You approach the booth that Ember is lounging at. She's having a fancy looking drink, and next to her, you recognize a very short, red-curly-haired individual sitting next to her. It's Georgia! The drummer from Liquid Steel…You almost forgot about them, since they seem to live more of a private life and aren't really in the public eye like Ember. And hey, to be fair, it's been years since Liquid Steel imploded and broke up. Ember notices you standing awkwardly as you're recalling this information in your head.
...Can I help you?
You introduce yourself as a friend of Ken's, and explain that you're looking for Laura.
Ahhh. Ha. Now there's some deja vu. Pretty sure I had this exact conversation with Ken a few years ago…Also in a club…Also about Laura having gone missing.
She's pretty good at doing that.
You ask if Laura's been here recently.
I haven't seen her today, but I only got here a little while ago. Isn't she supposed to be playing a show with Ken later?
Ember glances upward for a moment, indicating that she's likely looking at the clock on her AR comm.
…Orrr, right now?
She's probably just running late or something, I dunno. She did that all the time in the Liquid Steel days. At least nowadays she's not doing it because she's drunk off her ass.
...Yeah.
You insist that you have a feeling it's more complicated than that. Ember leans back in her seat and crosses her arms, while Georgia takes another sip of their drink as they give you a very un-subtle side-eye. Ember sighs.
Alright, fine. I'll choose to take this seriously because last time this happened and I blew off Ken about it, it was a pretty…Intense…situation. I'll just hope for your sake that isn't the case this time. And for my sake. You're kind of killing the vibe tonight. No offense.
You apologize for killing the vibe.
No, no…It's fine. Laura's still a friend, despite everything. We patched things up a while ago. I'm just glad she isn't off her rocker anymore.
What a nightmare.
Well, if you want to know what I know, the answer is not much. She's been a bit off lately, but I didn't really think much of it. She keeps saying she has appointments to get to. I'd hope she's not sick or anything. Not that her health has ever been great…
You think it was all the cigarettes and booze? ...Nahhh.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Please, Georgia. I mean, ok, it's true, but at least she's not drinking anymore. Can't seem to kick the cigs…But hey, I'm not one to talk.
