Imperial Disarray

[Madotsuki]

It didn’t take too long before she discovered the source of the music: stuck in between two closed-down buildings was some sort of club. The establishment had some notable holes on the sides, and the windows were boarded up. A green neon sign right above the door announced that this place was the “Song and Dance”, although several letters had shorted out and left the message an incoherent mess. For all intents and purposes, this place should’ve closed down ages ago. It couldn’t have been closed, though; because if it was, why would someone be playing the saxophone inside?
 
If this was a club, she’d probably need some cash. Relying on the kindness of strangers seemed like a very bad idea in this place. Half of the time, she thought that someone would jump around the next corner and mug her. Sure, she could defend herself, but if no one bothered to rob her, things would go a lot smoother. Leaning against the building, she tightened her focus as the Omnilium in front of her started forming some gold coins. A few minutes passed before she held out her hand below the Omnilium bubble. It burst, allowing the coins inside to freefall into her palm. She wasn’t sure if they’d accept this kind of coinage, but the dreamer decided that it would be better than entering empty-handed.
 
As she neared the entrance, she could hear faint chattering. She opened the door, but paused before entering. The place was pretty packed; at least one person was seated at each table, and the bar was fully occupied by people in trench coats, half of whom were passed out. Just to the left of the bar was a raised platform, presumably for the entertainment, since an animesque girl with teal pigtails stood there while playing a saxophone. Everything about her just felt out of place—she didn’t look any older than Madotsuki, and she didn’t give off those “gruff” vibes like pretty much everyone in the building did. Even her movements looked unnaturally stiff. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the girl was some sort of animatronic. That robot sure knew how to play the saxophone, though. Madotsuki gave the robot an approving nod, and the robot nodded back.
 
“Hey, you in the pink sweater.” Madotsuki spun around, trying to see who had called her. To her right, in a secluded corner, three people with black leather jackets, white t-shirts, jeans and combat boots (in other words, dressed in typical biker attire) sat at a table. The man with tousled black hair was waving at her. “Yeah, you. Come here. We have an extra seat.” Indeed, an empty chair rested nearby. She dragged it over to the group and sat down in it. Two other girls also sat at the table. One of them had a somewhat muscular frame and blond hair that looked like a bowl of limp noodles fell on her head. She stared at the dreamer intently with grey eyes, her face neutral. The other had fluffy brown hair and blue eyes, and only appeared a year or two older than Madotsuki. The brunette gave her a warm smile.
 
“You seem lost,” she began, reaching out to shake the dreamer’s hand. “Do you come from around here?” Madotsuki shook her head. “Oh, so you’re a Prime?” The dreamer raised an eyebrow. “Did Omni bring you here?” Madotsuki hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
 
Blondie laced her hands together. “Strong, silent type?” She asked in a Russian accent. “I can relate. So what brings you here to Tier 5?” The dreamer ducked underneath the table in reply. “Hiding? Got on the Stormtroopers’ bad side?” Madotsuki pulled herself back to her chair and shrugged. “Well, if that’s the case, maybe you could help us out with something?”