Chapter Text
Mitu laughed as she swung into the darkness of the ceiling, disappearing as Ena could only watch behind her.
Smoke, flashing lights, drugs… just a moment ago Ena was there, in that awful party, people dancing to that loud, irksome music.
She had been at the Purge event for what has felt like an hour now, but it was hard to tell how long she had really been here for. As time went on, she felt herself growing frustrated, trapped.
She needed to reach that bathroom for her freedom.
She stumbled as she pulled at those damned beaches, causing them to creak. Her left leg was still suspended, and she almost lost her footing at the lack of solid ground.
Ena looked down as she felt the pink liquid pooling at her feet, causing her to gasp. She cursed, frantically pulling backward now. Her salesperson's face slipped off her face, static buzzing under it, sizzling like a live wire.
As she wobbled on her restrained legs, branches and wires pulled at her, the liquid sloshing at her ankles as it rose to her thighs and hips. She let out a yell, or tried to, but she couldn’t let out anything more than a jumbled distortion of her own voice.
The music was loud, really loud, now. It pounded at her ears as she felt her chest grow heavy. She felt the control over herself faltering as she pulled and thrashed, another limb free, which fell into the pink that was now hovering beneath her chest.
She let out another yell, begging for help, but little to nothing came out, and even if some of her screams were audible, they were drowned out by the music.
Her eyes frantically scanned the room, lights flashing underneath the pink. Why was everybody still dancing?
She needed to go back. She couldn’t breathe; could she normally breathe? Her head was pounding, she could feel something dripping out of her eye. Blood? Tears? She wouldn’t know.
By now, all of the sensations in her limbs were gone, as if she didn’t have any. She needed to get away, she needed to leave!
As the liquid drug pooled around her bust, up to her chin, Ena could feel her limbs floating around her, absently, like they were pieces of driftwood in a sea of pink.
She could feel her hair float around her in the liquid as it rose over her ears, her hat coming off of her head.
She tried to let out another scream, a plea, a call for help.
Everything was growing bitter and fuzzy… the loud, deafening music grew distorted before the volume began to fade. In her peripheral vision, she could see the room grow darker, as if the shadowy dancers were surrounding her.
God, was she dying? Why the fuck did she come here and trade her body away, exchanging her arm for what was now, she realized, a mislead to her freedom.
It seems time had passed, or she had moved. Did she black out…? No. No she didn’t.
Her head spun, literally, as her vision began to fade in, light trickling into her consciousness.
Something stopped the room’s spinning, but she couldn’t see what did that, unless it was her actual head that was spinning.
It didn’t look like Ena wasn’t at the party anymore, she was somewhere quieter. Less bright, less entities. Ena’s head still felt awful, though. Fuzzy, staticky. Disgusting.
She felt weak, wobbly? She couldn’t move her body like she normally could, she felt stuff, like a hinge that needed greasing. Fuck… where was she?
After a moment of gathering her strength and pulling herself upright, pushing against whatever held her head down, she was able to piece together where she was, somewhat… despite everything not quite looking right. An office?
No, it looked more like a break room. Very pale blue walls, buzzing lights, a bird-clock with a beak for clock arms… black and white beside her. What?
She blinked, and groaned, before adjusting her eyes. Wait… Ena knew her; Coral Glasses…? Whatever their name was. Why was she here? Why were both of them here, actually? It seemed Coral took her hands away from Ena once she turned her head to look at them.
Though she couldn’t see very well yet, the saleswoman was practically drenched in sweat, and her coral was spiraling with red lines. She sat on the edge of the bed Ena was laid on.
“Ugh… my head. Coral…?” She moaned out. Why are you…?” Ena couldn’t quite get the words out.
“I cannot believe you…” Coral sighed, shaking her head. “You’re at my place. I… Froggy wanted me to go look for you, because his feet were hurting from the smoke. That baby…” she sighed, before composing yourself again. “I had to ask around the lonely door where you were, and when I found you…” Coral’s voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have approached you like this.” She said after a moment, before Ena could speak. She looked up at Coral Glasses again. “Are you alright, Ena?”
Ena blinked, still irritable and voided of energy. She would usually talk to Coral through Salesperson, but right now, she was utterly exhausted. “I…” she wanted to lie through her teeth and say she was just dandy, but that only just reminded her of how she had been feeling at the Purge Event.
She felt her chest grow heavy and her hands tremble, (oh, Coral got her right hand back!) Ena had to cover her mouth to avoid vomiting.
After a moment of composing herself, maybe it would’ve been better to feign Salesperson.
Judging by Coral’s concerned look, it appeared to be too late for that.
Ena sighed and shook her head. “Fuck, Coral, I think I was drugged,” she said, burying her head in her hands for a moment. “I guess I’m not.” She sighed.
After a moment, Ena felt a hand on her shoulder, making her look up, taken by surprise. The hand belonged to Coral, and to Ena’s surprise, her expression was calm, gentle. The coral on her face had more of a soft gradient than her usual striking stripes.
“I wouldn’t be either. Just… rest up. You can stay here for now…” she said, scratching the back of her head.
Ena relaxed a little, and she could feel how exhausted she still was. Looking down a little, she leaned forward to rest her head on Coral’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she murmured, as her arms hung lifelessly beside her.
Coral Glasses froze for a second, before looking down at Ena’s head and wrapped an arm around her back, with the other wrapping around her as well, just a little higher to hold the back of Ena’s head.
Coral held her breath for a moment, analyzing Ena’s reaction. Not bad, that was good, that was good. She pushed Ena’s back to straighten a little so the two could embrace in a more comfortable position for Ena, who hummed in a sense of temporary contentment.
After a moment, Coral began to play with Ena’s hair, gently combing through it with her fingers. Ena’s eyes were closed, and she didn’t move. Coral didn’t shift around anxiously like she might in any other situation. She felt surprisingly calm, pleased.
The two had stayed like that for a fair while, at least for their standards. Coral let Ena pull away first, and she brushed the hair away from Ena’s face when she straightened.
The two didn’t speak as they watched one-another, a gentle silence that wasn’t disturbed.
After those few moments, Coral had turned away, facing the edge of the bed where she sat. “Ah… you should get some rest, Ena. I’ll tell Froggy not to bother you, or anyone else, for that matter…” she said. Ena watched her, unable to read her face.
“Will you be back later?” She asked, which took the both of them by surprise. Ena, especially with her mean personality, would never have ordinarily sought company, and Coral felt a lot of similar things.
However, she got up and stretched, before straightening out her suit jacket, she turned and gave Ena a little nod, before the tall woman walked to the door and shut it softly behind her.
Ena watched the closed door for a moment before letting out a sigh, and letting herself lean back on the bed. Was it Coral’s?
That's a wonder for later.