Alice's eyes flickered open, her vision blurry as she lay on a bed with red sheets. Letting out a groan, she shook her head and her sight cleared enough to see three figures standing beside her.
One by one, she looked at each of them. Closest to her was Carmen, her long black hair, sandstone-toned skin and black halter top with black short-shorts visible before her. In the middle was Teigen, who had light brown sun-kissed skin and short dark brown hair, wearing a crisscross halter and asymmetrical torn black jeans. Beside Teigen was Naphi, gazing down at Alice with a chuckle as she came to.
“C'mon, wake up!” Naphi said as she gently rocked Alice's body by her shoulders.
Alice groaned again, her grogginess slowly subsiding as she took in the faces of the three women before her.
"Where am I...?" she said in a weak voice, rubbing her eyes and attempting to sit up.
Carmen gave her a friendly smile, her dark eyes studying Alice's disoriented expression. "You're in Amaranthine Town, sweetie. You passed out, remember?"
"Amaranthine Town...?" Alice repeated, her voice still groggy.
Teigen chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You don't remember anything from last night at all?"
Alice shook her head, her mind still fuzzy and confused.
Naphi sighed and rolled her eyes, a smirk on her lips. "We found you lying on the side of the road, passed out. You're lucky we found you, you know?”
Alice furrowed her brow, attempting to recall any memories from the previous encounter. The last thing she remembered was…well, nothing at all.
"I...I can't remember anything," she admitted, feeling a pang of worry creeping in. "How long have I been out for?"
"About a few hours," Carmen responded, her expression growing more serious.
Teigen shrugged and leaned against a nearby wall. "It's a good thing we found you when we did, though. You would've been a prime target for the Depraved, especially at night like that.”
"The Depraved...?"
Naphi nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Yeah, it's not safe to be out at night around here. The Depraved are attracted to negativity, and they can sense it from miles away. They would've had a field day with you last night.”
Alice shivered involuntarily, shifting on the soft surface she was laying on, realizing she was resting on a couch. "Where am I now? Your place, I'm guessing?"
"Yep, you're in our apartment," Carmen confirmed, gesturing around the room they were in.
The walls were painted a warm beige color, a few abstract paintings hanging on them. The living room was sparsely furnished, with a small coffee table, a TV mounted on the wall, and a couple of armchairs surrounding the couch Alice was on.
"It's...cozy," Alice said, sitting up a bit more on the bed.
Teigen raised an eyebrow at her remark. "You sure you're feeling okay? You were pretty out of it earlier."
"Yeah, I..." Alice trailed off, noticing for the first time the dull ache in her head and the slight tremble in her hands.
Alice looked over and saw Zalgo on the neighboring couch still asleep, her deep blues widening as she looked at her.
“Zalgo…?”
Stolen story; please report.
“Yep,” Carmen replied. “And the other girl that was with you is…” she gestured at Alice's midsection, where she felt an arm around her slim waist. Alice's mahogany hand gripped the alabaster forearm embracing her, and she recoiled as she looked back and saw the snoozing culprit, Rachel.
"What the- how...how long has Rachel been holding onto me like this?!" Alice blurted out, her voice filled with irritation and surprise.
Teigen chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, since we tucked you both in bed, she has been holding you like a lost puppy. She complimented your body heat every once in a while too.”
Alice blushed at being held so intimately by her best friend. "Why didn't you guys wake me then?"
"Oh we tried, believe me," Naphi chimed in. "But every time we tugged you, Rachel would just cling tighter. It was like separating two magnets!”
Alice groaned, knowing that her best friend could be particularly stubborn when it came to physical affection. "Great, just great..."
Carmen laughed softly, an amused smile on her lips. "It was quite endearing, seeing how fiercely she was holding onto you.”
"Yeah, I guess that's Rachel for you," Alice muttered, shaking her head.
Alice attempted to wriggle free from Rachel's grip, but her sleeping friend's arm only tightened around her. The other girls chuckled at the sight.
"Looks like you're not going anywhere, honey,” Teigen teased, a smug grin on her face.
Alice rolled her eyes, groaning again as she realized she was trapped. “Great, just great. How am I going to get out of this?”
Naphi chuckled at Alice’s distress, clearly enjoying the situation. "You’re on your own, girl. We tried to help, but Rachel’s gotcha good.”
Carmen walked over to them and lightly patted Rachel on the head, who barely even stirred. “She’s a tough one to crack, that’s for sure.”
“Ugh, you’re all just a bunch of sadists,” Alice moaned. “C-can I have at least a little help here?”
As the women laughed at her predicament, Alice tried to move again, but Rachel’s grip remained firm, and she seemed to nuzzle her petite body even closer against Alice in her sleep.
Teigen smirked at her. "Afraid not, honey. You’re gonna have to wait until Rachel wakes up and decides to let go. Until then, you’re her personal pillow.”
Alice let out an exasperated sigh, leaning her head back against the couch. “This is just great. I’m being held hostage by my own best friend, and I can’t even move. In the meantime, can you at least tell me more about where I am now?”
Carmen sat down on the edge of the coffee table, her face growing serious. "Yes, sure. You're currently in the city of Amaranthine Town. It's a haven for people from different realms, cultures, and races. It acts as a sort of sanctuary from the outside violence and wars between various factions.
It's a melting pot of different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. The city is built to accommodate the various needs and requirements of its diverse inhabitants. As a result, while it's a mostly peaceful place, it's pretty eclectic and chaotic at times.”
Teigen nodded, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. "And it's not just any regular city either. It's rightfully titled the crossroads of the universe - a bustling hub that's open 24 hours, with diverse shops, markets, restaurants, and entertainment venues open day and night."
"There's always something happening here," Naphi chimed in. "It's never boring here, even in the dead of night.”
Carmen chuckled and smiled. "Yeah, it's always hopping here. You can find just about anything you want at any time. Plus, the vibe is really cool. You have people from all walks of life here, doing their own thing and coexisting in one big, messy family, if you will."
Naphi perched on the arm of the chair Teigen was sitting in. "It's kinda wild, really. You've got witches, demons, even aliens, you name it. And there's always someone having a good time or causing a little trouble."
Carmen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, with all these different folk here, it's a city that never sleeps. You can find something interesting at every corner.”
Teigen added, "And the food, man. The food here is incredible. You can find cuisine from every corner of the universe here, and it's all pretty damn good.”
Carmen laughed. "Yeah, the restaurants and street vendors here have some of the most unique and delicious food you'll ever taste. And the best part is that most of them are open all night, so you can get a bite anytime you want.”
Naphi chimed in with a smirk. "That's right. You could have a greasy burger at 3 AM or some exotic alien dish at midnight, and you'll find both in this town.”
“You've got my attention there,” Alice replied.
“A foodie, are we?” Carmen said with a smirk as she leaned in. “Then you're in paradise.”
Teigen added, “And the night life here is pretty insane too. There's always something happening, whether it's a concert, a party, or a rave. And don’t even get me started on the clubs here. This town never runs out of fun.“
A light yawn sounded in the room, and everyone looked over to see Zalgo stretching her limbs, her heterochromic eyes opening to see Alice and the others.
“Alice…? Where are we…?”
Alice turned her head towards Zalgo, her eyes widening slightly as she saw her friend waking up.
"Hey, you're finally up," Alice said softly, trying to keep her voice down so as not to wake Rachel. "We’re at a place called Amaranthine Town. Do you remember anything before falling unconscious?"
Zalgo grumbled and rubbed her eyes, looking around groggily. "I...I don’t really remember much...just bits and pieces."
Naphi, still perched on the arm of Teigen's chair, spoke up. "Yeah, you guys were both passed out upon arrival. Zilla told us she needed a place for you guys to stay until you all woke up, so we brought you here to keep you safe."
“Oh,” Zalgo responded. “Is she still here?”
“Nope! She went back to Euphoria, that crazy place.”
“I see…” Zalgo looked puzzled for a moment, but then her expression shifted to concern. "Wait a minute...where's Rachel...?”
Teigen chuckled from her seat. "Oh, she's right behind Alice, hun. Holding onto her like a koala."
On cue, Alice wiggled her hips, trying to break free from Rachel's grip only for the latter to tighten it even further. "Oh, I'm very much aware. She won't let go.”
Carmen giggled at the sight while Naphi let out a snort. "Yeah, she's been clinging onto Alice like she's her lifeline. We tried waking her up earlier, but she wouldn’t budge. And when we tried to separate her, she just held even tighter."
Zalgo let out a small chuckle herself, rubbing her eyes again. “How amusing."
"Tell me about it," Alice groaned, trying to push Rachel's arm away again to no avail. "She’s like a barnacle, I swear.”
Teigen, still leaning against the wall, grinned wickedly. "Oh, it gets better. She was complimenting your body heat while she was holding onto you. You're like a personal space heater to her.”
Rachel snuggled even closer in her sleep, burying her face in Alice's shoulder and mumbling unintelligibly.
"Yep, I know that all too well," Alice said with a sigh. “So I'm a sitting duck until she wakes up.”
“Yes you are,” Teigen teased with a wink.
“Till then, you can chat with us!” Naphi recommended.
“Sure,” Alice replied.
Meanwhile, Carmen walked over to a small kitchen area nearby and began taking out some cups. "Anyone want some coffee?" she called out.
“Oh, I could certainly use some right now,” Alice said, sitting up a little while not disturbing Rachel's slumber.
“Then treat yourself.”
“Don't mind if I do.”