“We could always talk about the sky, architecture or photography,” Thalia suggested awkwardly, “Actually let’s not talk about photography! I never really liked it anyways,” she chuckled nervously, realizing her own aversion. “Is it just me or has the sky started not to look as blue as before?” Thalia glanced upwards, only to remember they were indoors at a masquerade ball, her cheeks flushing red.
At least, she does not know who I am, Thalia thought, resting the urge to bury her face in her hands and cringe at herself physically. Maybe she really should not have drank so much, then told herself it was to honor Miles and Serafina, two people she did not even know very well, but had gone missing.
In her own defense, it was not like Thalia had intentionally set out to drink so much. She couldn’t even recall when she had downed three glasses of alcohol. She wished she had remembered to stop herself, considering she had classes the next day. But it seemed the world was never in her favor, was it?
Apparently not, as Thalia struggled against the haze threatening to cloud her mind, attempting to grasp onto the fraying threads of coherence. She straightened her posture, hoping to appear more composed despite almost losing her balance and staggering backward.
“I think you need to get out of here,”
Thalia blinked, flinching slightly at the woman’s abrupt declaration. In that moment, a fleeting sense of panic washed over her, but then a glimmer of realization sparked in her foggy mind. This could be her escape plan, a convenient excuse to avoid delving into the uncomfortable topic of the photograph she had taken of the girl.
"I couldn’t agree more, great minds think alike no~ " Thalia blurted out, seizing the opportunity to extricate herself from the situation. Thalia pointed in a direction that led to nowhere in particular as she said, “You know what, let me just… bye!” With that awkward farewell, she turned on her heel, intending to make a hasty exit on her own.
However, in her intoxicated state, Thalia’s exit was far from graceful. She stumbled forward, colliding with something solid and sharp. Pain shot through her nose, and she couldn’t help but let out a yelp of surprise. Her tan skin reddened with embarrassment as she staggered back, clutching her injured nose.
The girl’s firm grasp on her arm steadied her, pulling her outside the building. As they stumbled outside into the cool night air, Thalia felt a wave of relief wash over her as she touched her throobing nose. The oppressive atmosphere of the ballroom seemed to lift slightly, replaced by the quiet serenity of the outdoors. But the respite was short-lived, as the woman’s question pierced through the silence, pulling Thalia back into the harsh reality of their predicament.
"“My… my room?” she echoed, her thoughts spinning in a dizzying whirlwind. She racked her brain for a coherent response, "I’m a cipher!’ is all Thalia could muster, where was her room again even? It was room 134- no no that did not seem right, it was actually the room to the left as soon as you reached the Cipher campus and ventured inside, or was it too the far left or far right?
Wherever it was, Thalia couldn’t remember right now, especially as her stomach churned uncomfortably, fighting the urge to double over and retch. The combination of alcohol and disorientation left her feeling nauseous, her senses overwhelmed by the cacophony of sounds and sensations assaulting her.
She shot the woman a pleading look, her eyes wide with desperation . “Are… are there any available toilets?” Thalia managed to choke out, her voice trembling with uncertainty. “I think i’m going to-,”