Chapter Text
"So like, what's it gonna be, Zoey?"
Suki held her breath, watching the intense stare-off at the dining table: Zoey versus Lillian, cybergoth versus bratty goth. Neither competitor dared blink.
So nervous, Suki whimpered as she gnawed on her third strawberry pop tart of the night. What if Zoey loses?
The challenge at hand was a simple psychic guessing game: on the table, Lillian had placed three vials of nail polish, each a slightly different shade of purple. Lillian hid her hands underneath the table. The only clues to the goth girl's makeup choice were locked inside her pigtailed brain.
"Well, which one?"
The ball was in Zoey's corner. Ooh, I can't take it anymore! Suki sprang to the rescue: striking an idol pose and curling her fingers into a lovey-dovey heart.
"You can do it, senpai! I'm sending all my love-love energy to cheer you on!"
The cyber-witch spread her palms over the tabletop. She cleared her mind with a deep exhale and focused her red and blue eyes onto the three choices. Green fingernails touched each vial in turn. When Zoey made contact with the third container, her eyes lit up.
"This one."
Suki looked at Lillian. Lillian looked at Zoey. The goth's poker face broke into a grin.
"Omigod, that's right! My nails are totally rocking Twilight Purple Envy!"
"Yatta!" Suki cheered so hard her pop tart flew onto the floor. Uh oh. She brushed off the worst of the dust bunnies and resumed her chipmunk nibbling. Mmm, oishi!
"Freakin' unbelievable." Lillian gestured to the collections of makeup, graphic novels and eating utensils piled on the table. "Zoe, you knew which nail polish I was wearing, which comic book I was reading; shit, you even figured out which of the forks I licked."
"Senpai, you're a psycho!"
Lillian winced. "Umm, it's called 'psychic', Suki."
"Oh."
Zoey waved off their praises with a Zen-like calm. "It's nothing as direct as telepathy. I'm merely observing the tone and quality of your aura, Lillian."
"So senpai, you've got X-ray vision?"
Zoey flashed a patient smile. "Not quite, Suki. Deep within the material casings you call 'bodies', we exist as spirit and energy. Our energy is constantly radiating in waves and colours that reflect the state of our soul."
Suki gave an appreciative "oooh!", which made Lillian roll her eyes.
"Just as astronomers study far-away stars by observing their light across space and time, I'm able to assess those around me by observing the light of their bodies. Lillian, your aura is emanating a keen sense of excitement. That same excitement - so bright, so scarlet - surrounds the container of fingernail polish you applied."
"Whoa," the goth whistled. "So you're like, reading my fingerprints?"
"More than that - your energy! Our intense feelings leave their mark on the objects surrounding us. When I touch those objects, I'm able to sense the connection to whomever handled it."
While Suki "oohed" again, Lillian went very still and very pale.
"Wait, wait. You mean you can figure out who touched any object?"
"Any object." Zoey nodded. She looked Lillian square in the eye. "You need to stop borrowing my toothbrush."
Lillian gulped.
Whaa! Zoey was so cool when she talked about magic and stuff! "I wanna try, I wanna try!"
Racing to and from her bedroom, Suki cluttered the table with a pile of striped undergarments. "Okay, senpai! Guess which pair of pantsu I've been wearing today. Go!"
Lillian held her nose. "Um, kinda don't need magic powers to figure that out, Suki."
"Huh? I don't get it. What's she mean, senpai? Senpai?"
But Zoey had already turned her head away, nodding to herself and observing the empty air beside the table. Lillian groaned.
"Ugh, not this shit again. Like, wake up, bitch!"
Suki whined. Besides sensing energy, senpai's magical vision also let her see all these invisible bugs and animals from another world. The way Zoey told it, their apartment was swarmed by pretty, white butterflies with rose-petal wings, among other creepy-crawlies! If she or Lillian weren't around to catch her, Zoey could zone out for hours at a time just watching the walls.
"Just a minute." Zoey waved aside the fingers Lillian snapped in her face. She returned to her conversation with the apartment walls. "As I was saying, that should suffice as a demonstration of my abilities. Judging by the shift in your energy, I believe you're satisfied?"
A new, cold voice scoffed. "I mean, it's a start."
Suki's pop tart jumped once more as the air before Zoey rippled and a blue-haired woman materialized out of invisibility. The love fairy brushed back her icy ponytail and adjusted her spectacles.
"Any half-wit HunieCorp trainee can read auras and see creatures in phase-shift. Disappointing. I expected your powers to develop further by now."
Her again! Trixie! Suki's fangirl instincts to ogle all things sparkly and kawaii were tempered by her guard dog growl. Grrr, every time she shows up, she's always bad-mouthing senpai! Lillian wasn't impressed by the sneak attack either.
"Fuck, how long were you hiding there?"
"Long enough," Trixie shrugged before nose-diving into her HunieBee phone. "My, my. Seems HunieCorp's quarterly love harvest has fallen short again."
Suki glowered. Trixie had visited the loft three times now and Suki had her character type pegged as the scowling, cynical hinedere, forever looking down upon the world. I thought love fairies were supposed to be nice and helpful but she talks about Zoey like she's a project, not a person!
Two weeks had passed since Suki and her coven sisters had summoned the love fairy into their apartment. (And by summoned, she meant 'accidentally spamming Trixie's work inbox with garbage messages using an ancient love fairy office pager powered by the sex energy from a super-lewd, super-awesome three-girl make-out until the fairy cracked opened a portal and told them to cut out that shit.) Two weeks since Trixie had "rewarded" Zoey for finding her missing device.
Suki still shivered, thinking back on the cold grin Trixie had levelled while zapping senpai full of magic. She desperately wanted to imagine Trixie as a Pretty Cure magical helper, but the fairy's cold attitude always sent her mind circling back to Madoka Magica's magical helper...
Trixie-sama, why did you really turn senpai into a magical girl? It wasn't a hard question, but it always stuck in the back of Suki's throat. No, better to think happy thoughts, to look on the bright side.
Zoey-senpai doesn't really show it, but she's so super excited to actually have magic.
"Trixie, are you implying I'm meant to access further abilities that would attune me to the realm of magic?"
"That was my hope," the fairy replied, wincing at the flowery question. "How long have you been sitting in this apartment? Some strong, outside stimulus could kick-start things. It's worked in the past."
In the past? But before Suki could vocalize that thought, Lillian butted in.
"Outside stimulus? Like, that means we can totally go out for a date, right?"
"A date," Zoey murmured. "Hmm, I do require a test of how I'm able to function in human society. Yes, a low-key public setting should suffice."
"Sweet, 'cause I'm takin' you t'Lusties nightclub!"
"Lusties?" Zoey sputtered, her calm front broken. "Lillian, that establishment encourages so-called 'players' and 'pick-up artists' to prey on vulnerable females!"
"I know, right? Show some skin and the guys will like, buy you drinks all night! What's not to love?"
Suki quivered. "Senpai, this place sounds scary! Is it really that dangerous inside?"
Zoey made a small noise in her throat. Lillian narrowed her eyes.
"Like, you have been inside Lusties, right?"
Zoey glanced aside, mumbling something ending in "highly problematic…"
"Omigod, Lusties is so awesome! How've you never been? Friday's are totally free cover for chicks and the bouncers don't even check for ID! You can totally get wasted for free!"
"I was hoping we could observe and catalogue more of these invisible creatures from the realm of magic. These love-seeking 'flutterflies' are truly remarkable."
"Um, how about 'no'? If you spend another night staring at the walls, I swear I'll lose my shit. C'mon, my cousin Mikey's band is headlining the club tonight. We're gonna party, we're gonna get sloshed and I'm totally gonna flash Mikey my titties!"
Trixie winced. "Small wonder Sugardust took your file." Still, she couldn't argue with the plan. "Zoey, this is to unlock your full potential. Get out, see something new."
"Observing a wider variety of auras could prove beneficial," Zoey conceded. "Very well, Lillian. I accept your offer. Please escort me to -" she steadied herself, "- Lusties nightclub…"
"Yatta!"
Lillian and Zoey prepped for the club, leaving Suki alone with Trixie, and the fairy was soooo mean, typing on her HunieBee and ignoring her the whole time!
"Hey, Trixie? Trixie? Trixie?"
"WHAT?"
"Do you like manga?"
"For the twentieth time, NO!"
"But how can you tell if you've never tried? Here, you should read the doujinshi Zoey and I made! It's got tons of yaoi!"
The fairy shuddered as though a bug had crawled up her dress. When senpai's door opened, Trixie wasted no time jetting to the cyber-witch's side.
"Finally ready! I can't fathom how you stand looking at that Sarah girl. I mean, her energy!"
Suki blinked.
"Huh? What's that mean? What's she saying about me, senpai? I don't get it!"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Zoey power-marched to her side, ruffling her hair and offering a big, reassuring smile. "You're perfectly fine just the way you are, Suki."
"Really? Thank you~!" But when she smiled back at senpai, Zoey ducked her head and looked away.
Huh? Why's she doing that?
Suki stepped forward. Senpai turned away to rummage through her purse. But - but -!
Oh, I must be too mega-kawaii to handle! Eh-heh-heh!
Senpai looked so cool in her fresh makeup. The strapless, cheetah-print party dress, her short, blonde hair, those awesome, awesome goggles! "Whaa, you look like a model, Zoey! I'm so jealous!"
"Thank you. I believe this will allow me to properly activate my 'freak', yes?"
"Heck, yeah!" Lillian marched out in a blood red corset and her tightest leather pants. "You're rockin' it Zoe." Suki wondered how the goth could tell with her face shoved into her phone and snapping selfies, but oh well. "C'mon, bus gets here in five minutes!"
"Remember," Trixie cautioned, "if you run into any love fairies -"
"Omigod, you've only told us like a million times: Zoey's supposed to act like she can't see them. Duh!"
"This isn't a joke, Lily Winters. If word gets around that Zoey was gifted fairy magic, the goddess of love will -"
"Will what? Like, turn us into snakes? Snap her fingers and give us donkey heads? 'Cause like, that would be freakin' awesome."
Blue fire crackled over Trixie's eyes. The dagger-glare froze Suki on the spot, but senpai - super smart, as always - coughed and quickly changed subjects.
"This love goddess of whom you've cautioned us, your fairy queen. Is she truly that vindictive?"
"Theiatena Venus is a tyrant who wouldn't think twice about snuffing out three humans and a fairy traitor. You don't argue with her."
"And yet you feel compelled to disobey," Zoey observed. "To resist her matriarchy."
Trixie turned away, rubbing the steel manacles over her wrists. "The crimes she's committed are unforgivable. I'll do anything to take that bitch down a notch."
Suki shuddered. Trixie dressed like a magical girl protagonist but she totally gave off shonen anti-hero vibes. Is it a good thing that I'm getting Death Note flashbacks?
But before they could press the fairy for details, Trixie opened another portal and blinked away. Once more, the coven sisters were left with more questions than answers.
"Senpai? What did Trixie mean about my energy? Is there something wrong with me?"
Zoey dodged the question. "Will you be alright by yourself, Suki?"
"Of course I will, senpai! We're both dating you and tonight is Lillian's turn for a date-o. We've done this before."
"Yes, but this is the first time since I've seen -"
Senpai did that thing again. She looked away, flinched almost. Why's she doing that? Is she worried? Am I making her worry? No, no, no, no. She stopped talking. Why did she stop talking? I have to do better!
"It's okay, Zoey! I'm gonna hang out with my online friends and watch anime! You don't have to worry about me being alone. Before I met you and Lillian, this is how I always spent my Friday nights!"
Zoey didn't smile but she slowly nodded. "Very well, then."
"C'mon, Zoey. The bus?"
Zoey frowned, noting Lillian's non-stop selfie snapping. She grabbed the goth's spikey black phone and set it on the table. "Leave that thing. There is a beautiful world to be appreciated beyond your screen."
"But Zoey, I get like, a hundred new followers every time I post strapless pics!"
"I believe you're taking me on a date, not your subscribers." And to prove her point, Zoey left her own cell phone on the table. "Take care of yourself, Suki."
"Bye!" Suki waved. "Kisses! Have a super-duper-pooper fun time!"
The door clicked shut.
Suki carried on waving and smiling until Zoey and Lillian's boots clomped out of earshot. A great stillness settled over the apartment. A vast and endless silence.
Suki's lip quivered.
Quick as a bunny, she turned on the TV and cranked the volume.
Suki looked over the living room and nodded. "Preparations complete-o!"
Her laptop was plugged into the big screen TV for the ultimate, hi-def anime experience! Her tablet was propped up on the coffee table, chat program open and awaiting her online friends. Together, they would choose a streaming series and binge watch all night, sharing their comments and reactions the whole way through. Suki adjusted her bunny ear headset and checked the microphone.
"Test-o, test-o. Ich, ni, san - go!"
Suki even had her backup entertainment: when the conversation lulled or when they had to wait out the ending theme song for the umpteenth time, her handheld video game console sat primed on the arm of the sofa. She would level grind her Pokémon until things got interesting again. And for extra energy, she had her J-Pop playlists queued on her phone, (plugged into a kawaii little speaker shaped like the adorbs floating robot sidekick from Cyber Detective Nioshi!) The party would never stop so long as she could bop along to her favorite background tunes!
Nodding to herself - "mm, mm" - Suki poured herself a tall, fizzy glass of her favorite imported energy drink - Kaiju! (Atomic Apple flavor, of course.) It was pricey but she did have monster energy needs! To top it all off, she dumped a huge bag of salty chips into a serving bowl, placing it next to an equally huge bowl of gummy candies.
Everything was as it should be. Her online party guests were already arriving - their messages pinged like doorbell greetings.
=Takahishi_101=
Yo, what up, mina-san?
=Megane34=
FR1DAY FR1DAY FR1DAY
=KaiserNyaako=
\-(0 u 0)-/
Yes - surrounded by friends, by anime, by games and music and FUN! Even if her senpai was out with Lillian, this would still be the best-o night ever! "Yosh, I'm ready!"
Then the power cut.
"Oro?"