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"Sorry to keep you so late," Kori called over her shoulder before she disappeared behind a changing screen. "I was enjoying the game so much I lost track of time."

Donna flopped down on Kori's massive bed. "Don't worry about it, I was enjoying it as much as you were. Besides, I don't have anywhere better to be tonight anyway." Which was part of the reason she was at the Mountain in the first place. The other part of it was that she had been feeling a little antsy lately and wanted to spend some time with the bubbly alien girl.

It had started out as a simple quarterstaff spar in the Mountain's main chamber, but they ended up getting side tracked when they started scrolling through all the option's the holographic space could give them. In looking for holographic props, they stumbled across a full body rhythm game, that turned the space into a sort of 3d music visualizer and required the players to strike glowing balls in time to keep the music going.

She had a feeling she knew who installed it. Especially considering there was a mode for people who could fly.

She and Kori ended up playing the two player mode for much longer than she thought they would, right into the early evening. Kori was the one to end things, as she had to get changed for her own plans later that night. Donna reflected that Kori was probably the only person she knew who had a folding screen so she could continue to talk to people while stripping down, but the woman wasn't big on locking her door, so it was probably for the best.

"You have nowhere to be? But it's Halloween," Kori pointed out. "I was told that this was not an important holiday, but it's still one of festivities and family. What about your other friends? And what about with the Evans?"

"My friends decided to head into the city so they could stalk some former boy band singer-turned-actor at his latest movie set." Donna said. "As for the Evans, both of their kids are old enough that they're going to their own parties. And I'm a bit too old to go trick-or-treating myself." She supposed she could stay home with Fay and Hank handing out candy, though there were better evenings to be had with her adoptive parents.

"Oh. Is the hunting of celebrities a common activity among people your age?"

"Not… exactly. It's more common to just gossip about famous people and make-up and things." Donna shrugged. "Which my friends are into sometimes, but it's not really my thing, so I let them go."

"What about other times?"

"Huh?"

Kori poked her head out from around the screen. "Tell me about the other things you do with your friends. M'gann's told me a lot about human high school, and I was wondering if it's the same for you. Besides which, I'd just like to hear about your day."

"Oh. Well, you know… we just do... normal stuff." Donna muttered, though now that she thought about it she was having trouble remembering what even happened that day. She vaguely recalled Sally telling her something about a teen magazine, and Tegan had been doing something with social media, following someone maybe? Donna had meant to pay attention to her friends, but the topics just seemed so… childish at the time. Which wasn't fair to them but…

Oh, what do I think about the actor's affair, Sally? Well I'm still processing taking down the cult that murdered my first adoptive father and finding out I have an ever growing fragment of a Greek Primordial attached to my soul. But your thing is still interesting too.

Donna's mouth twisted and she held in a small sigh. She didn't like how disconnected she could be from her fellow students, but it was just so hard when she couldn't even tell them about what she did in her free time. It was a little surreal to hear them talk about the Titans and Troia to her, and not even a hint of suspicion was in their words when they did so. Diana told her that people saw what they expected to see, but to Donna it almost felt like they just couldn't mentally connect her with her alter ego.

Regardless of the reason, it meant there was a part of her that she was always holding back. And it left her with little to say to her teammate. Who Donna now noticed was looking at her with growing concern as she remained silent. "It's not a big deal, I'm sure it's just the same stuff that M'gann's been telling you. How's the outfit coming along?"

"Almost done," The other woman said, ducking back behind the screen. "I must admit, I never thought I would use my political training quite like this, but it is for a good cause." Donna wasn't sure how she managed it, but at some point during the media blitz that was the Titan's debut Kori had made connections with some rich socialites. Which she was now leveraging to throw a charity masquerade ball, for the sake of New York's reconstruction. "I do wish the better off of this planet didn't need to throw festivities to help people, though. They should do it out of a sense of responsibility. "

Donna sat up, a skeptical expression on her face. "It's a nice thought, but rich people on this planet tend to use their wealth to avoid responsibility."

"How awful. I'll need to see if they can be convinced otherwise." Donna heard the clink of metal, and a moment later Kori stepped into view. "What do you think Donna?"

...I don't know what I expected, Donna thought as she took in Kori's outfit. What little there was, anyway. Sure, draped over her shoulders was a thick fur cape attached to shoulder guards, and she wore leather gloves and boots. But that didn't matter, because the only other thing she had on was an actual chainmail bikini. Hell, the bottom part was closer to a metal loincloth than a bottom. "...Kori, you're a dear, but if you get seen in public wearing that you'll set feminism back by like, ten years."

"Why? I don't see the problem." Kori said, taking a moment to twist and inspect herself. The motion allowed Donna to see that, thankful, it was closer to scalemail that had a cloth backing to it. While Kori was showing a lot of skin, moving in the wrong way wouldn't have her flash anyone. "This is the traditional outfit of the hero Red Sonja, and I find it quite fitting. You know, it's actually quite similar to what some ancient Tamaranian warriors wore into battle."

Donna's eyebrows shot up. "You can't seriously be telling me this passed for armor on your planet." She said incredulously.

"Armor?" Kori blinked at her. "Don't be silly, it was battle decoration. Often used when proper bone armor wasn't available, or undesirable." Kori checked the blunted sword she had at her hip. "I didn't see anything like this when I visited Themyscira, but do the Amazons really not have anything resembling such decoration?"

Donna almost said no out of sheer reflex, but stopped herself. "Well… I wouldn't be surprised if some Amazons went into battle in nothing but basic wrappings if they were caught unprepared. But usually they're insistent on being properly armed and armored. A good part of the population has blacksmithing skills to ensure that." Granted, ever since they moved to Themyscira, Io was really the only one to keep to the craft regularly. There wasn't as much a need for new equipment these days.

"Hmm. I suppose if your sisters always had battle gear to spare, they would have little reason not to use it." Kori paused and turned to her fully. "That reminds me, what was it like being raised and trained on Themyscira? You only talked about it passing."

Donna gave the other woman a questioning look. "Why do you want to know?"

Kori gave a small shrug. "I haven't met many other princesses, so I want to know what it was like for you being raised for your station. Besides, you weren't very enthused talking about your current daily life, so I wonder if you think more fondly of those days."

The other woman took a moment to take that last statement in, blinking a few times. "That's not how I would describe it," she said slowly. "I mean, yes, I did enjoy my time with the Amazons a lot, but if I preferred it to my current school life, I never would have left."

"So, why did you?" Kori asked. "Weren't the Amazons expecting something of you by making you a princess?"

This time Donna couldn't hold in her sigh, and shuffled to the edge of the bed. "My title is mostly ceremonial. I've… never had any expectation placed on me, except maybe from Diana. Certainly not from my foster families, and even when I got to Themyscira and they started training me I was just their little sister. Which was great, don't get me wrong… but I had no great task or destiny set out for me." Kind of ironic considering recent events.

She slid off the bed, standing to face Kori. "Living in Themyscira… was so different from everything I had known before. Everything seemed so meaningful, training and spreading time with the Amazons was so satisfying. But at the same time… they had no concept about anything that wasn't on the island. And most of them didn't want to know. Sometimes it felt like I was talking to a brick wall when I tried to describe the outside world to them. They just didn't understand, and they didn't know how else to treat me."

"...I think I understand how you feel, at least a little." Kori said, her tone suddenly morose. "It's not the same, but I had my expectations taken away. I was the Princess Ascendant, I was to lead my people when I took the throne. My whole life I was raised with that purpose in mind and now… I don't have it anymore. And few understand just what I have left behind."

Donna felt a pang of sympathy before she reached out and gently took the other woman by the shoulders. "Hey, if there's anything I've learned lately, it's that there are worse things than feeling a bit lost every now and then. Sometimes, it just takes a little while to find your place and people. Now, enough of being down, you have a party to get to and a boyfriend to go with, don't you?"

Kori perked up, a sunny smile forming on her face. "Yes, yes I do. Thank you Donna." Kori slipped out her grasp and headed out of the room. Donna shook her head ruefully, following after her. Oh that girl's ability to pull your emotions up and down with hers is something else, she thought.

A short trip later they were reentering the Mountain's main chamber, and sure enough they found Jacob waiting in the center. Donna had half expected him to be dressed as Conan the Barbarian, and a cursory look showed she was close, but not quite right. He wore a sort of leather loincloth/briefs combination with a large armored belt, and most of his upper torso was bare save for a strange, X-shaped metal brace. The center of it was over his sternum, composed of a circular metal plate.

He turned from the holographic screens he had been looking at to say something to them, but at that moment Kori flew forward to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him. He was surprised for a moment before he leaned into it, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. Dressed as the two were, the image they made looked like something straight off of a pulp fantasy novel cover. Donna walked close enough that when the two pulled apart, she could hear Jacob ask "Now what was that for?"

"I wanted to." Kori replied simply, a little smirk on her face.

Donna thought for a moment as she looked Jacob up and down. "John Carter of Mars?" She asked.

He pulled back from Kori a little to look at her. "Yep. I figured if Kori was going to be a bit meta, I might as well be too."

"I see..." She said. I suppose I should be glad Kori didn't want to do a couples cosplay, she thought to herself. She was sure the woman was willing to play a distressingly accurate Dejah Thoris. "Well, in any case, don't let me keep you. I'll just be heading home."

She started to turn away when Kori said "Wait, why don't you come with us?"

Donna paused. "To the masquerade? But I'm not invited. Besides which, I don't have a costume."

"Oh, I'm sure no one will mind if we bring Troia as an extra plus one," Kori insisted before she looked back at Jacob. "And you can pull something together for her quickly, right?"

The man rubbed his chin, before nodding. "Yeah sure. In fact, I already have the designs for a Xena costume ready to go, I'll just have to resize it a bit if you're interested."

Donna mulled over the invitation for a moment before a thought occurred to her, and her eyes narrowed at the man. "Wait, why do you specifically have a Xena costume design?"

"...No reason."

"Uh huh. No." She said flatly. Still, the thought of hanging out with those two did sound better than staying in for the evening. "But, if you could whip something up for me..."

And so it was a short while later that the three of them were flying through midtown, heading to the fancy hotel where the party was taking place. As they approached, Donna could see down on street level a red carpet laid out to the entrance, with plenty of photographers snapping shots at those who entered. Luckily for them, they could reach the party by alternate means.

The three landed on the massive terrace that was at the hotel's top floors, surprising the few guests who had already arrived. Kori and Jacob got most of the attention with their attire, but a few still looked Donna's way as well. She wore a simple dark tunic and trousers, as to not clash with her friends, but the main piece of her costume was the cloak. Made of dozens of thin strips of cloth, they interwove at the top to form a hood and shoulder mantle before splitting apart to flow loosely about her. The result when in motion obscured her form,like she was moving through a fog. Or mist.

Jacob had been both surprised and elated when she asked him if he had ever heard of the Mistborn novels, and immediately started making the cloak before she even finished her request. Donna knew that her normal fare was more classical or thought provoking literature, but she still sometimes liked getting lost in a simple fantasy, and that series was one of her favorites. And the cloak came out quite well, even if there was a slight 'side effect' due to her powers. She was getting better at keeping any dark clothes she wore from turning into a cut-out of the night sky, but sometimes when she moved you could catch a glimpse of the cosmos in the threads around her.

The three of them had landed with herself to the left, Kori to the right, and Jacob in the middle. Jacob extended an arm out to Kori, who linked her own with his. He was about to start walking towards the glass doors that lead into the building when he paused and looked at Donna. There was a moment of consideration before he offered his other arm to her. "You wanna...?"

Donna hummed for a second or two… before a smirk crossed her face. She stepped past the extended arm and walked around the man, coming to a stop on the other side of Kori. Donna wrapped an arm around Kori's free arm and said "Yes, I think I do."

Jacob snorted. "Oh, so that's how it's going to be?" he asked rhetorically. He got no answer of course, and the three of them walked in with smiles on their faces.

=====A=====

A/N: For those who don't know, the character Dejah Thoris spends the majority of the John Carter of Mars series naked. Because like Tamaranians, Red Martians don't have a nudity taboo.