Survivors

Dancing

I comb my hair. It still sticks up all over the place, but I couldn't care less. My Astralis uniform is polished. I step out into the hall.

"Would you like to borrow my straightener?" Wessa asks. Her hair is in three spiralling buns, with her tiara on top. Her dress has scalloped edges, is strapless, and has intricate lace with a pink ribbon around her waist.

"I'm fine without the straightener, thanks." I decline.

"I chose this outfit to reflect the pink season." She tells Jade. Jade is also in her flight armour, but her hair is down and she isn't wearing her glasses.

"I wish I could see it." She chuckles. She places her glasses on her nose. "Oh, you look beautiful."

"You can wear your eyewear, you know." Wessa giggles.

"Thank god."

To nobody's surprise, Maggie and Xavier are wearing the standard uniforms as well. But Regeit has a dress shirt with some dark pants and shoes.

"Are you ready to go out?" He asks. Nothing about his fluffy hair is changed. But he's wearing eyeliner sharp enough to impale someone in full armour.

"I'm ready as hell!" Xavier pumps a fist in the air.

When the door opens, alien music is playing loudly from the inside of a triangle-faceted dome. A gold light radiates from the translucent glass. We go through the door.

It's not crowded, but not particularly empty. There's fountains and gardens everywhere, as well as an elevated platform for the band and a DJ.

"Hey, Flight Thirteen." Valia places a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh. Hi." I nod.

"You just got here, I guess?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah." I nod.

"Is this record time for your friend hitting on people?" She points to Xavier.

"Hey, wanna meet up later?" He asks an alien in green armour.

"I'm a boy." The alien blushes.

"No way! I'm a boy too! We have so much in common. You free the twentieth progali?" The alien gives a shy smile and nods.

"Record time, also record for him actually getting someone to go out with him." I snort.

"I didn't know he was bisexual." Says Valia.

"Neither did I. But I tend not to judge." I shrug.

"I'm not judging." She smiles, taking a sip out of her glass of an amber liquid.

"There's a refreshment table?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah." She gestures towards a large table. Maggie is grinning widely while shoving pastries into her bag.

I pour myself a glass of vargile and lean against the table.

"Hello." Someone says. She has large catlike ears with unfathomably big gold hoop earrings in them. Her skin is a dark red. "My name is Fiarra Capsan. My planet is hosting the dance. Are you enjoying your night?"

"Yes." I nod. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine." She smiles. She looks at my uniform. "Red's my favourite colour." She comments.

"Me too. How convenient it's the colour of my uniform." I nod.

"That outfit looks great on you." She smirks. "Anything red would flatter you, though."