I don’t own Gundam Seed
Lacus:
The pink haired girl sat with her head in her hand, her elbow resting against the car door. Her eyes stared vacantly out the window at the passing scenery. An endless ocean of steel. Grey concrete as far as she could see. Buildings rocketed from the ground, reaching to the abysmal misty skies, linking the heavens to the earth.
Lacus shifted her gaze to the person in the driver’s seat beside her. It was a scene that seemed so familiar. Only last night, she had been a passenger as Miriallia had taken her away from that den of depravity they call a club. Now, here she was again, as Dearka took her back.
She must have been so stupid to go back there, but how could she help it? What choice did she have? It was the only job lead she’d had since moving here. Now that was a sad thought.
“You’re pretty quiet, you know that?”
“I’ve… I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
Lacus turned her attention back to the window. “I don’t even know you. I’m not going to tell you about my problems.”
“Fair enough,” Dearka dismissed with a shrug. “So how do you know Miriallia then?”
“We met at the club last night.”
“And what’s a girl like you going to strip clubs for?” the blond joked. “Don’t tell me you’re into strippers. That place doesn’t have a ladies night, so that must mean….”
Lacus narrowed her eyes. Dearka didn’t know anything about her. How could he sit there and casually make assumptions about her? “I… I was there as a dancer.”
“You? Huh, so you don’t just look at the strippers, you actually are one.”
The girl blushed. “Don’t call me that. I’m not, I just… I desperately needed a job, so….”
“Did you think of looking for something that doesn’t involve dancing naked for money?”
“It’s not like I haven’t tried,” Lacus hissed, beginning to lose her cool with the aggravating young man. She was starting to see why Miriallia had dumped him.
“Still… it’s not as though you don’t have the body for it.”
Lacus couldn’t help the blush from returning. She didn’t like being reminded of the way she and Dearka had become acquainted. Lacus wasn’t comfortable with the prospect of people seeing her naked. Very few had actually done so in the past, not counting that little wardrobe malfunction the night before. The pinkette didn’t go around disrobing in public. She wasn’t somebody that took such a thing lightly, and she didn’t like the implication that she did, never mind the suggestion that she might do so for personal gain.
Lacus had never once been promiscuous or licentious in her entire life, so why did everyone seem to assume that she was some kind of ‘easy’ harlot lately?
“Come on, don’t sulk. I was only teasing.”
“I’m not sulking, I just… I’m sick of people leering at me like I’m some kind of pornstar.”
“Then stop projecting the image.”
Lacus looked down at her attire in distaste. “It’s not as though I always dress like this. These clothes are a little revealing, sure, but between this and the maid outfit, I think I made the right call.”
“Mir has a maid outfit?”
“Don’t ask.” To be honest, that wasn’t even the most embarrassing thing in there. Maybe Mir was the pornstar.
“She never wore it for me,” Dearka grumbled. Was he disappointed? Jealous? “But I’m not talking about your clothes. Here’s my advice. Take it or leave it. You want to act like little miss prim and proper? Fine. Stop hanging around strip clubs.”
“I have to work somewhere!” Lacus defensively plead, “And Tolle is the only one hiring. At least, I hope he is.”
“The only one?”
“No, I hope he’s hiring… I mean I hope he hires me. Last night was my chance to impress him, and I blew it. Mir’s been trying to convince him to give me another shot, but if I screw up again… why does it always have to turn out like this? I mean…” The girl released a sigh. Dearka didn’t want to know about her troubles. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” She looked out the window once more and her clouded, periwinkle eyes suddenly cleared like a summer sky as the sights before her became instantly familiar. “We’re here,” she informed her driver.
“Yeah, let me just find somewhere to park the car.”
It was a few minutes until the pair made their way to the club’s entrance, but it was all too soon for Lacus. She could literally feel her stomach contort inside her as her nerves and anxieties rose to the surface. It was just like last time, but worse. Lacus didn’t particularly enjoy the prospect of someone like Tolle judging her, assessing her suitability, deciding what he should do with her, how degrading a position he should put her in.
It was funny, in a humourless kind of way. At school, Lacus had never been introverted. She’d never been nervous or timid. She’d been popular. She’d been a performer. She’d always taken every opportunity to show her talents. She’d always tried to lend a hand too, to help out those in need, to speak up for those that lacked a voice of their own.
Oh, how the mighty had fallen, how things had changed… and how things had changed!
“Athrun?” What was he doing out here? Was he some kind of bouncer? Last night he’d been inside the club, working with the dancers, working behind the stage, working behind the scenes. Lacus had assumed him to be a manager of some kind.
“Woah, Athrun,” Dearka commented. “You never used to be in the security department. What happened?” Lacus looked to the blond. These two knew each other? She wondered how.
“Seiran happened,” Athrun replied. “You know what a daddy’s boy he is. He made a complaint, and now I’ve been transferred to security.”
“A complaint, huh? Want me to punch him in the face for you?”
“What do you think got me transferred?”
“You didn’t! Ha, nice one.”
“He had it coming.”
“When hasn’t he? What did he do this time?”
“He was harassing one of the dancers. Had her cornered and alone in a hallway before I showed up.”
“Shit… he’s security, right? Isn’t he supposed to be there to you know, prevent that kind of thing?”
“Since when has Yuna ever actually done his job?”
“Got that right. Please tell me he got fired for this one.”
“He did, actually. We’re not the only ones fed up with his shit.”
“Really?” Dearka grinned, “I can’t wait to rub his nose in this one. He always acts so superior, so entitled. You’d think he was some kind of prince or something.”
“Be careful. You know who his father is. I was transferred to the worst job in the club just for reporting him.”
“Still, it’s a good thing you were there. Who knows what might have happened.”
“Actually,” Athrun smirked, “as it turns out, I wasn’t really needed. The dancer could take care of herself, right Lacus?”
The blond looked to her with wide eyes. “You?!”
“Um, yeah.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing, really.”
“She just scratched his face off.”
“Nothing, huh?” Dearka jibed. “You know he considers that thing a work of art, right? Well, I guess he’s entitled to, given how much of the family funds he’s spent on it.”
“Chances are, he’s gonna be spending a little more.”
“Good thing he has insurance.”
“How much do you want to bet his insurance premiums are going to go up? Especially if Lacus sticks around.”
Dearka chuckled. “Wish I could have been there to see it. Oh well. Hey,” he turned to Lacus, “You go in and find Mir. I have something private to talk to Athrun about.”
Lacus looked between the two young men. Athrun nodded her in, and she complied. She couldn’t help but wonder how those two knew each other. She couldn’t help but wonder what they wanted to talk about. They clearly didn’t want the pinkette listening in on them. Why else would they send her inside?
Now, thinking more clearly on the task before her, Lacus couldn’t help but wonder how she was supposed to find Miriallia in a place like this on her own.
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