[girls only!] - Dude, where's all the guys?

[Mikoto]

It was the strangest thing, why hadn’t she noticed this building before? Surely, she was more observant than that. There was something oddly compelling about it. It seemed as though only men were there, seeing as though only men came out. What did the place hold? Harmonic Falsetto. She knew she was missing something, but she couldn’t – for the life of her – figure it out. Holding onto her tail ribbon tightly, a pair of arms literally pulled her in. Only surprise kept her from struggling.

Just how did she get there?

While heading to Sanctuary, her tail ribbon flew away. She was determined not to lose it. The materials here in Symphony didn’t have the same material as it. When she had tried some other ribbon before, it didn’t feel right. It didn’t match at all, she noted then. (Of course, it couldn’t be that she was being semimetal.) When she had stopped, she arrived there. The little, pink ribbon got caught on the handle of the door.

Anyways, back to the present, she was rather intrigued with what her would be “captors” have to say. Apparently, they were desperately looking for women and that business wasn’t as good as it used to be. She still didn’t know exactly what they did. From what she saw, there were women serving and chatting with men. She flicked her tail. They still hadn’t explained what they really do though. They simply said that they needed help. Mikoto was quick to say that she couldn’t, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. She reluctantly followed (more like she was bullied into following) them into a part of the room enclosed with tape that was marked “reserved.”

It only brought more questions. She looked around for exits. Her triangle was still at her side so … maybe she could fight her way out if she really felt threatened. For now, she questioned their intentions once more as she brushed her hand over the table. She noticed that there were names on a few of them. They explained, “we had sent messages earlier.” She didn’t remember receiving any, although they might have few away due to the wind. While she was still paranoid over how they were watching her, she reluctantly agreed to stay for a bit until the rest of the group came. Perhaps then they would explain why they are all gathered there.

Notes: Kieve will be here later, but for now, all girls. x3;;

[Astraea Selah]

Going out into the city wasn't something Astraea did on a whim anymore. When the young woman decided she did want to go out, which was rarely, she drew up all of her hair into a hat and wore large shades over her eyes. Being a one of the four mages wasn't what it used to be and instead of being praise she was often scorned. Elegy. Lady Grim. It all meant one basic thing and that was that she wasn't even welcome in her own city. So the woman did things like this, hiding her identity with accessories of one sort or another. It was almost pleasant getting to see the city without the stares and whispers at her back, but Astraea was constantly reminding herself of how it should have been and that destroyed any peace of mind she managed to find.

The undercover Elegy let out a soft sigh and tried to push her focus back into her surroundings. It was only then that the woman realized she had wandered into the Bass district. Of all the districts to wander into, Bass was the most foolish. Mercenaries and petty thieves weren't the most of her worries though. If anyone were to see her for who she really was then there was more of a chance they'd just beat her for her reputation. Some would not, but most inhabitants of Bass district were the type unafraid of rumors and supposed dark powers. Some in Bass had actual dark powers that should have been feared beyond Astra's rumors, yet were not. More likely than not, that was due to the fact that those individuals didn't let any prey of theirs escape, scathed or otherwise.

Taking in the district, Astraea was still caught off guard when she was suddenly grabbed by each arm. Behind the grabs were two burly men, each grinning disturbing grins. "You're late! God all of ya are late. Only got a small one in there and who knows about her," One of the men said in a rough voice. Astraea only watched from behind her shades, wondering what the man was talking about. He didn't wait for her to say anything before he and his partner began to pull her into the building she had unintentionally paused in front of. It didn't take long for Astraea to recognize it as the gentleman's club, which was a nice was of saying a place where hookers and strippers worked for a poor wage. Astraea took everything in as they directed her into a different room.

This was the section where all of the girls really did the work that they were too 'polite' to state. Where the strippers and the hookers made their real money. As Astraea was guided in she looked over the room contents only to see a young girl there. A girl who looked too young to even be in such an establishment, let alone seemingly be recruited. Astraea narrowed her gaze from behind those shades and tried to figure out what was really going on. Was the club trying to pull in any girl, or did they really have an expected set of girls coming in for interviews today. The Elegy was placed next to the girl and looked her over. Blond with a monkey tail. Astraea remembered rather vividly reviving this girl, one of the more promising students, because she had lost her memory. It hurt Astraea to see such an occurring, but she thought it may have been for the best. "Are you alright?" Astra whispered to the girl, making sure none of the others could hear.

[Hyacinthe d'Etoile]

The Bass District. It wasn't honestly the most tasteful place in Cinthe's opinion, but she had her reasons for being there. Some of the shops here were actually decent, even if seedy, and she liked quality in the things she got regardless of where she got them. Of course, she wouldn't sink as low as being involved in criminal activity; there was no reason for that, honestly. She had too much money and, even if people hated her, prestige. Maybe she didn't have the best reputation, but anyone would be hard-pressed to admit that she didn't have power in her position.

In the distance, however, she saw someone she would not expect to see here. Though Cinthe was normally a bit airheaded, in a way, she made very sure to stay sharp in this district; she'd had to chase down a pickpocket just a few months ago. He clearly hadn't expected her to be able to move like that, but she'd been dancing for a good part of her life, so she caught him easily. However, this person seemed uneasy, as Cinthe would have expected. No, not uneasy. Just careful. Cinthe supposed that was appropriate. Lady Grim was a rough thing to be called, and the people around her were even rougher. Cinthe had always seen Astraea as a delicate person; she supposed it was understandable, and maybe even helpful for Cinthe. Lady Grim and Lady Stone in the same place; that would attract more attention than perhaps even Cinthe could handle.

On the other hand, she'd be some kinda damned if she called herself the best magician in the city and walked around like she was scared of the very people whose lives she saved. She wasn't acting tough. It was a matter of pride. If she let herself, she'd sink right down into depression about it just like Astraea had seemed to. It wasn't a matter of acting tough. Bitterness burns you so deeply you have to keep moving, even if just for dreaming of the moment of being revealed as the one who was right in the end. Depression just eats you alive from the inside; Cinthe had learned that years ago.

However, any bitterness Astraea's “disguise” had incited in Cinthe faded away quickly when her fellow Elegy was pulled from her vision. Cinthe could just see the flicker of surprise in the Elegy's eyes as she was pulled into the building. Her own eyes adopted a slight bit more concern than they normally ever showed, which manifested on her face as a raised eyebrow and a slightly open mouth. She took a quick look up at the building. Oh, she knew what it was. Without thinking twice about it, she ran into a nearby store and bought some new clothes. It only took her five minutes to change and safely hide her clothes. When she walked out, her hair was tucked under an expensive-looking driver's cap, her normally slightly glossy lips now looking dry and normal. In place of her scandalous robes were a pair of nice brown pants, topped with a nice-looking dress shirt. It wasn't as fancy an outfit as she'd like, but she had to think of where she was and what she was trying to do. The flat, brown, shiny dress shoes she now were clacked on the ground as she approached the building.

As soon as she entered a little two arms shot out in front of her, blocking her way. She lifted her eyes only slightly to look, not wanting to make them suspicious. She waited for a moment, silent, and they didn't move. She reached into a pocket and took out some cash. She held it up, still wordless. The bouncers shared a glance. A chill shot up her spine and subsided just as quickly. She'd been prepared for this. She looked around; there was no one else in the immediate vicinity. Slyly, she began to tap her foot on the ground. She began to mumble to herself, or that's what the guards would think; she was actually preparing to cast a Shade Aria and slip farther inside. Before three notes came from her lips, though, one of the bouncers snatched away the money and both their arms moved. Cinthe jumped just a little bit, but went through anyway. She supposed she could understand their hesitation. She wasn't the most convincing man.

Breathing in and out evenly, Cinthe walked forward into the building. Her eyes darted around for any sign of her fellow Elegy or where they might have taken her. She thought about sending a signal throughout the building for her, but for all Cinthe knew, that would get them both hurt. She knew her level of magic skill, but power hid in strange places in this city. For the moment, she continued walking in her disguise, trying not to seem too feminine. She would just peek into every door she noticed unguarded until she found something.

[Elle the Siren]

The Bass District was no place for a respectable young lady and certainly not at night. Shady characters hide around corners, waiting to snatch up unsuspecting prey like a spider in it's nest. Silver smiles filled with fangs glittered from every shadow and every dark window held something sinister.

At least, that is how it seemed to the young (but not too young), remarkably cute siren who was lost in the Bass District. Elle couldn't ever remember being so scared. The siren was prone to getting lost and, while daydreaming, had found herself completely turned around and the scenery was progressively getting worse. Elle hugged her elbows, trying to ward off the chills of fright that were running down her spine. At the best of times, Elle was a brave as a lion but, at the moment, Elle had nobody to be brave for and was on the verge of tears.

"I am never g-going to g-get outta here..." Elle mumbled, too stubborn to cry but too afraid not to. Eyes watched her from the shadows, curious and slightly confused. Confused by the fact that, while Elle certainly hadn't noticed, she was flying at least two feet off of the ground. She was out of harms way and too silly to notice.

Elle wandered around for nearly a half an hour before she found herself, still terrified and still flying, in front of a familiar building. "Oh no! I've been going in circles!" Elle sighed, dashing away tears that refused to stay in, "This is awful... What am I going to do? I don't know my way out and I don't know where I am. I could be anywhere! Nobody will even notice I'm gone! Oh no oh no oh no. I didn't bring my wallet, I was just going for a walk, so I can't by food, not that I see any markets anyways. I suppose I could ask somebody but nobody looks even remotely nice. What if they try to hurt me? Oh no. I don't know what to do. Oh no no no no."

The siren mumbled nervously to herself, flying lower and lower with each sentence until she landed on the ground in front of... well, it said 'gentleman's club' on the side. Gentleman! That was it! Gentlemen were supposed to be nice and well mannered. They would surely help her. Elle smiled, wiping away the last of her tears with the back of her small hand and took a step towards the door of the club. Suddenly, rough hands grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her inside. The smell of sweat and cheap cologne filled her lungs as the stranger pushed her into a room, getting far to close to her for comfort.

The siren's sense reeled as she tried to gain her bearing. Unpleasant scents filled her petite nose and she wrinkled it in disgust as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the lighting of the room. She curled her hands around her elbows once more, for comfort, and hugged her pale peasant's blouse to her chest. Feathers bristled along her legs and the soft down that made up part of her hair ruffled uncomfortably. When she could finally see clearly, Elle was able to make out two other girls. One was a little suspicious herself, with a big hat and sunglasses on, evening though the room was neither cold nor bright. The other was young. And clutching a ribbon. "What is going on?" Elle asked, confused but not terribly frightened... yet, "I thought this was a gentleman's club? It doesn't smell very nice and that guy certainly was not a gentleman."

[Mikoto]

Now, even though she had been taken there against her will. She didn't actually feel that threatened. It was a strange thing. They hadn't quite tugged at her too harshly or at all, just enough to bar her way so that she couldn't break free. Not to mention, she hadn't struggled to break free too much. Much less than a normal person would have, someone else might have pointed out if they had seen it. Taking a good look around, she learned just why one of her coworkers had told her to avoid this particular street in Bass District. Of course, there were several other places as well, but ...

Funny, after three years, one would think that they had seen everything there is to know about this district. It didn't quite seem that way today. Especially since she had not exactly explored the entire district before. If only her ribbon hadn't flown off, she would be at the bar working or studying at the school. She would be doing something productive, not waiting her for who knows what. She rubbed her forehead - a habit she had gotten from some older student. If she had to sum up her feelings, it would be something between annoyed and curious. Curious, because she didn't quite understand why she had seen a few girls on her way there tugging at their garments. It was not as if it was warm. And it didn't seem quite that comfortable to stick coins in strange places like that. It was such a strange ritual. Then again, most people here in Bass District were quite peculiar.

" ... ?" She turned around to face the voice and recognized her easily from the her voice alone. This was one of the people who had summoned her to this place. She didn't quite understand why there was a need to whisper such a thing. It wasn't as if they were plotting against the proprietors of the place ... at least not yet. "I'm alright." She looked the woman over. While Mikoto had been relatively untouched, she could tell that the other woman had been dragged there. The man from earlier must have been lying. They had not been informed. This was really not a good place to stay, despite it's name.

The only exit, she had seen, was from the door they came. The windows looked utterly fake, as if simply painted to look like windows. It was a pretty lame disguise, in her opinion. Why waste effort into decorating such a thing rather than making real windows? The chairs and tables there did not look cheap at all. In fact, each table looked more expensive than the the counter at the bar. The walls were nicely decorated as well. It should have given of a more comfortable feel, despite the strange odors. Should have. The elegy with her did not look that happy to be here. Nor was she. Not to mention, was this how they got customers? Workers? If so, this was an awful way to advertise.

Just as she was about to speak, another was brought into the room. Unlike the pink haired woman, this girl surely made more noise getting into the room. The first thing that stuck out to her, was the girl's flowery wings. "I do not know." Mikoto said rather monotonously as always ... or did it sound as if she was forcing herself to speak that way. She wasn't sure. Whatever the case, not knowing something always bothered her ... along with the freedom to make her own choices, but that was something for later. Looking back the way they came, she noted how there was suddenly a man there standing guard there she hadn't really noticed earlier.

"...!" With the strangeness that had gone on, she had nearly forgotten just what she was still holding. The ribbon. She brought her tail close to her and tied it on snugly so it wouldn't fly away again then wagged it to make sure it was on good.

It was then when a few men walked into the room, carrying a few clothes along with them. They looked more like aprons though, and strange hats. Uniforms. She realized. They tossed a pair to each of them. "We're expecting to you put this on and get ready, we're opening in a few minutes. Be lucky you girls aren't next door." One of the men said, the leader, while leaning in close to the pink haired. His stanky breath toxifying her oxygen. He pulled back quickly just in case the woman had tried to smack him and they all left once more.

[ ooc: I have no idea where I'm going with this, so go ahead toss in your own twists. xD
also rea, this and this. c: ]

[Elle the Siren]

ooc- I love you best Miko! *hugs*

Elle frowned down at the uniform in her hands, gently making fists and squishing the cloth pieces together, "I like my own clothes. I don't want to wear these. And just what was going on next door?! I really don't like it here..." The cute siren scowled, an odd look on her usually cheerful face. She did not enjoy being a captive. And why did people always insist on capturing her?! Not cool.

With a sigh, Elle watched as the big guys left, flinching when one brushed against her as he walked by. If only the Elegies had summoned her hero instead of her! Her hero would have knocked these guys out. That was one thing the siren never understood... Why, of all people, had she been summoned as a fighter? Really, she was just fluffy support.

Sighing again, the siren unrolled the apron out and held it up against her petite frame. Surprisingly, it looked like it would fit. Like maybe the actually were expecting her. She dropped the apron in surprise and held up the hat, examining it closely. It too looked like it would fit, it even had a guard so that it wouldn't catch on her sensitive down-feathers. Delicate brows pulled together over Elle's ocean-colored eyes as she examined the hat for several seconds. Her gaze darted down to the apron then back up to the two others girls in confusion, "Uh, do your aprons and hats fit too?"

Elle easily slipped the apron on over her blouse and then set the hat on her head. With the new additions, Elle looked like a cute and a little provocative serving girl. She glanced over to a nearby table, surprisingly of good quality, and spotted three silver serving trays stacked neatly.

[Astraea Selah]

Astraea was relieved that the girl wasn't harmed, but there were quickly other things she felt she needed to invest some attention into. The small group grew by one when another student Astraea summoned was brought into the room. It was perplexing to say the least, especially considering the ages of the girls with her. Astraea was the oldest by far. Children of Elle and Mikoto's age shouldn't have even been in such a club in the first place. Perhaps not even wandering the bass district alone, though Mikoto did that on a regular basis.

There was something different about Mikoto than the other children though, as it seemed she was so indifferent to the world. Certainly this could get her into trouble, but at the same time it almost protected her from anguish others might feel by small simplistic emotions. That was one thing that Astraea felt she'd be confused about for a long time because Mikoto didn't seem like she was going to change anytime soon. Again though, Astraea thought that may be for the best considering her situation.

But then there was Elle. Sweet awkwardly cute little Elle. There was no doubt that this new student should have been supervised, and even supervised she shouldn't have been able to go into the Bass district. Elle seemed to get lost a lot though, as there was already one occasion where Theo and Llyr were sent to go after her, and that was what Astraea assumed happened in this situation. It was unfortunate the cute girl would be dragged into the club though because it could possibly be an experience that stuck with her. Astraea tried to tell herself that would be good so she wouldn't wander alone anymore.

Then some men came in, muttering something about being lucky they weren't next door. Astraea didn't really doubt it considering this area seemed somewhat tame, though that really wasn't saying much considering they were still in a 'gentleman's club'. Astraea scowled as one of the men drew in close and she clenched her fists at the smell of him. Oh how she wanted to unleash a spell at him just to get rid of his stink. The man retreated quickly though and all of Astraea's darker thoughts faded when she could breath a little easier.

Of course Astraea hadn't even bothered to look at the uniforms they all received in her violent fit. When the woman finally did she frowned at the hat, knowing that to wear such a thing she'd have to take off the one that she was already wearing. Apparently the group had been mistaken for new serving women, or maybe not mistaken so much as bullied into being the new girls. Either way, Astraea wondered if she should just play along. It didn't seem like something she would do and she wasn't exactly enjoying the thought of it. Elle however seemed rather quick to inspect the new uniform, baffled that it was actually her size. It was a bit interesting that it fit her, but it was possible it was just a silly coincidence.

Elle asking in their uniforms fit prompted Astraea to hold up hers, slightly perplexed. Sure enough, it seemed like it would fit rather well. "I... suppose so," Astraea replied slowly. She still wasn't too keen on the idea of letting down her hair or taking off her shades, even if it was foolish to wear them indoors. "So what should we...?" Astraea's voice trailed off as she looked to where Elle's attention was. A collection of serving trays on a table.

[Hyacinthe d'Etoile]

Cinthe sighed lightly, her uniform uncomfortable now. She'd been walking for a little while, but she just ran into more and more unsavory types, many of them looking her up and down as if to start a fight. She supposed that was what they did automatically; you'd have to look like you could beat the crap out of anyone at any given time in this area, lest you arbitrarily get the crap beaten out of you. The air got heavier as she kept walking; hot, and filled with voices. The musician in her picked up a rhythm to the chatter, a chaotic, syncopated mess undercut by the actual music playing farther inside the building. There was a booming bassline to it, and as she got closer, she could feel it in her chest competing with her heartbeat.

She kept walking until she reached the door which had the music source behind it. She opened it slowly and peeked in; there was a table of about seven men, two of them banging out a rhythm on the table while another stood and played the double bass. Among them was a scantily clad woman with a deep red in her cheeks. All their eyes flew wide open, and Cinthe immediately closed the door. She heard a shout from behind the door, and she immediately tapped out a rhythm, a rapid and intense chant coming from her mouth. She heard a shout from behind the door and a light sizzle; her Blaze Aria had worked. She walked away quickly, almost breaking into a jog, turning the corner and not looking back to see if they'd followed her.

They hadn't. Either they were enjoying their private room too much or they'd been scared off by a little light magic. She couldn't help thinking about the girl in the room. Cinthe didn't care if women wanted to keep such professions, but that girl wasn't ready to talk to a single man, let alone entertain a room full. It wasn't Cinthe's problem, though. She had come to find Astraea.

However, a small surge of doubt went through her at that moment. Cinthe's fellow Elegy could probably protect herself... What was to say she wasn't doing just that? And who knew, maybe Astraea had come for some entertainment herself? Goodness knows she could use some cheering up at times... Then again, people probably said that about Cinthe. And though she couldn't exactly call herself Astraea's confidante, she quickly concluded that Astraea probably wouldn't come here meaning to.

I'd better be careful about casting magic,” Cinthe thought. At least until I know where Astraea is. Finally she made her way into a small room, where upbeat, earthy music was playing. Women were dancing about in a few places, but she paid them no mind, keeping her eyes low. Men were screaming at them loudly; the majority of this room was fully and happily drunk. This seemed like the main attraction, though. She wondered how many private rooms this place had; it was ridiculous. She also wondered how many girls were in here unprepared for the things men would ask them to do. She saw yet another girl walk by, cherry red and scared. There were experienced women here, too, but Cinthe couldn't help noticing a sadness to them. Then again, she was probably just projecting her own opinions of what it must be like to do this job. She decided that she was after she saw a woman smugly walking over a man who had passed out on the floor with what looked like the last of his money tucked neatly into her bra lining.

Around her were many tables with waitresses serving the men drinks. They weren't quite as meagerly covered as the dancing women, but they were still provocative. Cinthe decided to stand in the corner and wait for a moment, but was told by a surly-looking man that she'd have to take a seat to enjoy the women. Almost having forgotten about her disguise, she opened her mouth and closed it back quickly, taking a seat under the flashing red and purple lights of the dimly lit club. Her eyes scanned the room carefully.

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