MandrakeMoorglade

Chapter 2: Canan's Subway Standoff A Lonely Ride Canan sat alone in the empty subway car, her posture hunched and timid as the train rattled through the city’s tunnels late at night. It had been a long day at work, Andrea had kept her working late, and now she had to take a late night subway. It was a spooky empty car, but Canan got a thrill out of all things spooky. At twenty-five, she blended her subdued gothic style with Sophisticate’s expectations—her dark hair in a tight, glossy ponytail, a simple black leather jacket over a long, flowing skirt that brushed her ankles, concealing her sheer black Sophisticate stockings. Her shoes were her quiet rebellion: chunky black slip-on pumps with high platform heels, their thick soles and decorative silver buckles and chains giving them a bulky, boot-like silhouette under her skirt’s hem when she stood. Up close, their loose design was a secret—slip-ons, unsecured despite their gothic flair, the buckles and chains mere weighty

Chapter 2: Canan's Subway Standoff A Lonely Ride Canan sat alone in the empty subway car, her posture hunched and timid as the train rattled through the city’s tunnels late at night. It had been a long day at work, Andrea had kept her working late, and now she had to take a late night subway. It was a spooky empty car, but Canan got a thrill out of all things spooky. At twenty-five, she blended her subdued gothic style with Sophisticate’s expectations—her dark hair in a tight, glossy ponytail, a simple black leather jacket over a long, flowing skirt that brushed her ankles, concealing her sheer black Sophisticate stockings. Her shoes were her quiet rebellion: chunky black slip-on pumps with high platform heels, their thick soles and decorative silver buckles and chains giving them a bulky, boot-like silhouette under her skirt’s hem when she stood. Up close, their loose design was a secret—slip-ons, unsecured despite their gothic flair, the buckles and chains mere weighty

Chapter 1: The Cheerleader's Trap Andrea Reynolds wasn’t nervous. She didn’t get nervous. As a high-level executive with shares in multiple businesses, she had delivered her fair share of difficult announcements. Layoffs. Budget cuts. Restructuring. All part of the job. So why should today be any different? Her boss, Lady Jane ... the CEO of Sophisticate, had to make some unfortunate budget cuts, and one of them involved sports teams the company sponsored. The cheerleading squad's budget had grown significantly in recent years and it was going to have to have its budget reduced. Lady Jane had tasked Andrea with delivering the bad news. Normally had her assistant, Stephanie, do this. But Stephanie, possibly because she saw this coming, had very conveniently called in sick that day. So it was up to Andrea to deliver the bad news herself. She strode through the hallways of the Long Island Vultures’ practice facility, heels clicking against the polished floor. She was dressed as she