Night's Children: Acteus Reus
AN: I've decided that I totally love Ezra. He doesn't get much play, but he was so easy to write this chapter! (clutches Ezra plushie) Thank you Ezra, for not being such a temperamental OC!
Another chapter without any Daughter/Follower interaction, well, not a lot anyway. I figure that pretty much ninety percent of my other books were ALL about the Daughter/Bad guy fights (which makes sense, I guess, but you know) and I want to write a bit on the characters just being normal, give a little break. Sorry if it's annoying : ( I tried to keep some action in it. This is the last chapter with no battle/fight scenes I promise.
Chapter Four: Operation: Meat Shield
"They're not going to like it," Said Riley as she gripped her large guitar amp and heaved it up, her posture bending backwards slightly under its weight.
"Please, Riley, it's one show," Imy replied airily as she grabbed the opposite side of the amp, helping her best friend tote it up through the backstage doors.
"Twiggy hates Art and Lance though," The maroon haired girl explained, "And Jake is paranoid about the band splitting up already."
Imy rolled her eyes as the two girls climbed up the stairs to the stage, where they placed the amp towards the left side where Riley would be playing, "Twiggy does not hate Art-"
"Yes, yes he does." She said dryly, "Empath, remember?"
The two were currently setting up for their show that would start in roughly half an hour, as they hauled Riley's equipment out of the back of Twiggy's new shitty van. The aforementioned bassist was currently helping the band's drummer, Jake, unload his kit outside.
"Even still, it's just one show-"
Riley frowned, "Where have I heard that before? I believe it was 'just one show' that got us into this whole Daughter mess in the first place."
Imy grinned sheepishly, "You may have a point."
"Twiggy's going to explode when he hears," Riley said as she unzipped her gig bag, trusty black guitar coming out of it along with a few long cables and a distortion pedal.
"He can think reasonably sometimes." Imy then grimaced, "Who am I kidding?"
"I heard something about me thinking," Said the dreadlocked bassist as he entered the stage area. A smoldering cigarette was perched on his lower lip as he carried a snare drum to its marked place.
"Just a rumor," Imy said cheekily.
"Piss off," He murmured as some ash fell onto the pristine white covering of the drum. Absently, he tried to rub it away, only spreading its stain. Shrugging, he walked away from it and faced The Discard's leading lady. "What were you two talking about?" He demanded, exhaling quietly.
Riley opened her mouth to break the news, but Imy cut her off.
"It can wait until after the set," She said with the infamous 'cat that ate the canary' expression.
She could feel Riley's disapproval rather than see it on her blank face as the empath began to carefully tune her guitar, her ear lowered towards the body as fingers fidgeted with the pegs.
Twiggy's mud colored eyes scrutinized Imy for a few moments, then flickered to Riley. After about a minute it appeared he gave up, "Whatever." He huffed, obviously annoyed with Imy's evasiveness.
Jake chose that moment to appear, as he entered the area talking animatedly to Killian, the stage manager at the RockOut. Jake was a year older than Imy, about to turn seventeen, and he had blond hair that had recently been shaved into a Mohawk fashion. A chain hung from a piercing in his nose to the bottom of his ear and his clothes consisted of pants with a multitude of zippers and frayed patches. He was only wearing a sweat-stained tank top, which was ripped at the sides almost all the way to his waist. Tucked into his boxer's visible elastic band was a pair of drumsticks.
Killian looked like the perfect contrast. An older guy in his early thirties, his hair was shaved into a respectable crew cut and his clothes were ironed neatly. However, appearances were deceiving, and Killian had quite the reputation of being a party animal in the Los Angeles area, one with significant ties to other club owners. It was through him that The Discards got most of their shows.
"What do you mean, you want us here tomorrow?" Jake demanded.
Killian sighed, "The band I had booked bailed-"
"Who?" Jake asked angrily.
"Round Table, their guitarist split and they haven't been able to find any replacements yet so all their shows have been canceled." Killian explained, sighing slightly.
Riley shot Imy a meaningful look, and she grimaced, knowing that this was about to blow up entirely in her face.
"Goddamnit," Twiggy said in irritation, gnawing on the end of his cigarette, "Bastards aren't even on circuit and they're still causing us trouble."
"Watch what you're saying," Imy hissed, feeling the need to defend Art and Zahi.
Twiggy rolled his eyes, "Just because you're making out with one of them doesn't make them less bastards. I swear, that band is such an overrated, piece of shit-"
"Twiggy," Riley said, her normally monotone voice edged with danger. Twiggy, realizing that Riley was on the verge of becoming angry, decided to promptly shut up.
But not before he finished his two cent's worth, "I feel sorry for whatever poor replacement they get."
Imy's nostrils were starting to flare, and she opened her mouth for a sharp rebuttal, but was cut off by Jake.
"We can't play here tomorrow, Killian, we've got a show booked at Planet Bang already," The drummer said in exasperation.
Killian almost glared at him, the clipboard in his hand smacking against his open palm, "You're telling me that you'd rather play at that hack club then at RockOut? Your home venue? The only club that would let you play when you were starting out? The club where the majority of your fan base is located?" Each question was punctuated by another smack of the clipboard. "Besides, I got you that gig. Hell, I get you pretty much all of your gigs."
Twiggy sneered, "Planet Bang's people pay more."
Killian's mouth dropped in abject horror, "Money? Is that what this is about? I slave over promotion for you-"
Imy rolled her eyes, "Promotion? You put one flyer on the door. One."
"Well…I'll put two next time! I really need you here," Killian was practically begging now.
Jake exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Band vote." He mumbled, "Here or Planet Bang?" His eyes rested on Riley, who had been sitting calmly in silence.
"If we play here, we'll have to cancel at Planet Bang. That won't look nice for our reliability," She said smoothly.
"I'll place a call!" Killian interjected, "I know the people at Planet Bang, really considerate folks."
Imy's eyebrows skyrocketed, "Didn't you just say it was a 'hack' place?"
Killian promptly ignored her.
"But," Riley continued, "I think we should play here tomorrow. We owe Killian and the RockOut." Killian blew a kiss at the shy guitarist having heard her verdict. She cringed slightly.
Jake's stare drifted to the group's bassist.
"I need the money at Planet Bang," Twiggy said bluntly, stubbing out the rest of his cigarette on his bass's hard case.
"There's no smoking allowed inside Planet Bang," Riley said calmly.
Twiggy groaned, "Here then."
The drummer gazed at the deciding vote, "Imy?"
The vocalist sighed, knowing that if they cancelled the Planet Bang gig, they were also violating Jimena's instructions. It didn't feel right, but then again, Riley had voted in favor of playing at RockOut, and Tessa and Aria could still head over to the La Brea club, so not all was lost. "RockOut. But I want at least three flyers and maybe even a sign of some sort."
Killian nodded appreciatively, "Thank you! I'll call the stage manager over at Bang right now." He said, scuttling off to the side.
Jake shook his head slowly, "That bastard owes us one big favor," He said sourly as he went towards his set up kit, taking a seat on the stool, "This isn't the first time he's pulled that shit on us."
Twiggy growled, as he hefted the thick bass strap over his shoulder, "I'm sick of covering for lameass bands."
"You're just mad because Zahi's a better bassist than you," Imy said crossly, clearing her throat and beginning some warm up exercises.
Twiggy sent Jake a confused look, "Who the hell is Zahi?"
Jake shrugged.
"Lance's middle name," Riley covered quietly, standing up and strapping her guitar on.
"I hate that guy."
Imy sighed, "We know." She faced her bandmates, "Ready for sound test?"
A grunt, a barely noticeable nod, and a growl of impatience awarded her.
"Okay, one two three-"
OoO
Tessa fought the urge to slam her head against the jeep window as she listened to Ezra drone on and on.
"Now, I know you've been acting really good lately, and not getting into trouble, but the point is to still be careful Tess. There's a lot of shady stuff that goes on in clubs, especially ones like this, and a girl like you could easily be-" Her twenty three year old brother continued to rant to his passenger as he pulled up alongside the RockOut's doorway.
"Ezra, I get it. I'll behave," She said flatly, running a hand through her perfect blonde hair.
"-it's all about responsibilities. Think carefully about the consequences of your actions and don't take any opened drinks. If you leave, make sure you ask one of your friends to escort you and always, always carry a nail file or keys between your fingers so if someone tries to mug you, it will be easy to stab him-"
"Ezra!" Tessa said loud enough to catch her neurotic older brother's attention, "For the last time: I. Will. Behave."
He stared at her, "Behaving means no acid, ecstasy, or alcohol right?" He said levelly.
She rose three fingers in the air, in the form of a Girl Scout's hand sign, "Honest. It'll just be crack, crystal meth, and unprotected sex tonight."
Ezra's mouth dropped open and his skin went as white as a ghost's, clearly horrified, "Tess, that's not what I mean when I say-"
Her mental restraint shattered and she actually slammed her head against the window, "Ez, I was kidding."
The young man seemed to remember to breathe, and regain enough of his mental capacity to look righteously miffed, "That's not very funny." He winced, "Do your skirts have to be that short? And honestly, a halter top is just asking for trouble…"
"How else am I going to attract a potential baby daddy with no future?" She said candidly, her eyes widening, "I see Aria and Carlos, pull over."
Hesitantly, her older brother obliged, his face looking like he had just sucked a lemon, "Do I know these kids' parents?" He asked, lifting a conspiratorial eyebrow at the boy with the strange tattoo peeping over the top of his shirt, most likely a cult member.
"Carlos's mom has been to prison twice and Aria's mother is a heavy supporter of the local PTA," Tessa said, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt- which by the way, Ezra had checked four times to make sure it was securely fastened- and reaching for the door handle.
"No drugs, no sex, no booze." Ezra demanded.
Tessa rolled her eyes, "Aren't you supposed to be a college student? How do you have any fun?"
Ezra's mouth twitched into a frown, "I have fun." He defended needlessly.
"Uh huh," Tessa replied, clearly not convinced as she stepped out, "Aria, Chuck! Hold up!" She cried, the two seemed to have heard her as they paused in their steps and waited for her, "Thanks for the ride, Ezra. I'll be home in a few days, a week tops."
His blue eyes widened behind their wire-rimmed spectacles, "You're joking again, right?"
The door slammed shut and Tessa strode off towards her friends.
Ezra absently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched his beloved baby sister go fraternize with some hooligans. "She was kidding," He reassured himself as he exhaled and put the jeep into gear, driving off into the night.
As soon as she had seen the bright yellow jeep speed off she rushed the next few steps over to her friends, "Thank God I saw you, I swear, my brother's got enough anxieties to give us both aneurysms."
Aria smiled, familiar with the over protective sibling, "It's kind of sweet, actually."
"In an incredibly, incredibly smothering way." Tessa added.
Aria and Carlos were standing close, not exactly touching, but close enough for a bystander to recognize the signals of a couple. Aria looked breathtaking, her curly hair straightened for once and she was wearing a lace-edged camisole with a flattering white skirt. Her makeup, which was light, was done meticulously and her amulet was displayed proudly. Carlos, to her side, looked as if he had just rolled out of bed. His dark brown hair was mussed, sticking up slightly on one side and he was dressed in his usual swim trunks and tank top. The mark of Eileithyia, a flame with four differently shaped stars overhead, was visible since the collar of the tank was stretched. Tessa smirked, the two were quite possibly the most demented couple she'd ever seen.
"Well, who's ready to party?" Tessa chirped happily stretching her arms over her head languidly. She wasn't immune to all the stares she suddenly received from the opposite sex with that simple action.
"Me!" Carlos proclaimed like a hyperactive kid, grabbing Aria's arm and steering her towards the door. This was the first time that Carlos would be going to the RockOut, as well as the first time that he would see The Discards perform. Needless to say, Aria's patience meter for Carlos's over enthusiasm was slowly beginning to drain.
The three of them strode up to the bouncer, who directly recognized them as someone associated with The Discards, and let them pass inside with no admission cost.
Inside, the RockOut was packed. It was at the very start of its peak, about nineish, and because of that tons of people were filtering in. An electronica disc jockey was just finishing up his rotation, and the lighting scheme was sporadic blue flashes. Pushed towards the back were a few ratty couches and recliners for people needing to rest or to reload on drugs that were supposedly banned from the establishment.
Throngs of people were on the dance floor, their rhythm smooth and pulsating under the strobe lights. Tessa beamed brightly, this was her environment. She turned her head towards the couple, "I'm going to go join the masses," She said airily, gesturing towards the crowd of dancers, "Care to accompany me?"
Carlos shook his head, "Not yet, I want to see Riley and Imy play," He said adamantly.
Tessa raised an eyebrow, "Aria?"
She looked at Carlos and then back to the crowd, "You don't mind?"
"Of course I mind. You can't have any fun or talk to anyone without my permission," He said coldly, before breaking out into a grin, "Who knows? Next you'll want to be released from my lair to see your family or something."
Aria rolled her eyes, "I'll be back in a minute."
"No rush," He said easily.
She smirked, "Seems like you're trying to get rid of me."
"Naw, who'd get rid of you?" He said hooking an arm around her waist and kissing her forehead, "I'll need you to eventually buy me nice things."
She giggled, "Only if you're the one making diner and doing the laundry."
"I have no problem doing your laundry, especially your-"
Tessa cleared her throat, "Dancing? Not grossing out your third wheel and mentally scarring her for life? Ringing any bells here?"
Aria blushed and mumbled a 'sorry' as she allowed herself to be dragged by Tessa out onto the dance floor.
Carlos admired the view as his girlfriend left, then quickly located an empty barstool near the back with an excellent outlook of the stage. Truthfully, he wanted to be out there dancing, but he also really wanted to see his foster sibling play in front of a crowd. So far, he'd been having a difficult time reconciling the image of the reserved pacifist he lived with and the guitar goddess that she'd been coined by more than a few of the boys at Turney. Besides, he felt a little swirl of pride, his new kid sister kicked ass.
The seat next to him suddenly became occupied, and he turned to get a glance at a boy roughly his age with tousled blond hair and brown eyes. Noticing the stare, the boy cleared his throat apologetically, "Sorry, this seat isn't taken is it?"
Carlos eyed him, then looked at Aria and Tessa. Both were dancing rather provocatively, if he thought so himself, "It's cool, my girl's out there." He said, giving a general indication as he waved his arm over the crowd.
The boy smiled, "Thanks, here to see the band?"
Carlos nodded enthusiastically, "My sister's the guitarist," He inwardly beamed. Haha, he had a sister now. One that came with bragging rights.
"I didn't know Riley had a brother," The boy said in confusion.
Carlos shrugged, "We're foster siblings, I just moved here from Hawaii." Seeming to realize himself, he coughed, "Oh, I'm Carlos by the way."
"I'm Ian," The guy said amiably, "So, how's the surfing in Hawaii?"
"Like you wouldn't believe, man. Los Angeles is nice and all, but it just doesn't compare." He paused, "You surf?"
Ian shrugged, "I'm not very good, but I do get out once in awhile…"
Carlos was about to say more, but the lights went out in the club as the last dance song ended. A spotlight drifted towards the stage, and a man in a crisp, white button-down shirt armed with a clipboard sauntered up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for The Discards!" He proclaimed, quickly darting to the side as the light flickered off.
The curtains drew apart, and before they had even opened all the way, loud, energizing music pumped out into the club. Several people burst into applause and when the lights flickered on all the way, the four man band was visible.
Riley, Jake and Twiggy were playing with raw intensity as they provided the intro, and Imy smirked out at the crowd, giving a mock half-bow before lifting the microphone up to her face.
"I want to see everybody moving!" She proclaimed before busting out into the lyrics of their first song.
Whenever Imy performed, she owned the stage, the club, and everybody in it. Her movements were graceful and enticing, but not to the point of being too showy or haughty. There was a confidence that exuded from her, the tell-tale mark of a natural performer, and it made it incredibly difficult for people to pry their eyes away. Occasionally, just for kicks and theatrics, she'd take the microphone and swing it around by its cord, twirling it over her head or at her side for a few strums before bringing it back. She poured her everything into singing, and it was apparent that she was met with much success.
That wasn't to say that the other members of the band weren't lacking in showmanship, it was more than obvious that they were each skilled in their respective instrument. Jake managed to toss his drumsticks up in the air and catch them between beats, or to rotate his wrist quickly enough that it looked like a mini helicopter. Twiggy, when he provided backup vocals, had a low, primal voice laced with intensity and his bass playing was hardly shabby. Even the reserved Riley managed to play her guitar behind her back, over her head, or with only one hand. Occasionally, Twiggy and Riley would synchronize, each of them jumping into the air or hopping up on amp stands at the same time.
The fact still remained, though, that Imy was definitely a front woman and her abilities seemed to out shine them. Eyes were drawn immediately to her and they stayed there.
A shrouded figure towards the back of the club, for instance, completely ignored the musicians and focused solely on the vocalist.
More importantly, the mysterious person stared solely at the gleaming silver amulet that hung around the charismatic performer's neck.
OoO
"Thank you, it's been fun!" Imy cheered as the band wrapped up their final song, her voice hoarse and raspy from all the singing and occasional screaming she did.
The applause was thunderous as the lights flickered off and the curtain drew to a close. Panting slightly, and absently dabbing away the sweat that had accumulated on her face, Imy turned to face her band, "Not bad." She said flatly.
Riley smirked, as she set her guitar down and pulled off the now far too warm dark gray sweater she had been wearing due to her own workout, a plain black tank top underneath, "Nope, not bad."
Twiggy snorted, "You went off pitch at the end," He accused, settling for pulling off his shirt and dabbing away at the sweat under his armpits, before pulling the shirt back on. Everyone in the room collectively grimaced.
Imy rolled her eyes, "And you skipped a bridge, but you don't hear me complaining."
Jake's previously sculpted Mohawk now lay plastered against his head, stray strands hanging awkwardly over his forehead. He brushed a hand back and swept it all away from his face, "We're booked tomorrow at eight, so everyone should be here at six thirty." He instructed before sweeping up his own equipment.
Imy gave a mock salute, "Alright sergeant," She mumbled, wrapping the microphone cord around her elbow and palm as she too packed up.
Riley quickly zipped up her guitar, cables, and pedal, but out of the corner of her eye she saw two people leaning languidly against the stage entrance, "Imy, we have company." She said simply, nodding to the two boys in greeting.
Imy looked up from where she was dissembling the microphone stand before smiling,
"Art!" She dropped her task and immediately went over to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him soundly in greeting. Zahi, to his side, just sighed out something that sounded very similar to "Promiscuity" under his breath. The three were on the opposite side of the stage, and difficult to hear.
Twiggy tensed as he eyed the newcomers with mistrust, "What the hell are they doing back here?"
Jake seemed rather aggravated at the two as well, as they had to cancel their own show to cover for them.
Riley looked at the two Round Table members and at Imy, the three animatedly talking, before reaching a decision and turning to her bandmates, "We're playing with them next weekend."
The reaction was instant.
"WHAT?!" Twiggy bellowed, his face livid.
"You're splitting on us?" Jake demanded, betrayal apparent on his features.
Riley stood up calmly, projecting a pacifying aura around herself, "No. It's only for one show, so they can pay their rent."
"This is such bullshit!" Twiggy spat, but the ire was slowly fading from his words as tranquility settled over him.
"You should have okayed it with us first, Riley." Jake said in a disapproving tone, "Imy, I'd expect something like this from, but you?"
Riley gave an apologetic half-smile, "I understand. But you need to see that we owe Art and Lance a lot, and they're really in a tough situation." She blinked, "They need our help, and it's only for one night."
Jake seemed to accept this explanation, "Fine, but no more secrecy shit. That stuff pisses me off."
Riley nodded, "It won't happen again."
Twiggy seemed to eye the guitarist with suspicion, "Is this because you and their old front man had a thing-?"
Her previously gentle expression hardened, "No. Please don't ask again."
Twiggy appeared to notice that he had overstepped some boundary, as he just gave a snort and dropped the discussion- his version of an apology.
Seeing that the situation was resolved, or as resolved as it would get, Riley sauntered over towards the trio.
"I told them," She said emotionlessly.
Imy's eyes widened and she turned away from Art, "How'd they take it?"
"Not well," She trailed off, "Imy, please don't make me have to use my powers anymore today." Riley slowly shook her head, "It feels…wrong, playing with people's feelings that way."
Imy shrugged, "It's no big deal, Riley. You're only using your empathy ability to calm people down."
The quiet girl sighed, "It still doesn't seem right to repress people's feelings, and I'd just rather not do it again."
Imy noticed that it was really bothering her best friend, and while she didn't understand it fully, she nodded in acceptance anyways, "I promise. I won't dump things on you anymore."
Riley gave a full smile, "Thank you."
Zahi, noticing that the conversation between the two had ended, cleared his throat, "So we'll need you to stop by the apartment at least three times this week to learn the songs we'll be playing."
Art handed Imy a stack of eclectic papers, words written on everything from toilet paper to receipts in a tidy scrawl, "These are his lyrics that he wrote down, if you want to memorize them."
Gingerly, Imy took them, feeling almost like the random bits of paper were somewhat sacrilegious. It didn't settle right with her, taking another vocalist's hard work and using it as her own. She then shook her head, Trysten had left them, this was his choice. Still, she could feel the saddened aura clinging around her best friend.
"Did he tab out the guitar parts?" Riley hesitantly asked.
Zahi shook his head, "No, but I know the basic progressions he used, I figured you could improvise the rest of it."
Riley nodded, "It won't be a problem. I'm free after school anytime."
Imy grinned, "Me too, sometimes during school as well."
"How about tomorrow night then?" Art ventured.
Riley groaned and Imy laughed, "Sorry, have a show." Her mouth twitched into a smile, "Your show, actually, you unreliable musicians."
Art winced, "Oh, sorry."
Imy shrugged, "No worries, now enough work talk, let's go out and party!" Without any reluctance, she dragged Art out onto the dance floor.
Riley and Zahi lagged behind, the older of the two crossing his arms and exhaling in irritation.
"It's like babysitting children," He commented.
Riley sighed, "You have no idea."
Zahi sent the empathetic Lecta a sidelong glance, "Riley, if you ever…" He trailed off, not knowing how to exactly phrase it. He gave up and tried again, "Art and I had problems accepting it too. Just know you're not alone."
Riley stared at him, confused as Zahi was never one to extend concern to anyone outside of Trysten and Art. When she sensed his sincerity, she gave another half smile, "Thank you, Zahi."
Now obviously uncomfortable, he coughed, "Right, well let's go make sure they don't do something we'll regret."
She was silent, but followed the once Immortal Follower out onto the dance area of the RockOut.
OoO
After the band had finished, the electronica disc jockey returned, and synthesizers, drum machines, and other various noises filled the air.
Tessa laughed, joyously, tossing back a curtain of blonde hair as she danced slowly next to Aria. She noticed out of her peripheral vision a few guys edging closer to the two goddesses, before backing away completely- obviously nervous or intimidated. Aria, seeming to notice the dramatic shift in music, pointed back towards the bar section where Carlos was. Tessa, getting the silent gesture, nodded, and smiled enticingly towards the nearest cute boy as one carefully shifted forward.
Aria edged through the crowd, until she finally came across her boyfriend, who appeared to be talking to someone with his back turned away from her. Shrugging, she went to Carlos's other side and took a seat, "Enjoy the band-?" Her question fell when she realized who Carlos was sitting next to.
Ian's eyes widened when he looked at Aria, then at Carlos, obviously drawing the connection.
Carlos, totally oblivious, smiled, "They were great!" He said, jerking a thumb to the blond boy, "Aria, this is Ian, he's going to come surfing with me next week. Ian, this is my girlfriend, Aria."
"We've met," Aria squeaked, trying to hide herself behind the surfer.
Something bitter seemed to fall across Ian's face, "Actually, I remembered I have plans next weekend, some other time." He said in a clipped tone, nodding curtly as he stood up, "Aria." He grumbled, "Nice meeting you Carlos."
Carlos smiled happily, "It's cool, nice meeting you Ian!" He said jovially, still completely oblivious to the awkward tension in the air. After the boy had left Carlos turned to Aria, "I don't know what his problem is, one minute he's a nice enough guy, the next…" He shook his head and took a sip from a water bottle he must have bought during the show. "Want to dance?"
"Chuck, Ian's…my, uh…well," She rambled, feeling the urge to explain this to him before it came back to bite her in the ass, "We had a thing, I guess."
Carlos looked at her levelly, "A thing?"
"We went on a few dates…" Aria trailed off.
Clarification dawned on Carlos's features, "Ah," He mumbled, "That makes sense then. For a minute I thought I had pissed him off, but it turns out you pissed him off."
She groaned and placed a hand across her face, "Thanks Carlos." She blinked, "You don't have a problem with it?"
He beamed, "Nope, no problem! Let's dance."
Sighing, Aria begrudgedly took his hand as he led her out to the floor. A few feet away Ian eyed the couple with something close to resentment or envy on his face, before turning around and exiting the club.
OoO
The night finally seemed to draw to a close, as more and more people began to file out of the club, leaving about a fourth of the population.
Sprawled out on the beat to hell back couches were Imy, Art, Zahi, Riley, and Tessa. Aria and Carlos were off in some dark corner doing things the others would prefer not to think about. Imy was positioned on Art's lap, an arm hanging around his neck as she sighed contently.
"Do we have to fight Followers anymore?" She mumbled, the hour reflecting in her worn out voice, "Because I'd rather just take a nap."
Tessa smirked, "Just another year, then we're off the hook." She paused and stared at the waning numbers of the crowd, "Do we need to trek back to my place? There's hardly anyone left."
"There's still people who could overhear," Zahi interjected sagely.
Tessa rolled her eyes, "It's probably safer here than at my apartment, I'm sure Ezra has my room bugged by now."
"There's always Jimena's," Riley suggested calmly.
"That's on the clear other side of town, and I don't think I have enough energy to teleport everyone back home," Imy said, "Plus, it's late and she's probably sleeping by now. Here's fine."
It appeared that Riley, Zahi, and even Art were hesitant about discussing battle plans in the middle of a popular club, but none of them held the will to argue against the stubborn teleporter or the equally stubborn illusionist.
"Fine," Riley muttered, "But keep voices down, and I'll try to influence people to stay away-"
"No need," Interrupted Tessa smartly, "I've been practicing." Slowly, her blue eyes dilated and a golden aura accumulated around the blonde. Eventually, something that looked like a gold bubble surrounded them.
"Interesting," Zahi mumbled, "And this accomplishes?"
"I'm making it seem as if we're all talking about golf," She said smartly.
Imy's face fell, "Golf?"
Tessa's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong with golf?"
Imy groaned, "What about Aria and Chuck?"
"They're on their way over," Said Riley, her face twisting slightly, "Ergh, I hate this power." She mumbled.
Tessa grinned, "Were Aria and Carlos doing bad things?"
"You don't know the half of it."
The two teenagers plopped down on the opposite side of Art and Imy, Aria leaning against Carlos's shoulder, "What's up? Why are you all talking about golf?" Carlos questioned.
Tessa felt a bit of pride bubble inside, "We weren't!" She proclaimed like a little kid, "I'm finally getting my illusions under control."
"About time," Said Aria, then her eyes narrowed, "Why is there a need for illusions at all?"
"Battle plan, of course." Art explained tiredly, the late- or early hour beginning to effect him as well.
"Imy and I are playing here tomorrow night, instead of at Planet Bang," Riley said, deciding it was time to get down to business so they could all go home.
Tessa's eyebrows furrowed into confusion, "Why the change in plans?"
"It's our fault, really," Mumbled Art, "Round Table was booked for tomorrow, The Discards got suckered into filling in."
"So it's just me and Tessa at Planet Bang, I take it?" Aria asked.
"It's nothing serious," Tessa explained, "A few of Isaac's new goons, that's it. Hardly worth all four of us going down there anyway."
"Even still, you should bring someone to serve as a buffer, a person who the Followers aren't familiar with to cause a distraction in case the situation goes poorly," Zahi suggested, and all eyes fell on Carlos.
"So you need me to serve as a punching bag for the bad guys?" He simplified.
"Pretty much," Yawned Imy, stretching her arms out.
"Operation: Meat Shield," Tessa named coyly.
Carlos grimaced, "Can we please give it a better name? Otherwise I'm not doing it."
"Naw, Meat Shield's catchy." She replied.
He sighed, "Fine."
"Next weekend, we're playing with Art and Zahi at Erebus," Imy cut in, "Are you going with us?" She asked the Magna Mater's son.
Carlos shrugged, "Dangerous?"
"Totally."
"Okay then, but you need to start taking me somewhere fun." He turned to Aria, "Your friends are incredibly pushy."
"We get it from your mom," Aria retorted, smiling sweetly.
"My illusion's powering out," Tessa pouted as the gold around them began to flicker slightly and disperse.
"Then we should go outside to finish-" Started Zahi, before being cut off.
"It's fine, I'm sure that's pretty much all we needed to cover," Imy said. Zahi, Aria, and Riley sent her a rather disapproving look at having a strategy dismissed so casually. She ignored them. As she slowly stood up, Art hooked an arm around her waist and held her close. Sighing happily, she leaned against him, "Any one need…a ride?" A glimpse of mischief in her eyes.
"Imy, that's not the best idea," Riley said as she stood too, "You're tired, which could blow your focus."
"She has a point, you could land anywhere," Aria contributed.
Imy snorted, "It's not a big deal-"
"I'll be happy to drive anyone who needs a ride home," Said Zahi, sending Imy a faintly harsh look. She scowled at him, not one to accept chastisement easily.
"I'll take it," Tessa said, "Definitely don't want to call Ezra."
Carlos fished his mom's keys out of his pockets, "Aria, need a ride?"
The healer sent a careful glance at Imy before nodding, "If it's not out of the way."
Riley would have snickered, had she not been Riley, "Aria, it's about four blocks down."
"We'll just park at home and make you walk the rest of the way," Carlos said cheekily.
Aria gave a mock huff, "Fine, but you have to give me your shoes," She bartered, gesturing to her platform sandals that would not be ideal for the job.
"One shoe."
"Deal."
"No one needs a lift?" Imy whined, and a sudden lurch filtered over her, her posture shifting somewhat, "I'll see you all tomorrow then!" Imy suddenly said brightly, a small circle of white light forming at her feet.
"Imy!" Art said, griping her arm and dissolving her focus, "What are you doing?"
She blinked owlishly, and there appeared to be a clouded look in her eyes, "What do you mean?"
"We're in the middle of a public place, you almost exposed everyone," Zahi commented sharply, his brown eyes flashing yellow for an instance.
Slowly, the teleporter shook her head, the cloudiness of her eyes leaving, "I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me." She mumbled dumbly, "I guess I'm more tired than I thought." She offered weakly.
The anger in Zahi's face faded, "More reason for us to drive you home, then," He said easily, withdrawing keys and heading towards the exit, Tessa following him with a quick wave goodbye.
Riley stared at Imy with an intensely befuddled expression on her face, "Are you feeling alright?" She asked softly.
Imy nodded, "I'm fine, just tired."
"You're sure?" The empath said levelly.
Another nod, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
Riley exhaled slowly, shrugging, "I thought I felt…never mind," She gave a rare smile to her best friend, "I'll see you tomorrow?"
She grinned, "Yep, thanks for cleaning up my mess today." She expressed, referring to dealing with Jake and Twiggy.
"What are friends for?" Riley mumbled, hefting up her gig bag, and turning towards a side door, where Aria and Carlos had already walked ahead to, "Better get going."
Imy reached up and ruffled Art's hair, "Me too."
Art's nose crinkled at having his hair suddenly impairing his vision, "Thanks for filling in for…It means a lot."
Riley seemed to acquire yet another melancholy aura, "It's the least I can do for him." She then turned and started walking over towards her foster brother and friend, "I'll see you later then."
"Night Riley."
"Goodnight."
Soon, it was just Imy and Art. The female half sighed, "I worry about her."
Art nodded in understanding, "Me too."
A loud honk was heard from outside the doorway to the RockOut, and Imy smirked, "That would be Tessa, telling us to move our asses."
Art gave a bashful smile, and the two exited the club hand in hand.
OoO
Next chapter will be posted a little later than the previous ones, as it's a beefy casserole of a chapter (twice as long, at about thirty pages) and my prewritten stuff is beginning to dwindle so I'm trying to pace myself.
Up Next: The DOTM split into two groups to cover more ground, but it will prove a bit more dangerous than any of them would have expected. Toss in together malfunctioning powers, Immortal Followers, shadowy figures, and vandalism. Mix well.
!nym!