Meeting With Manderley

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 28, Post Number 691

-Sakuramori, outside Florence Manderley's house-

"Hey Victoria, it's been awhile." Florence said to Victoria as the latter stood just inside her door. Florence was dressed in a white tank top and short blue jean shorts. Judging from that attire, the doctor had the day off.

"Yeah. It's been awhile." Victoria said to her friend and mentor. Victoria was wearing her white Steel Matron t-shirt, black skirt, and black bike shorts.

"Come and make yourself at home, Vic." Florence said to the brunette. Victoria did not need to be told twice. She entered and the door was shut behind her.

-Inside Florence Manderley's house-

"It's been awhile, Victoria." Florence repeated.

"Yeah. It has." Victoria repeated her response. She looked around the living room and saw that Florence's coffee table was littered with romance novels, which the blonde quickly scooped up and ferried away while her face burned red. Victoria laughed a little.

"I take it you've still been doing high-risk jobs instead of slowing down and doing something less dangerous?" Florence asked the brunette. Victoria nodded.

"Yeah. I've kinda gotten addicted to the high pay." Victoria commented as Florence walked into the kitchen to get some coffee. The brunette waited until her hostess was back before picking up the conversation.

"The high pay's good, which is why I keep taking those jobs. I need all the money I can get on the off chance I decide to retire one day. More money means a happier retirement." Victoria elaborated a bit further. Florence drank coffee from a mug with the name of the local hospital on it and gave a skeptical look to Victoria.

"I doubt that you're ever gonna retire." Florence said bluntly. Victoria was taken aback by her mentor's bluntness and gave a questioning look. The blonde stood her ground.

"You're just like Lawrence. It might be true that you're after the high pay, but I think you're also addicted to the adrenaline rush that comes with taking on danger and winning." Florence affirmed.

"Think about it. You took on the job to stop Alexander Kerwes and Project Lacedaemon. You took the job despite having to chase him around three separate islands and fight those lizard things he created. You even went into Sin for your final encounter with him." Florence continued. Victoria took the opportunity to give a partial rebuttal.

"Yeah, but Kerwes needed to be stopped. He was abducting people to use for his experiments. He was going through test subjects at an awful rate. If I didn't stop him he was going to keep going until he had finally perfected A-LAC and there was no telling how many more lives he was gonna use up to perfect his pet project." Victoria gave her partial rebuttal. While the pay was high, she was also doing the right thing by ending the rogue scientist's life before he could end even more innocent lives with his unethical experiments. She liked to think of that job as proof that sometimes she could do the right thing without regard to financial reward.

"You wanted to stop him for the right reasons, but you also wanted to pay him back for beating you up that time on Snowfall Island." Florence added.

"That too." Victoria admitted truthfully. Kerwes had thrown her around like a rag doll and had slammed her into computer consoles during their fight. The brunette wanted to get him back for that and she ultimately got her revenge during their final battle in his hidden base in Sin. The brunette did not bother to dispute that as a motive for chasing the rogue scientist all across Earthland.

"I don't get why you and your adoptive father are addicted to danger like that, but it seems to run in the family." Florence mused before taking another sip of coffee and giving a faint smile.

"Maybe it does, but that man saved my life. He stepped up when no one else in Capital Crocus gave a damn. He saved me from slavery and took me in when he could have just dumped me somewhere and called it a good deed." Victoria defended Lawrence Sheridan with an intensity that surprised Florence. Despite his many flaws, Lawrence was a man who had stepped up and helped Victoria in her time of greatest need. That was more than could be said for the people in Capital Crocus who were supposed to help her, like the police and social services. In her jaundiced opinion they did not really care any more than they had to and since she was a street kid from the wrong part of town they would not expend any great amount of effort to find her if she went missing.

"I'm sorry, Vic. I didn't mean to upset you." Florence quickly apologized. Victoria was the one who owed an apology. The blonde had invited the Sabertooth mage into her house and the brunette had repaid her by taking something that was not meant to be an insult as an insult to one of the only men who had ever defended Victoria instead of kicking her when she was down.

"I didn't mean to sound so hostile, Florence. It's just that I owe him more than I can ever put into words. He could have just dropped me off at an orphanage after rescuing me, but he went the extra mile and adopted me as his daughter so that I'd have a life better than fighting other street kids for scraps behind a restaurant I'd get run out of if I went in through the front door or running from older street kids who wanted to kick my ass for whatever reason." Victoria offered her own apology to her hostess. Lawrence Sheridan had rescued her from a harsh lifestyle and had given her ways to thrive instead of just survive. She owed him more than she owed most people in her life.

Florence did not seem to be offended by Victoria's strong defense of her father figure and simply gave another faint smile to the brunette.

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"It's fine, Vic. I know how much Lawrence means to you." Florence accepted the apology with casual ease. The mood in the room lightened and the blonde woman took another sip of coffee. She then resumed speaking.

"I was just pointing out how similar you two are. You both like high-paying, high-risk jobs and like combat. You also both have a fondness for vodka. The stronger it is the more you like it... except for CEIL." Florence explained what she had meant by the remark that adrenaline junkie behavior ran in the family. Victoria did not deny it nor the charge that she had an affinity for vodka. She liked Albino Gander, she liked Slatheron, she liked almost any vodka except for CEIL. CEIL was tough even on a seasoned drinker like her and she avoided that brand unless she had no choice in the matter.

"You know what they say about CEIL. If you drink too much of it you'll end up flat on your back and staring at the ceiling." Victoria made a joke about the potency of that brand of vodka. Her penchant for vodka was not doing her liver any favors, but Victoria did not expect to live long enough to deal with the consequences. Besides, she only drank one bottle a week spaced out over several days. That amount should not be enough to do her any harm... not while she was an active mage, anyway.

"Yeah, and I don't like it either. You shouldn't be drinking vodka at your age." Florence admonished the brunette for her drink of choice almost as if she could read the brunette's mind... not that that was a particularly difficult task.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't, but it's an old habit I picked up from the streets. Lawrence Sheridan showed me the good brands. He has remarkably good taste." Victoria said with a guilty smile. Florence was not amused by the remark. The blonde had switched from "pleasant mentor" to "angry medical professional" and it showed on her face and in her tone of voice.

"You and Lawrence need to drop that disgusting habit before it kills you both. Vodka's one of the worst alcohols for your liver and you two drink it like most people drink water! If it was a once in awhile drink, that would be different, but I have a feeling that you drink it every other day!" Florence continued to admonish Victoria and admonished Lawrence in absentia. Victoria bore the lecture with patience because deep down inside Florence had a very good point about how vodka could damage their livers if consumed in excess. Then she turned to the familiar thought that had occupied a space in the back of the mind ever since she took up drinking vodka.

With the enemies Victoria had made over the years and the rigors of her lifestyle, she would not live long enough to face the consequences of her drinking habit.

The brunette needed to let go of that self-destructive thought and quit using it as an excuse for drinking to excess. She needed to quit talking about retirement and actually plan for it so that she had something to look forward to other than drinking. However, that was easier said than done. Victoria had been drinking too long to suddenly give it up cold turkey.

"Yeah, you're right. I need to quit vodka, tequila, and any other hard liquor that I like. But it's gonna be a pain in the ass to stop 'cause I've been drinking for eight years at this point." Victoria admitted that the blonde had a point. Maybe they could move onto another subject instead of lingering on drinking and the need to stop. Florence, possibly reading Victoria's mind for the second time in a row, took another sip of coffee and decided to move on instead of continuing to lecture the brunette long after the point had been made, but not before she made an admission of her own.

"I don't have too much room to talk about your alcohol habit since I'm a big far of carbonated drinks. They're as bad for my teeth as vodka is for your liver. I like soda as much as you and Lawrence like vodka." Florence admitted. Victoria had figured as much when the blonde had drank that large cup of soda at the mall during their last visit, but the brunette did not hold it against her. Victoria had no right to lecture her mentor on her lifestyle choices, not after she had taught the Sabertooth mage Combat Medic magic and had done other things for her.

Victoria smiled.

"It's OK. Soda's slightly better for you than vodka. I might need to replace my vodka habit with a soda habit. Or a coffee habit." Victoria said and suggested a slightly healthier bad habit to take the place of her vodka. She thought back to Dr. Reid of Motor City and recalled how the blonde always had a cup of coffee firmly in hand whenever they met. Dr. Reid was a scientist who worked late into the night and worked long hours, so it was only natural that she would reach for a cup of coffee multiple times during her workday. Maybe Victoria should consider drinking coffee instead of alcohol.

Coffee would make her look more mature and responsible than vodka did. Coffee would make her look like a serious, respectable mage rather than a mage who was rough around the edges with no social life to speak of and a fondness for vodka. The boost to her image was a good reason to consider making the switch from vodka to coffee as her drink of choice.

But then Victoria thought about the implications of using her primary magic while in the grip of a caffeine rush and decided to think the matter over a little longer before committing to the switch. There was plenty of time to make the choice later. She would need to think the matter over before making such a big change, even if it was in her best interest to do so.

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While Victoria thought about switching to coffee Florence took another sip from her coffee cup and went back into the kitchen to get more. Victoria was not sure if coffee was for her. While drinking coffee was more socially acceptable than taking a swig of vodka at random times, it would be hard to give up vodka because it was a drink she associated with fond memories of Lawrence Sheridan. That man had saved her life and had helped her learn a trade so that if she ever wanted to give up the life of an adventuring mage she could switch to bartending and still be able to support herself.

Vodka had also helped her get over the worst of the strong negative emotions resulting from her first encounter with the Maws of Hell, those floating cyclopean demons that spit fire and floated about in packs so that they could combine their firepower. They had scared her a lot more than she was willing to admit. She knew that self-medicating with alcohol was not the answer, but it was a good stopgap measure until she could figure out where to turn to for more socially acceptable assistance with her problem.

Florence returned to the living room with a full cup of coffee and looked at Victoria, who looked back at her.

"There's something I need your help with." Florence said to the brunette.

"What's that?" Victoria asked.

"I'd like to go to Capital Crocus Mall tomorrow. I'm going to the Music Vault to look for some more metal albums. I heard that Steel Matron released a new album almost three weeks ago, but I've been so busy at work that I haven't had a chance to go by the music store. Do you want to come with me?" Florence asked Victoria. The brunette did not have to take very long to make her decision.

"Sure, Florence. I need a break from constant fighting, so why not?" Victoria replied in the affirmative. She liked hanging around with Florence and it had been awhile since their last trip to the mall. Even though Victoria detested Capital Crocus for all of the unpleasant memories associated with it, she could stand being in Capital Crocus if she was in the company of Florence or if she was on a job in the city.

"Great! We'll go in a few hours!" Florence said to the Sabertooth mage. Victoria had left everything back at the guild hall, so she did not have to worry about her backpack, Silver Dagger, or the Bandolier Itori had given her being stolen while she was in Capital Crocus. All she had was the clothes she was wearing and access to weapons that were spread out across two different magics.

"OK, we'll go whenever you're ready." Victoria said. Florence took a sip of coffee and nodded. She walked back into the kitchen, set down the mug with a CLANK, and walked back into the living room.

"I'll start getting ready now. It'll take a bit for me to get ready, so make yourself at home while you wait. I'll try not to take too long." Florence said to her guest before vanishing into the bedroom, leaving Victoria standing in the living room. Victoria sat down on the couch and began the lengthy wait for her mentor to finish getting ready for their trip to Capital Crocus Mall to find and purchase Steel Matron's newest album. Maybe once they had obtained it the two of them could listen to it back at Florence's house.

Victoria had not heard any of Steel Matron's latest music. She could not recall the last time she had ever heard any of their music. Maybe Florence could help her change that soon by giving her recommendations and pointing out where the brunette could get older albums without having to pay too much for them. It was not like money mattered very much at this point, but if the brunette did not like their music she did not want to have too much money sunk into an album she did not like.

Hopefully The Music Vault's prices were reasonable enough that if Victoria spotted an old album or two while with Florence she could buy it without having to pay very much.

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Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 29, Post Number 717

-Capital Crocus Mall, three hours later-

It had take Florence longer than she had anticipated to get ready, but one hour after lunch Florence and Victoria had finally made it to Capital Crocus Mall and were standing in line for the food court's offerings.

Florence was wearing a purple long-sleeved shirt and black skirt with white tennis shoes. The black skirt was a little tight on the blonde's backside, something which was drawing attention from a lot of men and a few women. Maybe Florence needed to shop for another skirt while she was here, but the brunette did not have the courage to tell her mentor that her skirt was just a bit too tight. Victoria might need to go to her for medical help and she did not want to put her life in the hands of someone who held a grudge against her. Telling the blonde that her butt was too big would undoubtedly land the Sabertooth mage on her bad side.

When each mage found something they wanted they went their own way. Victoria stood in line for pizza while Florence stood in line for food from Midi. The line for pizza was about thirty people long while the line for Midi cuisine was about twenty. Florence kept encouraging the brunette to join her in the line for healthier food, but the brunette wanted pizza and was going to get it. Again Victoria did not have the courage to tell her mentor that ordering a large cup of soda with a healthy meal would reduce the impact of the healthy meal. Besides, Florence was a medical professional and knew how to make the right choices for herself.

It was not like Victoria's diet was the most nutritionally sound one. She tended to eat salad with a large soda or a hamburger with a large soda, piling on sugar and calories when she should be laying off of them instead. When she wanted comfort food she ordered some chicken wings from Red Dragon Inn and drank vodka. She wanted comfort food more often than she needed to, but she tended to work off her nutritionally unsound choices whenever she took to the field, which was often these days.

The line for Midi cuisine shortened to around sixteen people while the line for pizza remained static. Since she was in the very back of the line, Victoria walked a few steps to her left and caught a glimpse of the red-haired young woman at the very front of the line. She was wearing a red tank top and blue jean shorts shorts that were a bit too small for her. She was on an iLac and chattering non-stop while the hapless employee behind the counter waited for them to stop talking and place their order. Victoria's heart sank.

She was going to be here for awhile.

Victoria briskly walked to the end of the line and waited for the line to move as the line for Midian cuisine shrank by another two people. Florence smiled and waved at Victoria, who was stuck waiting for Chatty Cathy at the front of the line to finally get off the iLac and order. Victoria waved back and braced herself for a lengthy wait for some pizza.

-Fifteen minutes later-

Chatty Cathy at the front of the line had finally gotten off her iLac and had ordered. In fifteen minutes the line had shrunk by eight people while in that same timespan Florence had advanced to fourth in line to order at her restaurant of choice. Victoria silently fumed at the redhead who had held up the line for fifteen minutes chatting without a concern for other people waiting to order. She detested that kind of thing because it was so inconsiderate, but as long as the line kept moving she would put up with it because now the redhead was out of the way. Maybe the redhead would go sit down and eat and leave her iLac alone, but the young woman was sitting at a circular table and merrily yakking away at someone while her pizza grew cold.

Victoria turned away from the redhead and noticed that the line had shrunk by another person and Victoria stepped forward. There were only twenty-something people ahead of her now. Meanwhile Florence had moved up to be third in line for her meal. Again the Sabertooth mage cursed the young woman who had held up the line because she was too important to stop her riveting conversation to order something. Victoria looked over to Florence's line and was halfway tempted to make the jump, but the brunette really wanted pizza, so she would stay where she was and brave the line.

-Fifteen minutes later-

Another fifteen minutes later and now Victoria was tenth in line while Florence had already gotten her meal of sushi rolls and rice and had found a seat at a cluster of circular tables. Florence waved at Victoria from the circular table to the far right of the cluster and the brunette waved back. The wait had taken a lot longer than the brunette had anticipated and the temptation to leave the line and get something quicker like a hamburger and fries or Midian cuisine grew. However, Victoria had spent over thirty minutes in line and she wanted pizza no matter how long she had to wait for it.

-Twenty minutes later-

After another twenty minutes Victoria had finally placed her order and had gotten in while Florence sat patiently at the table. The blonde had already eaten her meal and gotten a refill on her soda, which was a Cherry Charge because the strong scent of cherry gave it away. Victoria sat down in the chair in front of Florence and faced her mentor.

"I didn't think it'd take that long to get a slice of pizza and a drink." Florence commented. Victoria frowned.

"Me neither, but some clown with no consideration for others held up the line for a good fifteen minutes. Thankfully the rest of the wait wasn't too bad." Victoria remarked before she lifted the hard-won slice of pizza and bit into it without further delay.

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-Ten minutes later, in the food court-

Victoria had hurried to finish her pizza because Florence had been patiently waiting on her for the past thirty or so minutes. Once she had finished she threw the greasy plate and napkin away but kept her cup so that she could get a refill of Cherry Charge before they proceeded on their merry way. Once Victoria had accomplished that task she rejoined her mentor and together the freshly caffeine-fueled mages made their way to the second floor stairwell so that they could go to The Music Vault and look for the latest Steel Matron album. Hopefully they were not too late to buy a copy.

-Inside The Music Vault, five minutes later-

Having finished their drinks and disposed of their drink cups, Florence and Victoria now stood inside The Music Vault and looked for the metal music section of the store. The store was fairly busy and the employees were helping customers by making recommendations and ringing up purchases, but the blonde was such a frequent customer that she knew her way around the store and guided Victoria to the proper section. There she peered into a locked glass display case with several music lacrimas, all of which contained Steel Matron albums.

"Here we are, Vic. The display case devoted to Steel Matron. Now to find their newest album." Florence said to Victoria. The brunette blinked.

"Um, what is the name of Steel Matron's newest album anyway?" Victoria asked Florence. Florence looked up from the case and blinked.

"Ummm... actually, I don't know what its name is." Florence answered with an embarrassed tone on her voice. The blonde then began to look around the store for a hint such as a poster advertising the album or someone mentioning the album by name. Victoria also kept an eye out for what her mentor was looking for. Moments later a dark-haired store employee in a white dress shirt, burgundy vest, and black dress pants with black dress shoes approached Florence and spoke to her. He looked to be around Victoria's age, if not slightly older.

"How can I help you, Miss Manderley?" The dark-haired male employee asked her. Victoria was amused that Florence patronized the store so often that some of the staff knew her name. Florence turned to face him and smiled.

"I'm looking for Steel Matron's newest album. Would you happen to know what its name is?" Florence asked him.

"It's called Steel The Spotlight. It's also the name of their new hit single from the album." The young man answered. The blonde was pleased to have the answer to her question.

"Great! Where can I buy a copy?" Florence asked him. He turned towards the counter.

"Follow me, Miss Manderley." He said. Florence followed the employee and Victoria followed close behind her mentor. Finding the album was not too hard thanks to the knowledgeable staff of The Music Vault. Now all they had to do was purchase it and Florence's objective for the visit would be met.

-Ten minutes later, outside The Music Vault-

Clutching the plastic shopping bag containing Steel Matron's latest album, Florence and Victoria stopped a short distance from the entrance to the store and looked at each other.

Now that they had found the album, what were they going to do now?

"I've got the album I wanted, but I don't want to go home just yet." Florence said to Victoria.

"Yeah, me neither, but it took us two hours to get here, so we don't want to get caught in Capital Crocus around nightfall." Victoria replied with knowledge gained from harsh experience. The streets of Capital Crocus got unpleasant after nightfall. Since both of them were fairly attractive women, they would be subject to a lot of unpleasant attention or worse.

"I know what you mean. I honestly can't think of anything else I want to do here. I'm halfway tempted to call it a day and head back home." Florence admitted to the brunette. Victoria could not think of anything meaningful to do here. She already had figurines of some of Earthland's most prominent mages, so she did not need to return to Resin Monuments for any particular reason. She also did not want to hang around and encounter a third panty wizard terrorizing the mall.

"Yeah, I don't have anything I want to do here either. I'm ready to go if you are." Victoria said to the blonde. Florence looked at the brunette and pondered her decision for a few moments before ultimately deciding.

"Let's just go, Vic. I've done everything I need to do. It seems like a waste for us to come all the way out here for a couple of hours, but I've got what I want and I'd rather go home while there's still daylight." Florence made her decision. Victoria could agree with that decision.

"OK, let's go back to Sakuramori." Victoria voiced her agreement. Together the pair made their way towards the stairwell that would lead them back to the food court and the mall entrance. They had at least a two-hour trip ahead of them and they needed to get going while there was still plenty of daylight.

-Back in Sakuramori, two hours and forty minutes later-

After a lengthy trip of over two hours the pair had made it to Sakuramori without incident. The roads were free of bandits and there was no traffic worth mentioning. As they approached the neighborhood where Florence's house was the blonde spoke to Victoria.

"Thanks for going with me, Victoria. I know the trip was kinda short and that most of it was spent in the food court, but I had fun." Florence said to Victoria. Victoria looked towards Florence and made eye contact before speaking.

"I had fun too, Florence." Victoria said simply. She felt kind of bad for insisting on pizza and causing a delay in their plans, but Florence did not seem upset about it, so the brunette would let that matter drop now. Instead she would focus on the results of their shopping trip, which was the acquisition of Steel Matron's new album Steel The Spotlight.

"Do you think Steel Matron's new album is any good?" Victoria casually asked Florence.

"There's only one way to find out." Florence said with a smile as the pair reached the front doorstep of the blonde's house.

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-Inside Florence's house-

Victoria stood in the living room and waited for Florence to change out of her shopping clothes and into something less formal. On the couch sat the bag containing Steel Matron's latest album and Florence was hosting an exclusive two-person listening party. She had promised food and alcohol, so Victoria would definitely be there. Besides, the brunette was not needed back at the guild hall any time soon, so she could afford to spend the night with her mentor.

Florence's bedroom door opened and out strolled Florence herself wearing a black midriff-baring tank top and short blue jean shorts that did not not look very comfortable. Victoria was surprised that Florence would wear something like that, but she did not care too much. This was Florence's house after all.

"Ready to hear Steel The Spotlight?" Florence asked Victoria. The brunette nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Victoria answered in the affirmative and flashed a thumbs-up towards her hostess. Florence walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The sound of glass clanking against glass could be heard and the refrigerator door shut. Florence walked back into the living room and in her left hand was a full bottle of Albino Gander vodka. In her right hand was a full bottle of Argent Crown tequila.

Florence handed the bottle of vodka to Victoria, who smiled. Florence knew what the brunette liked. Victoria opened the bottle and took a swig of one of the best brands of vodka in existence straight from the bottle.

"Thanks." Victoria thanked her hostess for the gift. Florence nodded.

"Gimme a minute and I'll get the lacrima player." Florence said. Victoria nodded and waited for Florence to go back into her bedroom and get the lacrima player. She then took another swig of vodka while she waited. She needed to pace herself or she would drink the entire bottle before the album even played the first song.

-Eight minutes later-

"It took me a bit of searching, but I finally found the lacrima player!" Florence called out from her room in triumph. She strode into the living room holding a device that greatly resembled an old record player with a turntable and a needle. Florence set the lacrima player on her glass table and fished out the case containing the lacrima of Steel The Spotlight. The album cover was of an empty wooden stage with red curtains on the side, speakers set up on both sides of the stage, and a microphone sitting on a stand. The spotlight was gray and in the middle of it stood the letters SM for Steel Matron.

Florence opened the lacrima case and pulled out the gray lacrima, then lifted the needle arm up and set the lacrima on the turntable. She gently lowered the needle and tapped a button on the side of the device. A scratching sound like nails on chalkboard filled the air.

"Damn lacrima player... I shoulda bought a newer model while we were in The Music Vault!" Florence complained as she hastily worked to get the lacrima player going. Victoria could not tell an old model from the new model since she had never really worked with a lacrima player before. She certainly could not help Florence with the effort to fix it since she had no idea how to operate one. While the blonde struggled with it Victoria covered her ears in a vain attempt to block out the awful screeching noise.

After around three to five minutes of effort to get it to work Florence turned off the device, then stood up and put her hands on her hips, glaring down at the faulty lacrima player in disgust.

"I can't get it to work. Sorry Vic." Florence said in obvious disappointment. Victoria shrugged her shoulders.

"If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Maybe we should try and get a new one soon." Victoria suggested to her mentor.

"Yeah, maybe I will. There's a local music store that should have some new lacrima players in stock. We might be cutting it close by making a trip this late, but we should be able to find and buy one without any difficulty." Florence said to Victoria. Sensing a trip to town in the making, the brunette found the cap to her bottle of vodka and twisted it back into place. The pair went to the kitchen and put away their bottles of alcohol in the refrigerator.

"I've gotta go get my shoes before we go to town." Florence said. Victoria nodded and returned to the living room to wait for the blonde to find her shoes before they went to town. The brunette could tell that Florence really wanted to listen to Steel The Spotlight and would not stop until she got to listen to it. About four minutes later Florence returned with a pair of black tennis shoes on and wearing a gray hooded jacket with which to cover herself up.

"Ready?" Victoria asked her hostess. Florence nodded. She then put a pair of house keys in the right pocket of her short shorts and closed the door, then locked it behind them.

-Sakuramori Sounds, eight minutes later-

Standing inside Sakuramori Sounds, a local music shop owned by a middle-aged friend of Florence's named Fred, the pair browsed up and down the aisles for a new lacrima player. They were indeed cutting it close... the shop closed in only twelve more minutes, so they would need to move fast to get what they wanted before they had to leave and wait another night to listen to Steel The Spotlight.

Florence was browsing on the left side of the store while Victoria was browsing on the right side of the medium sized-store. It had wall-to-wall merchandise on both walls and two long aisles of albums running down the middle. At the back of the shop stood a long wooden counter where customers took their purchases to be rung up. On the walls behind the counter were several band posters belonging to artists and groups like Power Overwhelming, Sakura Kisagami, Plague Doctor, and Steel Matron.

The pair independently glanced at the wall clock in the back of the shop and saw that they had eight minutes to find a lacrima player before closing time. Maybe they should have just waited until tomorrow, but where was the fun in that? Victoria tended to live by the seat of her pants anyway... or the seat of her skirt, whichever metaphor was applicable.

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Florence and Victoria were getting anxious as closing time for Sakuramori Sounds approached and they had still not found a lacrima player. The pair had combed the entire length of shelving against each wall and had not found what they were looking for; they doubted that they had enough time to comb the two shelves in the middle of the store. They took another glance at the clock and saw that they now had only four minutes until closing time. It was now or never.

Victoria began browsing the shelf to the right and Florence began browsing the shelf to the left as they raced against time to find a lacrima player so that they could play Steel Matron's new album Steel The Spotlight at their personal album debut party. They hurriedly looked over the shelves and could not find a lacrima player if their lives depended on it. They met near the counter and looked at the clock to see that there was only one minute left, which was not nearly enough time to find the device. The pair looked at each other; Florence pondered whether to concede defeat when a middle-aged man with brown hair wearing a black Steel Matron t-shirt with the band name in steel gray letters and blue jeans with black tennis shoes walked out from the back of the shop and addressed them.

"Sorry ladies, shop's closing in one minute. If you can't find what you're looking for in the next minute or so you'll have to come back tomorrow." He said to the two women. Florence took one last look at Victoria, then turned and spoke to the man.

"All we're looking for is a lacrima player. We want to play Steel Matron's new album Steel The Spotlight but my lacrima player's older than my friend here and it refuses to work." Florence explained why they were here. The man took a look at Florence and smiled.

"Hey Flo! I haven't seen you since the last Steel Matron concert a few years ago, ya know, the one in Magnolia Town? That was a hell of a concert... I musta drank three bottles of tequila 'cause I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache, but that's beside the point. How ya been?" The man asked her with a wide smile. Florence smiled back.

"Busy, Fred. The doctor's office has been real busy, but thankfully most of the cases are mundane ones like sprains and bruises. Listen, I know you've gotta close up shop so you can get home, but I promised my friend Victoria here that we'd listen to the new album and I was wondering if you could help me find a new lacrima player... or at least point me in the direction of a place I could find one." Florence said to her friend. Fred looked at Victoria with brown eyes and then turned back to the blonde. He then spoke.

"I tell ya what, Flo. Come back tomorrow and I'll have you a good lacrima player. I've got a pal in Capital Crocus who owes me one for getting him and his girlfriend front row tickets to that Plague Doctor concert outside Clover Town... ya know, the one where the cart broke down because so many people got on it that it couldn't handle the weight and broke down just a quarter of the way through the concert. I'll ask him what he's got and ask 'em to send it my way." Fred offered. Florence turned to Victoria, who looked at Fred for a moment to see if he was telling the truth or just saying that to get them to go away. Seeing that he was being honest, she then turned back to the blonde and nodded. Florence then turned back to the shop owner.

"OK, Fred. We'll just go home so that you can close up. We'll see you tomorrow." Florence said. Fred nodded.

"Yeah, Flo. See ya tomorrow!" Fred replied as the pair left the shop to go back home while Fred secured everything and prepared to close up. The man had claimed that he had a line on a new lacrima player for Florence. Victoria could tell that he was being honest when he made the offer... now she and Florence had to hope that Fred's pal could come up with the goods tomorrow.

-The next day, Sakuramori Sounds, 4:00 P.M.-

Victoria and Florence entered the somewhat busy shop well before closing time today. Victoria wore her same outfit while Florence wore a new and more modest purple long-sleeved shirt and black knee-length skirt with black dress shoes. She had had to work today, so the blonde had dressed up in an outfit befitting her station. The pair walked past a pair of teenage girls browsing at the Sakura Kisagami albums and went straight to the counter, where Fred saw them and raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Flo! Hey Victoria! How's it going?" He asked them.

"Pretty good, Fred. Today was kinda slow... nothing serious, thankfully." Florence replied with information about her workday that did not violate patient confidentiality. Fred nodded and wordlessly walked to the back of the shop, disappearing behind a door for a few minutes. Florence and Victoria looked at one another and then back at the counter while they were waiting for Fred to tell them whether his pal in Capital Crocus had sent the lacrima player or not. After four minutes Fred emerged with a medium-sized box in his hands and gently set it on the counter in front of them.

"Here ya go, ladies. One of the newest lacrima players on the market. It can play both old and new music lacrimas, so you don't have to worry about compatibility issues any longer!" He told them triumphantly. Florence pulled out her wallet and counted out the Jewels.

"How much do I owe you?" Florence asked him.

"25,000 Jewels." He said to her. Florence obligingly fished out the Jewels and handed them to Fred, who rung up the purchase and printed out a paper receipt, then handed them the box. Victoria carefully picked it up and hung onto it like her life depended on it. It most likely did... Florence had just spent quite a sum on the player and if the brunette dropped it Sabertooth would have a vacancy in the guild hall.

"Thanks Fred!" Florence thanked Fred for getting them the latest lacrima player. Fred nodded.

"No problem, Flo. I hope ya like the new Steel Matron album!" He said to her. Both women waved goodbye and set out for Florence's house. In a few hours they would have the two-person listening party that they could not have last night thanks to Florence's old lacrima player not being able to play modern music lacrimas. Now that compatibility was no longer a problem the listening party was now a go.

[Post Word Count: 1,152]
[Total Word Count: 4,334/5,000]

-Florence's house, 8:00 P.M.-

Victoria sat on Florence's couch with a fresh bottle of Albino Gander vodka clutched in her right hand. Florence strode out of her bedroom wearing the black midriff-baring tank top and short blue jean shorts that she had worn last night. She walked into the kitchen and Victoria heard clinking coming from the refrigerator as her mentor fished out a bottle of something. Florence strode back into the living room with a fresh bottle of Argent Crown tequila in hand. She sat the bottle down on the coffee table and went back to her bedroom to get the new lacrima player and set it up.

Victoria sat patiently as she waited for the lacrima player to be set up by her hostess. Florence gently set the box down in front of her and carefully opened it, fishing out the lacrima player which was wrapped within a generous layer of bubble wrap and secured by two white styrofoam holders protecting the left and right side of the player against shock.

"OK, here goes." Florence said as she sat down in front of Victoria and began to carefully remove the styrofoam holders from the sides of the device and removed the left one, then the right. Once they were removed the blonde slowly and carefully unwound the generous layers of bubble wrap from around the device. Once it was removed Florence took the newly liberated device into both hands and gently set it on the coffee table a short distance away from the bottle of tequila.

"Got it!" Florence exclaimed triumphantly. Victoria allowed her hostess a moment to bask in the triumph before asking a very important question. How could they have an album listening party if there was no album to play?

"Uh, Florence... where's the album?" Victoria asked Florence. Golden eyes met Victoria's green, then scanned the surrounding area for the missing lacrima. She then had a look of realization and jumped up from the couch, jarring Victoria a little when she jumped up.

"Oh man, I forgot! I put it somewhere in my house... I'm thinking it's in my bedroom. Hang on a moment, Vic! We'll get this party going soon!" Florence promised before walking briskly to her bedroom, leaving Victoria alone in the living room. Victoria listened as she heard the sound of plastic crinkling in between bouts of swearing and muttered self-deprecation about her ability to lose anything within the confines of her home. After about six minutes of searching Florence exclaimed something.

"FINALLY!" Florence said as she hurried back into the living room with the missing music lacrima... and a lingerie catalog from Intimate Secrets. Florence looked down at the magazine which had been covering the boxed album and blushed. She hurriedly threw the magazine into her bedroom and slammed the door.

"Er, you didn't see that magazine, got it?!" A flustered Florence asked for Victoria's silence. The brunette grinned.

"Nope. Not at all." Victoria said to the blushing blonde. Florence's blush began to fade as she focused on unboxing the lacrima crystal and setting it within the new player. Both women held their breath as Florence placed the steel gray lacrima crystal in the player and made some final adjustments before turning it on and grabbing her bottle of tequila.

"We who are about to rock..." Florence said with a smile, the embarrassment of earlier having been forgotten. Victoria waited to hear the music play but then noticed something important, something that was keeping the party from starting.

The player had not been plugged into a wall outlet!

"Um, Florence... technology works better if you plug it in." Victoria drew her mentor's attention to the fact that the device was not plugged in. Florence's eyes went to the device and she saw exactly what Victoria meant.

"Damn, you're right!" She exclaimed. She then set the tequila down a second time and grabbed the electrical cord, then knelt down and plugged it into the wall socket half a meter to the couch's right. Once it was plugged in the blonde stood up, grabbed the bottle of tequila, and tapped the POWER button to the player. This time it worked.

The pair were greeted with the first track, which consisted of double bass drums playing and an electric guitar solo. Victoria thought that the drums sounded like someone had thrown a brick into a washing machine and turned it on, but Florence was really digging the drums. She opened her bottle of Argent Crown and Victoria opened her bottle of Albino Gander. The women then drank from their bottles and listened as the double bass drums of the first track stopped and gave way to the guitar solo, which continued for another twenty seconds until the vocals came in.

The vocals had lyrics exulting in triumph over numerous doubters, doubters who had proclaimed long and loud that Steel Matron would be a flash in the pan at best and an utter flop at worst. Ten years down the road and the band was going strong and selling out arenas across Earthland. Victoria listened closely to the lyrics and learned that the song was called "Steel Got What It Takes."

It was about as subtle as a rhino in a jewelry store, but the song got the point across in style. The critics who had banked on Steel Matron's latest album flopping were dining on humble pie at home while the band played sold-out shows and partied like rock stars. Victoria could dig that message. She liked to revel in proving her detractors wrong, especially those clowns in Capital Crocus who thought that she would never amount to anything.

Victoria took a swig of vodka and listened to "Steel Got What It Takes" as the singing stopped and the guitar solo came back in for a loud finish to a rebuttal of the critics who doubted Steel Matron's drawing power in the modern age. Next came a song named "Strike While The Iron's Hot" that started with the metallic TINK of hammer meeting iron. She then heard a loud and protected HISS as hot metal was plunged into water to cool it down. Then the sounds played a second time before the guitar came in and the singer began singing about how now was the time for the band to make itself known to a new generation of metal fans.

Victoria was digging the music so far and so was Florence. Now Victoria could wear her Steel Matron t-shirt and truthfully say that she was a fan of their music. More importantly she and Florence had shared a Steel Matron album and a few drinks. That experience was something that money could not buy.

[Post Word Count: 1,120]
[Total Word Count: 5,454/5,000]