Epiphany within Shadows. (Concluded)

"OK electric baton makes more sense. I should think about building a pair of those myself just in case I run into something I cannot escape."

Sierra writes down the 3rd design, the gown (right?) labeling it for the doll before she shift all of the designs back into the folder before she finally gets a chance to takes another small bite from her sandwich, chewing it thoroughly before swallowing.

"The doll should be done in a couple of days. Adding to the dress, that should take less than a week, that should be enough time for you, Pash?"

Pash watched as Sierra made a note to give the doll the evening gown and bounced up and down with excitement.

“Ooooo, I can’t wait to see a little mini me all dressed up in a super sexy yet elegant evening gown. Haha, I might even get jealous of myself.”

“Oh yeah, take your time Sierra. It is not too cold yet, so I’ll be just fine.”

“I guess it is worth mentioning that his hula hoop was also charged with electricity. Well, it was glowing blue and making electric sounds at least. Thank goodness it did not hit me. Probably would not be laughing as much as I did if it did hit me.”

“So, what are you going to do now that you have a little break from all your work?”

"Well I was thinking of going to the central market for a bit of a shoppi-"

As Sierra spoke, the lights from the poles starts to fizzle out, the lights it gives blinking several times before going out altogether. Though the sun hasn't set enough that it left the girls out in total darkness, there wasn't enough light that they would see too far out.

"Huh? Did the power get blown out?" Though Sierra's voice portray a noticable concern, she was still fairly calm under the dark circumstances. She started to fumble around in her purse that she had behind her for something though a bit difficult given that it is hard to see. "Shouldn't be the case, I can see light in other area a distance from the park."

Pash, who has had a bit more experience than Sierra in regards to being ambushed, did not share her friend’s calm state of mind.

“Sierra, grab your things, we have to leave now,” she said as she slung her backpack on, eyes darting around, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. She had faced someone like this before. Could mess with lights, could play with shadows. . . serious weakness to being smothered by her chest…

Point being, she had no desire to stick around to get hit by the sneak attack that was sure to happen any second now.

“See that part of the park that is still lit? We got to get there now.”

(Oh that reference to prowd was interesting ~ Sorry for having intruded on the role but that last one called me a little attention hehe.

(You know, maybe if prowd find pash in another time that time he will be more friendly than the last time he found her just for "that reason" xD)

Sierra nods in response to Pash's urgent request, grabbing everything and putting them in the basket   before taking the basket with her as she quickly packed everything.  It was then that she was able to take something else that was inside of her purse, something that looks like a small crossbow of a sort before strapping it onto her arm.  The object was small enough that it didn't interfere with Sierra's own object manipulation.  With everything ready, she nod to Pash as she was ready.

"OK let's go there."

((♪ It's a small world after all! ♪))

Pash, with her backpack on, starts running towards the part of the park that is still lit. She could not help but wonder, was this an attack on her or Sierra?

She knew for a fact that there were plenty of people who wanted to defeat her, but usually they were just boys looking to roleplay as heros, nothing too serious. Sierra on the other hand? What kind of enemies did she have? She never asked, mainly because she did not think someone as bookish as Sierra could have enemies, but then again, Sierra has been spying on her before they met.

She raised another eyebrow when Sierra took out a crossbow. Even with herself being attacked like every week, she did not carry a weapon. Then again, she was more, heheh, effective without them, still, what was a bookworm/amature fashion designer like her doing with something like that?

Well, she was about the find out she thought to herself as she continued to run.

Sierra herself was running towards the light albeit awkwardly, until she utter she puts something near her eyes that seems to be glasses of a sort which is strange seeing that Sierra never wore glasses before but the change in gait was more visible as she seems to stop moving so awkwardly in the dark and was more moving as if she knew where she was going.

It was then that there were nearing the lit area of the park that she was able to stop for a moment. It was then that Sierra held her hand to the side to stop Pash as she whispers somewhat loudly so that only Pash can hear and sense the importance of her warning.

"Wait, I see someone near that area....wait scratch that...more than one person."

Welp, they had clearly thought this through. Now the two girls had a lose-lose choice to make. Fight them in the dark where they were sure to have an advantage or run right into what ever trap they have waiting in the lit part of the park.

“Stop running Sierra. They are waiting for us, no sense in sweating for nothing right now. I bet you they want nothing more than to gloat about how we just fell into their trap, so I’m going to let them.”

She then faced the light.

“Oi! All this just to attack two girls talking about dresses in a park!? How scared are you that you need all this just to deal with two girls?”

The five figures turned towards Pash, genuinely looking surprised as she revealed herself before a lecherous grin fixated on their face. Upon closer examination, they all look pretty scraggling looking though rather fit, several of them having cut scars on the faces as well. They all have weapons but not the type that you would associate with people that had any types of prior planning, knives, pipes, a baseball bat.

"Oh what's this, little girl got scared by the boogey man in the dark? C'mere and we men will protect you from them?" Of course with the 'fresh meat' look on their face, it is not the 'boogey man' that Pash would need protection from.

Sierra herself hasn't stepped into the light yet and she had reached out to Pash too late before she stepped in and her heart sank 'No!'. Now that Pash had drawn their attention (and inadvertantly mentioned there are two of the girls), she realized things are looking grim. Pash is in immediate danger and she needs to try to get these thugs away. She moved in towards the closest bush and conceal her presense, not only from sight, as she started placing metal hollowed bear into the loading compartment.

“Wait, so you mean you are here to protect us? Awwwww, how sweet. Hey Sierra! It’s our lucky day! These gentlemen are here to… Sierra?....”

“Well, looks like she ran off without me. I hope she’s ok, but that’s alright, I’m sure that the six of us can handle that boogie man no problem.”

“So, are you gents like some kind of anti-boogie man squad? Going around saving damsels like me from the terrors in the dark?”

Looking at their weapons, she was not too worried. She had faced way worse. Push comes to shove, her love magic shield will protect her long enough to get out of dodge. The fact that there was five of them was a little concerning, but she had tricks for that.

For now she just wanted to keep them at distance so that they could not suddenly make a group attack without spending time charging towards her and get them talking as much as possible.

That being said, where did Sierra go? Two possibilities. She was hiding and going to use smart tactics and weapons and what not, totally unlike the way Pash went about things, or she had genuinely run away. She could hardly blame Sierra for that if it was the case. Better for one to go down than two, right?

However, Pash had no intentions of going down today.

Now she just waited for the first one to do something stupid.

The 5 thugs looks confused, not expected for her to suddenly go with the story. Usually girls that face them would be screaming for them to get back or for help. With that, they actually started to spread out and started to form a circle around her so that she cannot deal with all of them at once or even get away.

"Yup we are the squad alright but in return we want a bit of something from you. You see we get lonely once in a while and we could use some company in return for that protection. So why don't you come here and we can take you somewhere safer." While that one was talking, he was also assessing her for threats she had on him. The way she carried herself seems off, too naive. Then he makes a motion to one of the others.

"Hey Dusty, why don't you make yourself useful and find that other girl so we can 'protect her' !" Grumbling, Dusty detached from the group towards the direction where Pash came from in search for Sierra.

“Ha, there is my opening,” thought Pash to herself.

"Awww, please stay, I'd feel so much safer with all of you by my side protecting me."

She quickly gave her body a distracting and sexy sway and turn before blowing a kiss that fired off a pink heart towards this so called Dusty.

Dusty felt a surge of warmth spreading throughout his body. A surge of warmth that left him totally unable to move.

The remaining 4 that were staring right at her dance could not help but find it enticing. For a moment, they found themselves wondering why they would ever try to attack such a lovely girl.

One could say that they were charmed

With this opening, Pash slung her teddy off her back and let it drop to the ground behind her. It immediately poofed into another Pash, one wearing the trademark white dress, white thigh highs, pink pumps, pink bow in hair. The two of them stood back to back.

“Ready Pash?” said the original.

“Ready!” replied the clone.

The two of them standing back to back blew a kiss and let out over a hundred hearts. This time, instead of surrounding a target, the hearts surrounded the two girls, creating a buffer zone between the girls and the thugs.

“Oh don’t you boys worry, this is just a little something to keep me safe from the boogeyman, just in case he manages to get past you boys,” said the original

“Not that I doubt your capabilities, but a girl can never be too protected, no?” said the clone with a wink.

The other 4 were more prepare for the more traditional magic such as magic missiles and weapons like swords but was totally unprepared to fight against a midara of all things as their momentary distract of her body was just enough that they could not react to the sudden heart barrier. It was then that they seems to snap out of their momentary trance and suddenly aware of what they are actually dealing with. Dusty fell down on his knees with a goofy grin on his face while the other 4 backed up before the one that was apparently the leader shouted out.

"Shit! Magic! Drake, the nullification powder at her, now!" One of them detached a bag from his belt and was reeling back to throw it at the barrier Pash had threw up when there was a pft! sound somewhere and suddenly a tiny metal dart shot from the bush and cuts the bag from the top causing the powder to fall on his head. There was no effect since the crook had no magic but was in the middle of a coughing fit. A second Pft! sound and second dart embed itself in his shoulder. Almost immediate, Drake starts to look woozy as if drugged by a strong dose of sleeping medication.

With two of the thugs taken out so quickly, the other 3 was in a panic state at how badly the situation had taken a turn for them and that one of the girl was a caster and the other was sniping them from who-knows-where, all of them was turning to run. Worst day ever!

“Wait!” shouted Pash at the fleeing thugs. “What about protecting me from the boogeyman!?”

She then looked down at Drake, all woozy from the dart and whatever it was coated with.

“*giggle* well, at least you will stay here and protect me.”

Her and the clone then worked together to drag Drake’s half conscious body to a nearby bench. The set him up so that his legs were under the bench and his head and torso were in front of the bench. The two then did the same for Dusty.

Two boys who thought they were going to get to violate her. Now one of them all woozy from love magic, one of them woozy from the wonders of modern science. Both of them absolutely unable to do anything to resist whatever she wanted to do to them...

...Ah yes, this is exactly how she liked things.

With the two of them half under the bench, she and the clone sat on the bench, took off their shoes and placed their sock clad feet onto the half conscious boys beneath them, giggling and wiggling their feet about to make sure they were all smothered up in their soft and girly socks, making sure they could breath nothing in but their girly aroma.

Did she have to do any of this? No.

Did she want to do all of this? Absolutely yes.

“So, you thought you were going to do all sorts of vile things to my beautiful body. Now you find yourself in your rightful place.”

“That place being of course, *giggle*, beneath my feet, absolutely powerless to resist me.”

“So tell me,” the real Pash asked, “who made our part of the park go dark? Something tells me it was not any of you five.”

"Hey I can be as scary as the boogieman as well!" Sierra half-complained as she emerged from her hiding spot near where the darts have emerged while she was loading two more darts into the compartment of her crossbow (which is only loosely called down as it seems to be that and something else). She was glad they were able to get the initiative on the thugs.

She was going to help Pash out with the two semi-comatose guys but seems Pash had taken care of it when she revealed herself.

Meanwhile the aforementioned two guy squirmed from the scent hitting them before realizing the position they are in and try to squirm out of their position and away from Pash's feet but the weight of the Pashs pinning them down and Sierra was ready to dart any of them that manage to escape.

"Why you asking us for? We ain't the boss and the boss don't know anything about it. We just wanna catch some broads, not some broads catching us." Drake sounded pretty annoyed as he talked while trying to get his face away from the feet.

"I don't even want to be here but I wa going to get my ass kicked if I didn't come along." Dusty was also trying to get away but was less rowdy and more pathetic looking about it."

“I’d advise you boys to stop squirming around,” said Pash reveling in her new found power. “You see, I just want to smother you with my feet as punishment for being naughty, naughty boys. My friend on the other hand, well she is just itching for an excuse to put a crossbow bolt in you, so fair warning.”

She then turned to Sierra.

“Thank you for watching my back there. I thought I had it under control until the whole anti-magic powder came out. Never encountered anything like it before, but now I know to be careful of it.”

She then turned back to her would be attackers.

“Well, you are just absolutely unpleasant to talk to,” said the clone smothering Drake.

“You on the other hand,” said the real Pash to Dusty, “strike me as being more reasonable.”

She took one foot off his face and crossed it over her leg. With only the other foot pinning him down, she being to playfully trace circles around his face with her foot.

“And I think you should know that I can be very reasonable to boys who are reasonable to me.”

“Dusty right? *giggle* That’s a cute name. So Dusty, please tell me why you all decided to attack us.”

"I wasn't sure what nullification powder would do to your magic but I guess it would have done the same and not only destroy your shield but also stop your magic from occurring as well." She didn't say anything else other than the obvious as she was in the presence of two potential enemies. When she was near, she gave one a rather icy stare.

"The crossbow isn't even the worst thing in regards to me" Sierra sighs as she takes something out that looks like a cross between a pair of punch daggers and a taser, complete with a demonstration of the electricity arcing between the two blades before putting it away and letting Pash have her fun.

It was then that Dusty was stop squirming now that he doesn't have feet in his face (or a taser blade close to him) though one foot was a bit dangerously close to his face. "I thought we were just going to mug people around the park when the light went out and you showed up." All Drake is able to do is make muffled sound under the clone's feet.

At the revelation, Pash’s foot stopped playfully circling her victims face. She looked up at Sierra with a very concerned look on her face.

“Keep an eye out would ya,” said Pash, all the playfulness gone from her voice.

She then looked back at Dusty. She even took her remaining foot off of him and placed both feet gently but firmly on his chest to make him more at ease.

“Alright Dusty,” she said, all of the playfulness gone from her voice. “I appreciate you telling us that, but now I’m going to need you to tell me everything you know about that light going out because frankly, I thought that was you guys.”

“What I’m trying to say is that the four of us could be in very big trouble if we don’t get down to the bottom of that light going out…”

The clone looked over at the real Pash with a pout on her face.

“...oh I’m sorry, *giggle*, the five of us…” she continued, regaining just a little bit of her humor.

“Believe it or not Dusty, I don’t actually hold any grudges against you for what you did, and I don’t want to see you get hurt by whatever is coming for us.”

“...even your unpleasant friend over there.”

“So please, everything you know, and I mean everything.”

Sierra nods before she holds her crossbow arm slightly raised as she watches the area as she allow Pash some space and peace to talk to Dusty.

Dusty shakes his head. "Really, that is all I know. Boss doesn't really tell me about anything else other than just 'Do this do that or get my face ripped apart!' And really, I am getting sick of living my life like this. Beating people up for money and boss taking girls in the backroom. I want to live but this is not how I want to do it. Find him and you might find your answer. That shit-head can go to hell for all I care."

It was hard to hear what Drake is saying but it is something akin to a muffled "Fuck..."

“Well darn, your boss got away. What is his name by the way.”

“But I’m glad I could help you see that bullying girls is not how you want to live your life, and I wish you all the best in turning your life around for what you truly want. I know you are capable of wonderful things.” she added with her usual charming smile.

The the clone spoke.

“As for you Drake,” she said as she took one foot off his face but left the other one pinning his forehead down, “do you have anything to add that might help us survive whatever is coming our way?”

Pash on the other hand took this chance to talk to Sierra.

“Well, my instincts are telling me this is all wrong, but what about you? You see something that I’m missing?”

Drake shrugs "Other than the fact that we're all going to die. Whoopie do. Squealer is going to get skinned for blabbing and both of you, or 3, are going to be the boss's bitches, and me, I did my job so I get to live." He is saying as if this is going to happen one way or another.

It was Dusty's turn to speak as he eyed his companion with a rather disapproving glare. "That wasn't the boss that ran away, that was just a patsie. And really I know nothing."

Sierra leans in to speak with Pash for a moment to try to make sense of what the two (mostly Dusty) is talking about away from the earshot of the two. She looks a bit deep in thought.

"I think I recognize this group. This is suppose to be the Deadwood gang whom are puppets being manipulated by a group called the Nightshade. That would explain how they got a hold of the nullification powder. That said, the Deadwood don't really have any sense of long-term goal, just simply live now. The Nightshade are an organization that once had reign over this city until the Sunset Guild came into town by force. I want to say that these are the bad guys but the the history is very complicating..."

"Well Dusty, if you want to hang around me for a bit while you make plans to get out of this town and start a new life, I'll make sure no one hurts you. *giggle*" she said as she playfully tapped him on the nose with her foot.

She always went out of her way to look after the boys who gave in to her. It was the least she could do, the way she saw it.

"You on the other hand," said the clone at Drake as she full on smothered him a bit before letting up, "get no such offer since you are so sure that these bosses will believe you when you tell them you did not say a word to us. I'm sure they are really going to care about what ever story you tell them and go "oh yeah, Drake is totally cool and valuable and not at all disposable to us."

She then turned to Sierra.

"Huh, so they are after you. I'm kinda not used to this. Usually its me people go out of their way to attack or try to lure into some trap."

"Speaking of which, I bet we are being watched right now seeing as how there has been no follow up attack yet...."

"...damn, they just wanted to see my hand... and now they know how to fight me..."

"You know, I might have to take you up on your guild's offer to help if I need it."