Station, стр. 45
The Blade Runner party did not disappoint, andHadder had to admit that Monty had really outdone himself. Themagical walls depicted Ridley Scott's vision of future Los Angeles,dropping the partygoers amid dystopia. Holographic advertisementsappeared and disappeared throughout the party, large images thatbent down to touch, then pass through, residents. Manikins walkedaround, as usual, serving an assortment of mind-altering beverages,oblivious to their close relation to the movie's replicants. Mostjarring, however, was the rain. In line with the dark theme, theparty was caught in a perpetual rainstorm, with holographic waterfalling from the ceiling only to disappear as it touched thecrimson floors. Hadder and Lilly were so mesmerized by the effectthat they actually held their hands out, their minds telling themthat they should be soaking wet, only to find themselves as warmand dry as when they entered.
The residents of the Celebration Cluster also didnot disappoint. In addition to the myriad of Deckards and Rachaels,various Roy Battys, Zhoras, and J.F. Sebastians, among othercharacters, paraded around the party. True to the individualisticnature of the Cluster, many residents chose not to be characters atall but created their own costumes that aligned with the movie'sunique look and feel. This gave the party an authentic feel, ashared belief that everyone was dancing on the bones of a deadfuture, that all of them must make now the best for tomorrow ispromised to be shit.
The four friends hung out and drank, Number 9s goingdown like water, lubricating hips that began to sway to acombination of Vangelis and synthwave. A Zhora with glowing purpleeyes sauntered up to the quartet, a snake draped over her shoulderand hugging her naked glittered body. Hadder thought the snake aprop to complete the woman's costume, but upon closer inspectionsaw that it really was the Ophidian, its hooded head offeringnext-level revelry.
Hadder looked to Reena, who looked to Jonny, wholooked to Lilly, and all four quickly reached silent consensus,Lilly leaning forward first to accept the serpent's smoky offering.In order, eyes glazed over, goofy smiles pasted onto faces, andlaughs were injected into all sentences. As the Zhora moved on tothe next group, the four hugged as one, the real party justbeginning.
Dancing dominated the next few hours, Reena withHadder, Lilly with Jonny, Lilly with Reena, and even Jonny withHadder to much laughter. At some point, Jonny VV caught the eye ofa tall, dark woman in a white Grace Jones suit and faded into thecrowd to join her.
The now-trio, legs aching from constant movement,took seats on one of the large leather couches, grabbing moredrinks from a serving manikin on the way. As the three satdrinking, heads spinning and hearts racing, The Weeknd's "Tears inthe Rain" started to play, Lilly and Hadder's favorite song. As theOphidian's gift continued its journey through their systems, Lillybegan to massage Hadder's shoulders as Reena's hand found histhigh. Soon, Lilly’s lips found his neck and Hadder shuddered fromthe sensation. He turned, meeting her lips with his own, and bothgave in to what the music demanded. As they kissed, a form slidatop Hadder to rest straddling both Lilly and him. Hands rubbedboth Hadder's and Lilly's head as they lost themselves in eachother.
Then there were three sets of lips, the electricitybetween them building to a crescendo as tongues came out toexplore. Reena writhed on top of Hadder as she passionately kissedLilly, who clawed at the back of Hadder's head as he watched theprovocative scene. In that moment, three close friends becamecloser, losing themselves in each other, all bullshit gone, withjust a sincere appreciation of enjoying this moment together,understanding that nothing lasts.
They separated as the song ended, breathless laughsa testament to the intensity of their embrace. Reena leaned in tobe heard over the music. "It should always be like this. Here's tous never being apart too long again." The three raised theirglasses and finished their drinks, feeling complete in each other'scompany.
"Never again," Hadder agreed.
More drinks, more smoke, and more dancing followed.Lilly and Reena moved off to use the bathroom, leaving Hadder aloneon the dance floor, which now encompassed the entirety of the bar.Darksynth boomed over the hidden speakers, mirroring the ferocityof the drug-fueled dancers.
Hadder danced with anyone and everyone, gotsandwiched between Helen and Nestra, and even got close with YasminDash, who had her wings tucked in neatly to avoid hitting others inthe crowd. Lightning crept into the party, as well, incrementallylighting up the cavernous room as the bass hit. Letting loose inthe artificial rain, sharing an experience with these strangecreatures, Hadder couldn't help but smile, a genuine and tellingthing.
Then it disappeared.
As holographic lightning struck the party, Haddersaw over the sea of faces, his eyes drawn to a hooded figure.Although the top half of the man's face was shrouded in shadow, thebottom-half revealed an unmistakable sneer, a hatred that stood instark contrast to the joyousness around it. As if feeling Hadder'seyes on him, the hood moved to face Hadder, the sneer transforminginto a wicked smile. And then he was gone.
As lightning faded, the party was momentarily lostto darkness as Hadder's eyes adjusted. Once clear, he searchedagain, looking to locate the fiend hiding in their midst, to noavail. Hadder fought his way through the dancing crowd, eyes up andsearching, but found nothing.
Eventually, he gave up, tried telling himself thatit was all in his head, a figment of his imagination created by toomuch drink and smoke. He relaxed and danced again. He was almosthimself once more.
And then a scream cut through the party, freezingeveryone in place.
More screams followed, ripped from the depths ofthose delivering them. The party came to a standstill as the musicstopped and the lights were turned up.
Anxiety pelted Hadder from all angles, that feelingof knowing that something is terribly wrong, that your life isinevitably changed for the worse. A feeling that Hadder knew alltoo well.
Hadder raced through the crowd, pushing residentsaside roughly, rushing towards the source of the cries. As heneared the back wall of the Bar, he encountered a semicircle ofshocked observers and tore