Hawk: Hahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahhahahaha!
Akali: Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Ahri: You guys can stop laughing now. It wasn't meant to be funny.
Y/N: No, no, they have a point. You can't really expect us to go with that, right?
Ahri: What is wrong with calling the band Ahri's Foxy Few??
Kai'sa: Everything is wrong with it.
Evelynn: Excuse me, can we get a couple more over here?
Evelynn flagged down one of the servers and reordered our drinks. Hawk's 'little place down the street' turned out to be a local dive bar. The place was oddly classy and had purple fluorescent lighting, but the drinks didn't match the atmosphere. You had better swill at Miss Fortune's back where you used to live. It was quaint and all but the main focus of the moment was Ahri's terrible band name, one which Hawk and Akali had been laughing at since you left his office.
Akali had also drunk more than the rest of the table combined while still being coherent. . . somehow.
Ahri: Ugghhhhhh, fuck my life.
The fox girl's head fell to the table with a thud.
Hawk: That's why we're not going with it, so your life doesn't get messed up.
Akali: I mean, I think it might work. I think I'm pretty foxy after all, right?
She gave you a slight wink, something you met with an unamused glare. You weren't going to give her the satisfaction of acknowledging it. Yes, she was probably the hottest thing this side of the nearest supernova, but she would never let it go if you admitted that.
Kai'sa: We need to come up with a name, something short and memorable. It needs to be something the populous will remember.
Y/N: You need something short and snappy, something easy to use in conversation. Twice, BTS, Blackpink, and Exo have short and memorable names.
Kai'sa: Oh, you finally did some research?
Y/N: I like to be prepared. I can't very well write a song in a genre I'm entirely unfamiliar with.
Ahri: So that's a no, then?
Hawk: Ahri's Foxy Few sucks more than my kill/death ratio in Smite.
Ahri: Hawkkk, you're supposed to be sweet. Why are you laughing at me so much?
Hawk: Oh, it's just some light teasing; you'll be fine. At least it's not 'Ahri's Magical Girls' or something stupid.
Ahri: . . .
Hawk: Ahri?
Ahri: . . .
Evelynn: That was her backup idea if you rejected the first one.
Akali: Damn, bro, you better recheck your K/D/A cause you just double-tapped that woman!
Kai'sa: K/D/A? What does that mean?
Y/N: Kills, deaths, assists. It's a way of keeping score in a lot of multiplayer games. You get points if you get a kill, or help someone get a kill, and lose points if you die. Your total is tallied at the end of the game, and your account keeps a running K/D/A. I'm surprised you guys aren't that familiar with it, honestly. South Korea has a substantial competitive gaming scene, so I thought the verbiage would be thrown around frequently.
Akali: . . . Wait, why don't we just go with that?
Evelynn: Kills, deaths, and assists? Seems a bit long and doesn't really describe us. Sounds more like a metal band. But that might be a bit on the nose for a metal band too.
You took a long draft of your drink before lightly setting it down once more.
Y/N: Cum Blood.
Kai'sa: Bless you?
Y/N: There's a metal band named Cum Blood. . . or was it Blood Cum? or was the song I Cum Blood? Can't remember.
The girls were, unsurprisingly, disgusted.
Kai'sa: EW!
Akali: Gross!
Evelynn: How do you know that? and. . . what platform are they on?
Ahri: I did not need to know that. Thanks for the input.
Wait, did Evelynn just ask you for the info on them? That was odd. You somehow did not peg her as the closet freak of the group. Hell, after Ahri's little schoolgirl story earlier, you expected that she was the closet freak. There was no rule saying there was only one but. . . well, it wouldn't be pleasant if they all turned out to have some weird tastes.
Akali: Anyways. K/D/A is short and memorable, and we'd immediately get the whole gaming scene worldwide. It has meaning to Koreans and probably some westerners too. It rolls off the tongue too. K/DA.
Hawk: I mean, I did manage a band called Pentakill. It would be on-brand for me. The higher-ups would also probably go for it. All you guys need at this point would be a debut song or album, and the marketing would handle itself. So you would definitely get the gaming crowd interested, which tends to overlap with Kpop fans a surprising amount.
You reached out a hand dramatically and scrolled words through the air.
Y/N: K/DA, here to set the world on fire!
Akali: Broooooo, that has such a great ring to it! High five.
She leaned across the table and slapped your hand, a bit too forcefully, actually. Ouch. The other girls nodded in affirmation. Ahri looked slightly dejected, but it seemed like democracy had won out.
Hawk: Fantastic! You guys have to make a single that we can use as your break-out song. If it gets some attention, we'll work on getting you guys a full recording contract.
Ahri: As long as we get to choose what we make. I'm not having my creativity hamstrung again; that's why I put together this group in the first place.
Hawk: Of course, you made that very clear in your email.
Ahri nodded approvingly and sighed.
Ahri: Well, it's not Ahri's Foxy Few, but it's something. Here's to K/DA girls, the start of something special! Let's set the world on fire!
You all raised your drinks and toasted.
All: K/DA!
Everyone downed their drinks and wiped their mouths. The liquor burned your throat as it went down.
Akali: We should totally go to a club!
Y/N: No.
Akali: Why not?
Kai'sa: We should probably put out a single before we celebrate.
Akali: But we can start that all tomorrow. We are already out anyways. Might as well, right?
The girls all looked at each other and shrugged. She did have a point, but it was not something you weren't overly thrilled about.
Ahri: I guess we could. We already had something to drink anyways, you coming, Hawk?
Hawk checked his phone and sighed, putting it away in the coat of his suit and clapping his hands.
Hawk: Well, the repairs on my office won't be done until Monday. So apparently I have time.
Y/N: Are your bosses going to be mad about that?
Hawk: They aren't technically my bosses. I'm contracted out to them and use their space, but I'm on my own time. You guys were the only thing on my to-do list today.
Ahri grumbled something and coughed into her hand, giving Hawk a weird look. Kai'sa looked equally unhappy with the situation as you but said nothing. You guessed that her mamma bear instincts were telling her that taking a cohort of beautiful women to a nightclub was an abysmal decision. You could agree with the sentiment. A man could have his nose broken only so many times in a single day. Plus you had sworn off drunken bar fights after Germany.
There was always the possibility that there was enough cultural difference that hitting on women in nightclubs might not end up being an issue. But that seemed like wishful thinking. Drunk people all acted relatively the same in your experience. The only difference would be that you wouldn't understand the slurs being shouted at you when you inevitably had to step in. That brought another question to your mind.
Y/N: Hey, Hawk?
Hawk: Sup?
Y/N: Are you fluent in Korean?
Hawk: Yeup.
Y/N: How long did that take you?
Hawk: Relatively four years. But I still have a lot to learn.
Y/N: Four years. . . you think I could learn enough to write song lyrics in a few weeks?
Hawk: You're screwed, bro.
_______________________________________
Y/N: This is really loud!
Evelynn: What?!
Y/N: I said this place is deafening!
Akali: Isn't it great?!
Y/N: No.
Ahri: Oh, don't be a baby, we'll have to attend a lot of places like this when we hit it big.
Y/N: Oh, joy.
The music was loud. The place was crowded. Drinks were passed around left and right, and the scent of smoke and sweat filled the air. It was like hell on earth. You, Hawk, and the girls had made your way to a corner booth that overlooked the dance floor. There were pink and blue strobe lights that lit up the dance floor.
Most of the club-goers were wearing appropriate clothing for dancing. They had short and tight clothing that allowed for breathability and comfort while still looking fashionable. There were even a pair of girls that had caught your eye for the briefest of seconds. They seemed to have noticed you too. It was only in passing, but Akali had given them a glare that would make titans quiver.
You sat in the booth and sipped some sort of imported rum. You didn't usually like to drink but figured it would be better to actually indulge in the chaos of the evening instead of being the stick in the mud. That being said, someone had to make sure everyone got a ride home. Kai'sa had not touched her drink since getting into the establishment, but her eyes kept darting toward the dance floor.
Akali and Hawk were matching each other shot for shot. They were a few in at this point, and Akali was starting to waiver. It was an unfair fight by all accounts. Hawk was three times her weight and had some food in his stomach. That and the fact that he did not get drunk, ever. You were not sure if it had to do with the phoenix blood or not, but you had never seen him even the slightest bit tipsy in your life.
Evelynn studied the crowd like a predator on the hunt for fresh game. Her yellow eyes scanned the room in search of some unknown quarry. You weren't quite sure about her sexual orientation, but something told you that she preferred chains and whips. You also doubted she was the one being chained or whipped. She might have swung both ways. You had seen her checking out both sexes as the night went on.
Ahri was sitting at Hawk's side, completely enraptured by the competition before her. Her fox tail wagged, and her ears twitched each time one of them slammed another glass down.
You had no problem sitting in silence in the corner of the room. That was your element, after all. But you figured it might be good to try and mingle with the locals. If you were going to be making music in Korean, then it might be prudent to actually make friends with some Koreans outside of the group.
Deciding your course of action, you stood up and made your way over the dance floor on a catwalk that ran the length of the club. You made it over to the surprisingly empty bar and took a seat. The only other person there was a pale woman at the other end of the counter, besides the bartender, of course.
The bartender strode over with brisk and natural efficiency. He was a man in his early thirties or late forties with black hair combed back and a light mustache.
Bartender: Good evening, what will you have to drink?
Y/N: Something light, I have to take care of my friends.
The man nodded and got to work on something behind the counter.
Bartender: My name is Xiong. I am the owner of this club. Are you having a good time so far? Mr.?
Y/N: Y/N. Yeah, I am. It's a nice place you got here. Your English is very well-spoken. Sorry, I don't know much of your language.
Xiong waved his hand and smiled.
Xiong: It is no problem. I spent my twenties in America. Lovely place, are you from there?
Y/N: Something like that. Hopefully you enjoyed your visit?
Xiong: Beautiful country. I partied in New York and went to business school in Brooklyn. Went on a road trip through the south. So beautiful, much like your friends over there.
The man winked and nodded towards the booth where your group sat. You glanced back and saw that they were all laughing at something, it looked like Hawk was telling a story. Hopefully, it wasn't an embarrassing one about you.
Xiong: The whole club has been asking about you guys all night. "Who are they?" "Where did they come from?" "Do you know them, Xiong?" If one of you did not come over and talk to me, I would go introduce myself.
Y/N: We're new in town. Well, Kai'sa, Evelynn, and I are new in town. Ahri is from here, Akali has lived here for a year, and Hawk is part of a business not too far from here.
You pointed each person out in turn as you got to them. The pink, purple, and blue light reflected off of them like shining diamonds. Now that you thought about it, this wouldn't be a bad color scheme for the band. The purple would pop exceptionally well.
Xiong: I see. Are you just visiting or moving here?
You thought about whether it would be okay to tell this gentleman or not about the band. K/DA was only a name at this point, and nothing concrete had been made when it came to the actual music yet.
Y/N: We're. . . we're a new music group making our debut in the next couple of months.
Xiong's eye perked up, and he finished mixing your drink. It was a very murky white color with a lemon in it. You took a sip and found it to be very refreshing, and it tasted of strawberry. You would have to ask him for the recipe. It was delightful.
Xiong leaned on the counter and looked you in the eye.
Xiong: Is it good dancing music?
Y/N: Um, we aren't done, but it'll hopefully be poppy. We hope to mix both Korean and western pop music to make something unique. But I'm sure it'll be something that people can move to if Kai'sa has a hand in it.
Xiong's eyes went wide. A light flipped in his head which swiveled back to the girls–analyzing them once more.
Xiong: Kai'sa. Kai'sa Vod? Yes. Yes, she is. Kai'sa Vod, Akali Shen, Evelynn Damon, and Ahri Lustros. They're in a band together?
Y/N: I'm surprised you know who they all are.
Xiong: Kid, I run a nightclub. I need to be up to date on the latest music. I got stuff from all of them playing in this club a few times a week. That Akali girl can rap, let me tell you.
This kind of took you off guard. You had only known these women for less than a week but there were very down-to-earth and genuine people. Hell, Akali had been your best friend forever. So you could vouch for her on that front. It was an odd thought that these women you were living with were considered legends in the music industry.
Xiong: Are you their manager?
Y/N: No, I just write the music. The manager is the man sitting with them, he's my cousin.
Xiong: Hm, tell you what. If you bring their first track to me when it drops – and you bring the girls – you can have a big launch party here. We'll play the music. You get free drinks. And I get a lot of happy customers.
Y/N: I don't know. You would have to talk to them about that.
You were not entirely comfortable with making decisions for everyone. It was not your band, to begin with, and you weren't even sure you should be talking about it. What was the point of a ghostwriter if everyone knew who the ghostwriter was?
Xiong: Just pass along the message. I'm not expecting you to make the decision for them.
Y/N: Okay, I can do that.
Xiong: Wonderful! Your drink is on the house, by the way. I got to run and talk to the DJ real quick. Enjoy your drink.
He came out from behind the counter and ran down a set of stairs to the side of the room. You sipped on your drink in silence for a bit. There was barely any alcohol in it if there was any at all. You were grateful for that; hangovers were not fun.
Another man had appeared in the seat next to you, and the woman had moved a couple of seats closer. They talked as if they knew each other and made slight gestures around the room. You would not have taken much note of these people if they were not so out of place.
The man was tall and dark. He had a mane of black and gray hair along with a thick beard. His eyes were a vibrant blue, and he was built like a soldier. He wore a business suit that was gray with a red vest.
The woman had silver hair that went down to the small of her back. Her skin was as pale as the moon, and her eyes were a vibrant scarlet, though that may have only been because of the lights. She wore a black dress with golden trim. She stirred one red fingernail in her drink as she and the man talked. She noticed you and smiled, taking her attention away from the man.
Woman: That sounded like quite the equitable business partnership.
Y/N: You heard that?
Even if she was only that distance away, the noise of the room should have drowned it out with ease. She must have incredible hearing.
Woman: I have sharp ears; my name is Lucia. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Y/N: Y/N, the pleasure is all mine.
Lucia: this stuffy man is my companion, Luther.
Luther: Pleasure.
Where the woman's voice was sugar, spice, and everything nice; the man's voice was like an avalanche of tumbling stones. How many packs of cigarettes did someone have to smoke to sound like that?
Y/N: You two don't look like you're from around here.
Luther cracked the ghost of a smile as he scanned the room over.
Luther: Yeah, you could say that.
Oh, so this bastard was going to be the cryptic type then. The quiet ones usually had the best stories, so it might be worth it to rip it from him.
Y/N: So, where are you from? You seem like an unlikely pair. Siblings or lovers?
Luther cackled at that, a deep and gravely cackle that might have shaken the earth. Now that you actually looked at him, he couldn't have been more than thirty years old, forty at most.
Lucia: Just friends. I'm actually married to one of his best friends, and we all met while they were. . . visiting our town.
She seemed to stumble over her words at the end like she was not completely confident in her story.
Y/N: Oh, okay. So how did you guys wind up here?
Luther: That's something we're trying to find out ourselves. Our. . . boss. . . told us that he had a job for us here. He said that someone needed our help.
It surprised you that someone could say so much without saying much of anything. Well, you could actually believe it. You were a writer, and filling up the page with a lot of words that said very little came with the territory.
Y/N: Oh, that sounds. . . interesting. Do you guys at least know the name of the person you're looking for?
Lucia: Nope, he just said that he would be here tonight. Said that we would recognize him when we saw him. You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Durai or Russell, would you?
Y/N: No, but maybe you're looking for my cousin. His mother's last name was Durai.
They both perked up at that and looked over to the table where the group sat. Kai'sa had apparently abandoned the group and joined the chaos of the dance floor. Akali was lying back and had her eyes closed. She had probably drunk too much and was feeling the side effects. Ahri and Hawk were chatting and. . . hugging? Odd. Evelynn had cornered a young girl and ran a long fingernail over her chin. Looks like your gaydar was correct on that front.
Lucia: Hey, does he remind you of. . .
Luther: Almost the spitting fucking image. Keep your eyes out. If he's here, then HE might be as well.
Lucia: Want to have Scylla do a search of the room?
What the hell were they talking about? Scylla? Come to think of it, Luther and Lucia? They all sounded like characters straight out of a fantasy novel.
Luther: Definitely, we can't be too careful. Oh, sorry, Y/N.
They seemed to finally notice that you were staring at them.
Lucia: Don't mind us. We probably sound crazy to you. I think we've had a bit too much to drink. Probably time to head out.
Luther: Uh, yes, apologies. Please forgive our ramblings and have a pleasant evening.
The two stood and gave you slight nods. You were about to inquire further when you were suddenly assaulted from behind.
Akali: Sneak attack!
You shook her off and spun around. Akali was wobbling back and forth in a daze. You grabbed her shoulders and put her on one of the bar stools before she could hurt herself.
Akali: Hahahaha. I got youuuuuu. I snuk on you.
Y/N: Yeah, good job.
Akali: I'm the bst. Am te legggund.
Y/N: You did it. I'm so impressed.
Akali reached out and grabbed your hands. Her face was completely red, and she was able to look into your eyes for a moment. The light shone from within her irises, and she seemed to glow. Her blush was too cute.
Akali: Can you. . . wan dance?
You chuckled nervously.
Y/N: I don't think you're in any state to dance.
Akali: I wanna dance. I swng und dence.
You looked around and sighed in exasperation. The rest of the group had disappeared entirely from the room. There was a stack of cash lying on the table. They had completely abandoned you. Well, at least Hawk was looking after Ahri, Evelynn didn't drink much, and Kai'sa was probably stone sober and just dancing her little heart out.
Y/N: Hhhhhh, fine. One dance.
Her smile was radiant, and she hugged you.
Akali: Than you! Thak ou! Thak yo! Thunk you! Tank yu! Than ou!
Y/N: I must warn you. I only know the Shepard Shuffle.
_______________________________________
You both stumbled into the house two hours later, feeling like you had run several marathons. Your clothing clung to you with your cold sweat, and Akali's midsection was sticky where your hand lay. Your hand had been glued there for the last couple of hours, in fact.
It seemed that no one had made it home yet, but you had texted everyone to make sure that they were alright. Hawk and Ahri had gone back to his apartment to catch up in a quieter atmosphere. They had split the bill at the club to apologize for bailing early. Evelynn had texted that she would not be making it back to the house tonight and left it at that. Kai'sa had moved to another club with a bigger dance floor after everyone else had left. She said that she would be home in a few hours.
That meant the house was yours and Akali's for the night. Which did not mean much as you fully intended to get Akali settled in and then go to sleep yourself.
You shambled over to the door and hoisted Akali into her room. You both hobbled over and set her on her bed. The girl melted into her bed and hummed in satisfaction.
She had completely redone the room in bright pink with gold trim. The walls were covered in spray-painted graffiti of dragons and tigers. There was also an odd image of a raven sitting on a branch on one wall.
Y/N: Hey, what's that?
Akali opened her eyes and looked over at where you were pointing. She seemed to have sobered up enough to be coherent in her speech over the last hour.
Akali: Oh, it's you.
Y/N: Me?
Akali: Yeah. You're quiet, wise, and thoughtful, and you're always watching over me.
Y/N: Oh. . . wouldn't an owl make more sense?
Akali: Owls aren't dark and broody; you are.
Y/N: Gee, thanks.
Akali: You're welcome.
she sat up and grabbed your arm, pulling you onto the bed.
Akali: Can I tell you a secret?
Sweet merciful Christ. Drunk people's secrets were never good. Either it was something their coherent selves did not want you to hear, or it would be completely nonsensical.
Y/N: Ummm.
Akali: It's not bad.
She put on a determined face and nodded.
Akali: You're square.
Y/N: What?
Akali: You are a square.
Y/N: What does that mean?
Akali: You are not a fun party person. You sit and write and tell people to go away when you're busy!
Her face fell into an indolent smile.
Y/N: And that's not a bad thing?
Akali: NO! It's a good thing. It's your thing. It makes you, you.
Akali: I wish I could be more like you. You are so good at what you do. You're so focused.
A small streak of red was slowly making its way up to your neck and onto your face. Wait just a goddamned minute. Does she actually like me being this way?
Akali: It's something I love about you.
You laughed a hollow laugh and scratched the back of your head.
What the fuckkkkkkkkk-
Y/N: Hehe. . . one of the things you love about me?
Akali: There's more. But, not for tonight. I'm tired. So just that.
Y/N: Okay.
Akali: And this.
Before you knew it, she had her arms wrapped around your head and was pulling you deep into a kiss. It was not the best kiss you had ever had. Her lips were salty and cold with sweat, the angle was slightly off, and she was more trying to eat your lower lip than kiss it. But it was enough to send your entire being into shock. Y/N.exe stopped working. Full reboot required.
She broke it off after a second and caught her breath. She looked delighted with herself, then she collapsed back onto the bed and smiled.
Akali: Okay, goodnight.
Y/N: Goodnight. . .