The Unexpected Girls Night

John walked inside his house, the faint scent of garlic tickling his nose.

“I’m home,” he called out.

“Kitchen,” Brenda yelled back.

“Kind of figured,” John sarcastically replied as he entered and kissed her on the cheek. “Smells good.”

Brenda playfully waggled the spoon she was using to stir the sauce. “It better. Be a waste if this ended up an inedible mess.”

“It’ll be fine,” John assured her. “Need me to do anything?”

The beep of the oven reaching its programmed temperature caused Brenda to smile and she gestured to the counter where a foil wrapped bundle sat. “Perfect timing. You could put the bread in.”

“Got it,” John said and plucked up the loaf and put it in. “About eight minutes, right?”

Brenda nodded and John set the timer. “Alright, bread's cooking. Anything else?”

“Nope,” Brenda answered with a smile. “Pasta’s done and so is the sauce. Just have to do the hard part, waiting for everything to be done.”

“I hate this part too,” John joked.

“So,” Brenda said as she stepped away from the stove to pour herself some wine. “Things are going well with Vivian, I presume?”

John had expected her to ask about his last two days and mentally let out a sigh of relief that she didn’t open by asking about how far their relationship had progressed.

‘I don’t think any amount of exposure could counter the embarrassment of Mom asking about that,’ he thought before answering, “Yeah, things are great. We just hung out with some people from work and watched some stuff.”

“Oh, so it was a full ‘post-work go to the bar’ sort of thing,” Brenda softly said before leveling a stern look at him. “Minus the drinking, right?”

“Yeah, Mom, no booze,” John told her, deciding to give her a very edited version of events. If he had to lie, it’d be best if there was some truth involved. “We just hung out. One of our coworkers had never seen the Lord of The Rings films so we queued up Fellowship.”

“Really?” Brenda asked, a bit shocked. “I thought everyone had seen them at least once. They show them enough on tv.”

Quickly thinking of how to spin Teri’s situation, John said, “She didn’t have a lot of opportunity to watch stuff before. Read the books though. She thought it was awesome.”

“Sounds like you had some fun,” Brenda remarked. “I hope you didn’t forget your schoolwork. It’s good that you’re starting to forge your own path in life and having fun, but you can’t put off your education.”

“I’ve got things under control, Mom,” John reassured her. “If I can game into the night and still get everything done and score high marks, I can handle work.”

Brenda took a sip of her wine and smiled. “I’d rather you get a good night’s rest. Don’t take on too much though.”

She sauntered up to him and placed a kiss on his temple.

“Come on, help me set the table,” she said, setting down her drink to collect the place settings.

Before John could follow, a popup blocked his view.

New Achievement: Smooth Talker
Soothed your mother’s worries away. What a good son.
Reward: +2 Charisma

‘Well, it’s better than getting stuff from blatantly lying to her,’ he thought as he dismissed the display and went about gathering whatever was needed for dinner his mother hadn’t already collected.

‘Wonder what the girls are getting up to?’

---

“It’s somewhat strange to actually take a car ride,” Senka noted as Vivian drove away from John’s house. She fidgeted with the seatbelt, an uncomfortable grimace on her face. “I think I prefer remaining in John’s aura. It’s far more comfortable.”

“Ya might be wearing too many layers,” Beth said.

“Hmm, you make a good point,” the spirit muttered. “We’re probably moving too fast for people to get a view inside, correct?”

“Um, probably,” Vivian answered, eye flashing up to see Senka in the rearview mirror. “Wait, can you change your appearance?”

“I know I can will my clothing away,” Senka stated. “And my instinct is that I can alter them to some degree.”

“Well, let’s hope that’s the case,” Aeolia remarked from her invisible spot in the front seat. “I know I don’t want people oggling you. That’s for me, Vi and John.”

Senka glanced sideways at Beth, the smallest of smiles on her lips, before saying, “I’ll be sure to not expose myself to those not meant to see me. Now, if I could have a moment to focus.”

Senka turned her mind to her attire. It was an odd thing, she supposed, to be able to feel her clothing and accessories with her mind if she wished it. Removing them and altering her hairstyle was something she could do with no effort. Her body and eye patch in contrast were as immutable as everyone else's. She couldn’t alter her height, figure, or skin tone, not that she had desire to.

She focused on her voluminous robe, willing the striking garb into something slimmer. The purple kimono waivered like a heat mirage, the excess amount of fabric fading into nothingness, leaving Senka in a more closely fitting kimono, the same plum color as before, with a maroon sash around her waist. She ran a critical hand down herself as if smoothing out any creases, then brought it to the bony hairpiece she wore.

“I suppose this is a little much,” she said, fingering one of the protrusions.

“Just a bit,” Beth agreed. “Ya could take someone’s eye out with it.”

“That would be a bad way to end our evening,” Senka said. “Perhaps a small testrun without it would be best.”

With a simple thought, Senka willed the ornamentation away, and she ran her fingers through her hair to tame any out of place strands.

“How do I look?” she asked.

“Lovely,” Vivian replied, sneaking a quick glance in the mirror when she could.

“Looking good,” Aeolia gave her opinion. “Now we don’t have to be careful when kissing you.”

“My apologies for being inconsiderate in that department,” Senka replied in a good humored tone. She then turned to Beth and smiled, waiting for her assessment.

“Yeah, you look good,” the petite girl quickly said, eyes shifting between looking at her and doggedly trying to not look.

Senka’s smile grew slightly then she shifted her attention forward and asked Vivian, “So, where exactly are we going?”

“Well, I figured we could get a quick dinner at Cammie’s,” the redhead answered. “Then we could figure out something to do.”

“So we’re just winging it,” Beth said.

“A bit, yeah,” Vivian admitted, her gaze flicking to the mirror once more to look at Senka. “I have been feeling rather spontaneous today.”

“You won’t hear any complaints from me on that,” Senka remarked. “But we should probably have some sort of plan for the evening. Is there anywhere you know of, Aeolia?”

“Yeah, I don’t have a lot of experience in going out,” Aeolia replied. “There was a bar Sandra took me to once. Didn’t end up going so hot and I don’t really remember where it was or what it was called.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing hitting up the diner was my first instinct,” Vivian said. “We’re all a little out of our depth here. We can figure out what to do over dinner.”

“Yeah, we make a bad group for partying,” Aeolia admitted. “Fighting monsters, we kick ass. Going out to have fun, we’re fucking lost.”

Beth shrugged her shoulders. “I think fighting monsters is fun.”

“Okay, yeah, it can be,” Aeolia said. “But it’s also work. Got to make some time to do other things. Things that are less risky.”

A heavy silence overtook the car for a moment, before Aeolia continued, “Right. So, we all suck and don’t know anywhere to go. Guess we’ll have to ask Cammie if she knows anywhere we could go.”

“Well, let’s hope the diner isn’t too busy,” Vivian said as she turned down the street their destination was on.

“Always is hard to tell,” Aeolia quipped as the car jerked to a stop.

“Does everybody just walk here?” Beth asked as she undid her seatbelt. “Place was pretty full two days ago.”

“That, or people just parked on the street and made a small Barrier around their car,” Vivian postulated.

“They’d go that far?” Senka questioned. “Seems a waste of energy to do so.”

The redhead shrugged. “I’m fairly sure that isn’t the usual case. You’d reach a point where there would be too many Barriers on the street. Things can get weird with that much reality bending magic in such a small area.”

They all slipped out of the car, Aeolia remaining unseen thanks to her bracelet. Senka cast her gaze up and down the disused road.

“I don’t stand out too much, do I?” Senka asked, self consciousness beginning to well up slightly. “There’s a certain novelty to being able to move about outside of Barriers, but I don’t want to bring undue attention to us.”

“Nah, you’re fine,” Beth said. “Clothes are a bit out of place but it’s not like people can’t dress the way they like. Hair’s not ‘mundane normal’ but dyes and wigs exist.”

Senka smiled down at Beth, her back straightening. “Well, even if I’ll only turn some heads, we shouldn’t linger outside. It’s not fair to Aeolia.”

“Thank you,” the invisible winged woman said from Vivian’s shoulder. “I’m going in.”

The air shimmered slightly as she flew to the edge of the Barrier and properly disappeared inside. Vivian and Beth followed after in short order, leaving Senka outside.

‘It’s also a bit novel for me to enter a Barrier under my own power,’ the spirit thought with a smile as she willed herself inside. There was no issue in passing though and she reunited with the others outside of the diner’s door. In short order they entered, quickly gaining the attention of the establishment’s namesake as she tended to another patron.

“Well, you lot just can’t seem to stay away,” Cammie said with an ear to ear smile. “Guess our cooking’s that good.”

“Eh, it’s good enough,” Aeolia jibed. “Business going well?”

Cammie nodded. “As well as it usually is. Though, if you guys keep popping round, I’d say things would be on an upswing.”

The owner paused and looked at Senka; a brief moment of inquiry flashed across her face before realization widened her eyes.

“Senka, right?” she asked. “You’re a bit different than how Mason described you.”

“I’m capable of amending my clothing,” Senka elaborated. “It’s nice to properly meet you.”

“Likewise,” Cammie said, her attention drifting to Beth. “And you must be Beth.”

“Yep,” she replied. “Your mozzarella sticks were great.”

“Always nice to hear that compliment,” Cammie said with a laugh before looking towards the door behind them. “No John tonight?”

“We’re trying out a girl’s night,” Vivian explained. “We’re kind of out of our depth, so we figured planning something over some food was a good way to start.”

Cammie grinned and motioned for them to follow her to a table. “Well, if you want, I know a few bars and clubs that you lot can have a good time at.”

“Isn’t that basically advertising for your competition?” Aeolia asked in an amused tone.

“Overlapping clientele is a thing,” Cammie informed her as everyone sat down. “There’s enough demand for food and drink for several places to operate without any issue. Hell, we’re at least on talking terms with most of them, if not actual friends.”

Cammie left after the party made their selection for drinks, and Vivian asked, “So, any ideas?”

Aeolia shrugged. “Hitting up a bar’s fine with me. Can’t guarantee I won’t punch any assholes that try anything.”

“Some history there?” Beth asked.

“Yeah,” Aeolia answered. “Just some fucker that wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Maybe somewhere not so popular would be a good place to start,” Senka suggested as they poured over the menu. “Just so we won’t have to deal with potential problems. I’d hate for tonight to end in a fight.”

Cammie returned with their drinks right after Senka’s remarks and said, “Leaning towards somewhere more private, huh? I might know a place like that. I’ll have to make a call though.”

“Well, we aren’t making a decision until after we have some of your offerings,” Vivian said.

“Well, then, sounds like you're ready to order,” Cammie said, producing a notepad from the pocket of her apron. “What are ya having?”

---

After their meal, which included a fair amount of discussion on just what sort of fun they wanted to partake in, they decided to take up Cammie’s suggestion. And a short while later, the short restaurateur escorted them into this private bar.

“You don’t have to play babysitter,” Aeolia said as they entered.

“I deserve a little time off every now and then,” Cammie countered. “Plus, I’ve got a bit of business to discuss with Pam so it’s not all fun and games. And you need a designated driver if Vivian plans to drink.”

“Look at you being all responsible,” a woman’s voice said from behind the stereotypical bar counter. She was lean with a pretty face framed by black hair, the kind that would encourage patrons to keep buying drinks.

“Someone’s got to keep an eye on these kids,” Cammie shot back. “Nice to see you, Pam.”

“Good to be back,” the thin woman said, slipping out from behind the bar to embrace Cammie. “Wasn’t planning to open for a bit, but when a friend comes a calling…”

“Think of it as a test run,” Cammie remarked, ending the hug and pivoting to face everyone. “Think one of those special items you were telling me about might be something we want to try. Ladies, this is Pam, the fine owner of this soon to be opened establishment.”

After a few exchanges of greetings, Pam said, “So, Cam tells me it’s your first time doing something like this.”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Vivian replied.

“Total noobs,” Beth added.

“Well, drinks I have, and I actually just set up the sound system, so if you want something to listen or dance to, I can power that up,” Pam said, gesturing to an open area.

Aeolia lightly nudged Vivian’s side. “Dancing, huh? We never did pick up from that time.”

“You did overwhelm me a bit,” the redhead said, a small smile on her lips. “But that does sound nice. Though I think a setting like this fits another sort of dancing.”

“That can be fun too,” Aeolia remarked, pulling a now blushing Vivian close. Senka noticed Beth cast a longing side eye at the pair and she stubley touched her shoulder in a way she hoped was reassuring. Beth tensed for a second then relaxed, letting out a quiet breath.

“So,” the punkish girl said, “what’re you serving?”

Pam grinned, her eyes gleaming. “I think I’ve got just the thing for each of ya.”

---

Senka relaxed in her seat, a fruity beverage lighting up her taste buds. Pam had described it as a mana based **** produced for elementals to enjoy. The bartender and Cammie believed it would be safe for her to drink, given the similarities between her and them. The pleasant warmth that settled over her seemed to confirm their hypothesis.

“Senka! Get over here!” Beth shouted in a slurred voice as she, Vivian and Aeolia all swayed in time to the music coming from the sound system. It was amusing to see how quickly the three had been affected by their drinks. Beth had been the fastest to slip into drunkenness, taking only one drink to become louder, touchy, and more giggly. Vivian followed shortly after part way into her second drink, laughing freely at Beth’s increasingly bawdy jokes. Aeolia had handled her drink far better, but the flush on her face showed she wasn’t unaffected, just that her drunken state didn’t differ much from sobriety.

Sighing with faux dramatics, Senka set her drink down and rose to join them. Beth dashed to her when she got close, sliding over the floor like it was ice, her balance shaky, and she had to throw her arms out to grab the spirit to stop. Senka’s arms quickly snapped around the shorter girl to steady her.

“Thanks,” Beth giggled. “Come on. We’re dancing. Vivian’s idea.”

Beth pulled herself out of Senka’s loose embrace and skated over to Vivian, lightly crashing into her like she had with the spirit. Unlike the more sober, and taller, spirit, Vivian was not up to the task of safely arresting Beth’s momentum. The redhead nearly toppled over with Beth wrapped in her arms, and was only kept upright by a quick acting Aeolia catching the pair, her arms ending up around both of them.

Unable to keep from teasing, Senka said, “An interesting throple dance.”

“Be better if you joined in,” Beth slurred, bending backwards to look at her. “And if John was here.”

“Would defeat the point of a girl’s night,” Aeolia remarked.

“Yeah, got a point there,” Beth said, leaning her head on Vivian’s shoulder to better look at the winged woman with a dopey smile on her face. “But I wouldn’t mind him holding me too.”

‘So much for going slow,’ Senka thought as Beth’s words began to register with Vivian and Aeolia. ‘And now I have to play mediator. I think I should have finished my drink.’

Taking a deep breath, Senka readied herself to sort out Beth’s premature declaration.

‘I should have known **** would make a mess of things.’

Thanks again for reading this little story. If you liked the chapter, please hit that thumbs up, and if you want to support my writing, check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ScrapCrow. Get access to my chapters before they’re published here and join my private Discord.