the distance, and a pet alligator too. Vashti couldn’t help but wonder if Chompy was someone who just had it worse than her. The Coven was having a wrap-up meeting sans Claudette and Madison, which was fortunate for Vashti. The further removed from the incident the less likely that it would be brought up. Vashti sat on the trunk of a rogue bumper car that was hundreds of yards from its home. She had a look on her face that was somewhere between shocked and intrigued as Maya dished the dirty details to Taylor. Surely, Maya was joking about screwing Blake Schmidt’s wife. [i]Dude didn’t accept the deal so I fucked his wife[/i]. It was mimicking business trash talk. Fake machismo, purely ironic. There was literally no way it had actually happened, just like there was literally no way they were actually going to go to a strip club. Right? "Instead of drinking to bond, how about we go for dinner?” suggested Herik. Vashti reeled back as if she’d been hit by a bullet and barely kept herself from sliding off of her bumper car. We. He had said we should get dinner. As in, we [i]all[/i] should get dinner. Fucking A. She plopped down onto the dilapidated cushion in the cab of her makeshift seat and propped her head up with her hand. Whatever. She was still hungry, and the alternative plan sounded like the perfect way to make a bad day even worse. Besides, maybe the rest wouldn’t want to go. The thought of that made Vashti perk up. [color=darkcyan]“I’m in. Pretty sure I heard you say that it was gonna be your treat, too,”[/color] said Vashti, then she winked. [color=darkcyan]“Just kidding.”[/color] Even if the others came along it’d be fine. She just hoped that she and Herik would have a moment alone. Vashti had made up her mind. He was the one she was going to tell about the Leviathan.