Tahir guided the limo into the line of luxury cars snaking down the street. Bass thrummed through the ground and up the wheels, making Pre's heart to tremble to the tempo.

Vian’s party was being held at Sway, one of the swankiest nightclubs in the core. Pre had never been there before; only Golds and higher were allowed.

But tonight was an exception, one specially requested by Vian themselves. It made sense with what Xinder said about elites going rogue. Vian probably wanted people of all ranks here, creating more potential connections for their guests.

And more potential for Pre.

"Should we get out and walk?" Jawn asked, leaning over her to look out the window. Despite easily being the largest of them, Jawn had somehow ended up in the middle seat.

"You can if you want to wait with all of them," Xinder pointed to the crowded walkway. "But this shouldn't take too long, right Tahir?"

"Not long at all, sir."

Jawn sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well wake me up when we get there I guess."

"You are not seriously going to sleep! You are such an old man!"

There was no response from Jawn so Xinder huffed and leaned across him to look at Pre.

"You look freaking amazing by the way."

"Thanks," she muttered, self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Xinder's outfit choice was simple by his standards, but Pre still felt like a sausage stuffed into a gilded casing. The pants were comfortable enough, high-waisted, wide-legged, flowy chiffon things. But the corset top was so tight, it was practically etched into her skin. It made it very difficult to breathe, or sit, or stand, or turn, or bend…

To top it all off, Xin's hairstylist had pulled her hair back into a towering updo. Tonight she would have to move with slothlike grace to avoid toppling in her heels, or unraveling her hair.

But at least Xin thought she looked freaking amazing.

Eventually they reached the front of the line. Xinder nudged Jawn awake as Pre slid out onto the sidewalk. "Mmph yeah I'm up," Jawn grunted. "I didn't actually fall asleep."

"Yes my darling everyone snores when they're awake."

Pre wobbled in her stilettos, trying to ignore all the people and paparazzi. But they weren't there for her. There was a hush of anticipation as people recognized Xinder's limo. Then screams exploded around them as he and Jawn appeared.

"XINDER!"

"JAWN!"

"Xinder - how do you feel about the latest-"

"Jawn - what's the secret to your-"

"PLEASE TEST ME I PROMISE IT WILL BE AMAZING-"

Xinder raised a hand, flashed a smile, and put an arm around Jawn's waist. The screaming intensified and Pre flinched, trying to shrink away from it.

A warm hand touched her bare shoulder, making her flinch again. But it was just Tahir. "Feel free to continue on, Miss Pre. The frenzy around these two will take some time to die down. They will meet you inside momentarily."

She nodded, stumbling towards the doors. The paparazzi were already separating her from Jawn and Xinder, a veritable wall of people and flashes and noise. She was on her own, at least for now.

The bouncer at the door was your typical broad-shouldered, sunglasses-at-night, beefy arms kind of person. "Name?" they asked Pre as she approached.

"Uh. Pre- Preah Devisana? I'm the plus one for-"

"You're on the list," they said flatly, despite not having any visible means of checking a list. "Step inside."

"Oh, uh, thanks." She scooted around him, and through the door.

Inside, sound exploded over her again. Sway was everything Pre thought a luxury nightclub would be: sumptuously decorated, pulsating with bass, and filled with glamorous people. According to the invitation, tonight’s theme was "house party". Pre never got invited to house parties, let alone parties in a luxury nightclub, but she knew enough to understand the concept.

One quick look around verified that most people were trying to dress as casually as possible while still showing off how absolutely filthy rich they were. Everyone was wearing cashmere plaid flannels, designer jeans, high-top sneakers that probably cost more than Pre's entire apartment building. Most people wore short sleeves or had them rolled up, all the better to flash their Gold and Platinum bands.

To complete the effect, the club was also styled like a house… if that house was a giant, strange, artsy mansion. Fake walls had been put up, turning the open concept dance floor into a maze of smaller “rooms”. She was currently standing in the "entrance way" where there were several archways leading to different rooms. Above each arch was a neon sign labeling what kind of room it was.

Pre wandered forward into the "kitchen". It was styled like an old-fashioned one from Prequel times. There was a checkered black and white square floor, a giant fridge (pastel blue and rounded on top), and marble counters laden with trays of appetizers and shots. Pre focused on those. Alcohol. Alcohol seemed like a good idea now.

She tried to look nonchalant as she swigged down a shot, then gagged. It tasted the way it looked - vivid strawberry pink with a swirl of sharp orange liquor. She must have made a face because a nearby Gold laughed.

"Fell for the trap, eh?" they winked. "The pretty, colorful drinks like that are mostly made of sugar. If you want the premium stuff, check the fridge."

Bemused, Pre turned to the massive thing and yanked on the handle. It swung open easily, revealing an open window with a bartender on the other side, standing in a tiny room lined with shelves and bottles.

"Good evening, miss. Can I get you a drink? I have top-shelf liquors or I can mix you any cocktail you’d like."

“Vodka tonic,” Pre blurted out, desperate to clear the sickeningly sweet taste from her mouth. “Please.” The bartender pulled a bottle down from above their head and began to mix the drink.

Turning back to the Gold, Pre smiled and said, “Sure beats the service I get from my pocket dimension bartender.”

"Only the finest pocket dimension bartenders here," they laughed, raising their own drink in a toast. "I'm Brissa, by the way. She/her."

"Pre. She/her," Pre replied, shaking Brissa's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Pre could feel Brissa looking at her empty wrist, but neither of them said anything about it. Then Brissa let go, took the finished drink from the bartender, and handed it to Pre.

“Cheers,” she said with a minxy nod.

“Cheers.”

The vodka tonic was mixed strong, more vodka than tonic. Pre felt it burn down her throat then up her cheeks. Warmed up and ready to go.

“So what are you drinking?” Pre asked, eyeing the moderately dark amber liquid in Brissa’s glass.

“Whiskey neat. A big girl drink. I don’t need all of that,” she gestured with a long silver nail towards the shots. “I’m sweet enough.”

“You kinda look like a sweet drink yourself,” Pre said, pointing to Brissa’s neon pink ponytail which was almost the exact same shade as the shots. “Like a bird of paradise.”

“A what?”

“Bird of paradise,” Pre said, flapping her arms out to the side. “They were these really colorful birds that lived in the jungle. The vivid colors attracted mates to them.”

“Ha! Well, is it working?” Brissa waggled her eyebrows. Before Pre could answer, she chuckled. “Don’t worry, little pet. I’m already promised, so there will be no temptation from me. Although I bet my partner would adore you.”

“If they’re anything like you, I’m sure I would adore them too.” And she meant it too. It was easy to like Brissa. Maybe it was the vodka but Pre felt comfortable now, confident even. Mingling at a party was basically like going on a short first date, but with far more opportunities for success. Brissa may be promised, but promised couples weren’t very common. Pre would find a connection here tonight. She knew she would. 

“Well, Brissa, my lovely bird of paradise, how would you like to be my wingwoman?