[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/260205/f2d9af79.png[/img] [indent][sub][color=pink][b]LOCATION:[/b][/color] [I]New York City,[/I] [I]Marquee Skydeck[/I][/sub][sup][right][color=pink][b]018.[/b][/color] [I]The Princess[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][sub][hr][/sub][INDENT][sub][color=pink][b]INTERACTIONS:[/b][color=2e2c2c].[/color][/color] [I][color=violet]Lauren[/color], [color=c99775]Stromm[/color], & [color=#96232a]Dahlquist[/color][/I][/sub][/indent] It was late in the evening—one of those hours where the mind drifts into a soft haze and the edges of the world seem just slightly out of focus. Anna felt it settling over her, a fog that dulled her senses without quite taking hold. The night had unfolded predictably for her and Lauren; their conversation lingered in circles, stretching on long past its natural end. Anyone sober enough to listen would have likely begged them for a moment of quiet. Nearly finished with her third drink, Anna lifted her arm in a loose, practiced motion, trying to catch the bartender’s attention as he moved briskly between customers. [color=violet]“Another one?”[/color] Lauren asked, her hand coming to rest lightly on Anna’s shoulder. She wasn’t one to ruin the night, but she also wasn’t about to let her friend drift too far. [color=violet]“Maybe water instead…or a seltzer?”[/color] There was a softness beneath her words, a genuine concern she didn’t bother to disguise. Anna scoffed, the sound sharper than intended. Across the bar, she caught the bartender’s eye; he gave a quick nod, acknowledging her silent request. [color=pink]“That’s exactly what I’m getting,”[/color] Anna replied coolly. [color=pink]“I’m offended, Lauren. You seem to forget I have at least some level of self-control.”[/color] Her tone carried no hint of teasing—only a thin edge that shifted the mood between them in an instant. Lauren’s smile lingered, though it faltered just slightly. She leaned back in her chair, hands retreating to her lap as if she had overstepped some invisible boundary. [color=violet]“I was just concerned,”[/color] she said quietly. A moment later, the bartender approached. His black sleeves were rolled neatly to his elbows, revealing forearms that caught Anna’s attention despite herself. He moved with an easy confidence, the kind that didn’t need to be announced. Mr. Forearms wiped down the bar in front of her with a small white towel, then set a fresh napkin in its place. “What can I get for you, Miss?” His nametag read Richard, and he leaned in just enough to be noticed, not enough to presume. [color=pink]“Just a water,”[/color] Anna said, her voice flat, her patience already thinning. Whatever charm he carried, she had little interest in entertaining it. Lauren let out a quiet chuckle and reached for her own drink—the same one she’d barely touched all night. She idly stirred the straw, listening to the soft clink of ice against glass as the noise of the bar swelled and receded around them. Midnight was approaching, creeping closer with each passing minute. Anna downed a good portion of her water, then slid carefully off her barstool. Her footing wasn’t as steady as it had been earlier, though she masked it well enough—and it was almost surprising that Lauren didn’t reach out to steady her. [color=pink]“Come on,”[/color] Anna said, brushing a hand along the bar for balance. [color=pink]“Let’s get some air.”[/color] [color=violet]“Sure.”[/color] Lauren rose as well, smoothing out her dress. Hers was simple—black, modest, falling just above the knee with sleeves to her elbows. Anna’s, by contrast, was a deep burgundy, fitted and longer, the fabric falling just below her ankles, its sleeves mirroring Lauren’s in length but not in presence. They stepped outside together, the cool air a quiet relief from the warmth and noise within. Finding a spot beneath one of the heat lamps, they lingered there, close enough to feel its gentle warmth. [color=violet]“Nice night,”[/color] Lauren offered. [color=pink]“Yeah.”[/color] The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable—just empty. The kind that comes when everything that needed to be said already had been, or perhaps hadn’t been said at all. In the distance, fireworks began to bloom across the sky, a few minutes ahead of schedule. Bright bursts of color lit the horizon, their reflections dancing faintly in Anna’s eyes. She watched them in quiet appreciation, feeling her mood soften, if only slightly. After a while, she turned to Lauren, pulling her phone from her hand and glancing at the time. [color=pink]“It’s that time,”[/color] Anna said. Lauren looked out toward the fading sparks, then back at her, a small smile returning. [color=violet]“Yeah… it is.”[/color] She glanced toward the entrance, a faint smile tugging at her lips. [color=violet]“We should probably head back in soon.”[/color] The energy inside had transformed completely. Whatever dullness had lingered earlier in the night was gone, replaced by something electric—alive in the way only a crowd on the edge of midnight could be. “Alright, everyone—this is it! We’re counting down!” In return, glasses were lifted, strangers pressed closer, arms thrown around shoulders without hesitation or permission. The room tightened, bodies swaying together as the final seconds approached. Anna and Lauren stood just at the edge of it. “Ten!” The number echoed, shouted from every direction, some too early, others too late. “Nine! Eight!” Lauren laughed, pulled into it despite herself, her earlier unease slipping for just a moment. She glanced at Anna, expecting to see that same distant expression—but instead found her watching the crowd, alert in a way that didn’t quite match the celebration. “Seven! Six!” Lights flashed faster now, bursts of gold and white cutting through the dimness. Someone bumped into Lauren, apologizing without slowing down. “Five! Four!” [color=violet]“Come on,”[/color] Lauren said, nudging Anna lightly, raising her drink. [color=violet]“At least pretend you’re having fun.”[/color] A faint smile touched Anna’s lips—brief, but real enough. “Three! Two! One—!” “Happy New Year!” The room erupted. Cheers crashed together with the music as it surged back to life, louder than before. Confetti burst from somewhere above, scattering across heads and shoulders. People kissed, shouted, laughed—some already recording the moment, others too caught up in it to care. Lauren leaned in, wrapping Anna in a quick, impulsive hug. [color=violet]“Happy New Year.”[/color] Anna returned it, if only for a second. [color=pink]“Happy New Year.”[/color] For a moment, everything felt normal. Maybe even good. Minutes passed in that heightened blur—music pounding, drinks flowing, the crowd riding the high of the new year’s arrival. Whatever tension had lingered earlier seemed to dissolve into the noise... Then, a scream. Not the playful kind that had filled the room moments earlier. This one was jagged, cutting clean through the music, through the laughter, through everything. The music stuttered—then stopped. Silence didn’t fall immediately, but it spread quickly, confusion overtaking celebration as people turned, searching, asking questions no one could answer yet. Anna and Lauren looked at each other. This time, there was no mistaking it. Something was wrong. Before Lauren could say anything else, two figures appeared at Anna’s side as if summoned from the air itself. [color=c99775]“Anna!”[/color] The voice was low, controlled. The words barely audible beneath the growing noise. Anna’s expression changed instantly. The haze was gone, replaced by something sharper, more alert. She straightened, her earlier irritation and detachment falling away like a discarded coat. [color=c99775]“We need to move,”[/color] Dahlquist said, positioning himself slightly in front of her, Stromm already scanning the room with practiced precision. Lauren blinked, caught off guard. Anna didn’t look at her right away. [color=pink]“Stay with me,”[/color] she said instead, her tone quieter now, but firm as she blindly reached for her friend's arm. The crowd had begun to split. Some people hurried out, driven by instinct and rising fear, while others lingered—hesitant, curious, unwilling to abandon the night so abruptly without understanding why. [color=violet]“What’s going on?”[/color] Lauren asked, her voice lower now, pulled taut with unease. [color=pink]“I don’t know yet.”[/color] But neither guard waited for certainty. They guided the two women toward the edge of the room, away from the densest part of the crowd, creating space where there had been none moments before. Near the restrooms, a cluster had formed—people pressing inward rather than away. A phone screen lit up, then another, casting pale light over faces drawn tight with concern. Minutes stretched. Then came the distant wail of sirens. Relief didn’t follow—only a different kind of tension. When the police arrived, they moved quickly, voices authoritative, cutting through the confusion. The music remained off. The lights, too bright now without their usual accompaniment, exposed everything too clearly. “Everyone, please stay where you are!” Anna’s guards exchanged a brief look before one of them leaned in slightly. [color=#96232a]“We should identify ourselves before they come to us.”[/color] Anna gave a small, controlled nod. Whatever distance she had tried to maintain earlier in the night was gone now, replaced by something more formal, more practiced.