>You are anon.
>You're riding the city train.
>The afternoon sun bakes the train's metallic exterior, making it feel like an oven.
>You are sitting alone in a corner.
>Alone suits you just fine.
>You're a people-hating NEET in a world that doesn't really try to change your mind.
>In fact, you're not at all happy with how the world develops.
>Even your body language shows how closed you are to everything that is not you.
>You have your arms crossed, your eyes closed, and your ears plugged.
>A very low hat covers your face.
>Cacophonus music keeps your attention from wandering around.
>The trains stops.
>"Fifth" you think to yourself.
>Rather than open your eyes and look around, you keep a count of the stations.
>You find meeting another person's gaze awkward because then they think you've been staring at them this whole time.
>The doors open with a characteristic clacking, letting the air-conditioned air out and the heat and people in.
>"Hey look, empty seats!"
>You sigh.
>You don't like company.
>A soft breeze followed by creaking tells you the newcomers have sat opposite and beside you.
>A soft thigh weakly pushes against yours for extra sitting space.
>They're girls by the sound of it.
>They smell like wet cats and garbage.
>Probably either homeless or junkies.
>Maybe both.
>And of course they had to come sit next to you.
>Why is it that you attract every bottom feeder and loser upon this earth?
>"Is he sleeping? I think he is sleeping." comes a voice.
>"Shut up, Sonata." comes another.
>You feel a soft breeze in front of your face.
>"Dammit you idiot, what are you doing? Cut it out!"
>"I just wanted to see if he is sleeping."
>Oh they better not try to pickpocket you.
>The next minute passes in silence, with only the train's shaking and banging on it's tracks to disrupt it.
>You hear an overly vocal stomach protesting.
>The one next to you sighs.

>More silence.
>"Fine. I'll go." she said.
>She gets up, leaving your thigh cold and alone.
>Hers was pleasantly warm and soft.
>She walks around the train cart begging for spare change.
>"Excuse me. I apologize for bothering you. I am not a junkie or a criminal. I'm just poor and homeless. I've been living in the streets for the past few months. I have...I have two sisters who rely on me. Please. Help us. We've nothing to eat. If you could spare some change we'd be greatful..."
>You are having difficulty keeping your breathing even.
>Her voice has something...well, melodic. But it also has pain. It moves you in a melancholic way.
>You feel bad for people who have to resort to begging to survive.
>But you also feel bad when people think you are their free meal ticket, so you do nothing in case they start sticking on you every time they see you.
>Beggars have become more frequent due to the economy.
>You've heard some quite sad stories.
>Parents who can't provide for their children, cancer patients who can't afford treatment and more.
>So much more.
>You'd help them all if you could. Each and every one.
>Nobody deserves to live in misery or die in pain.
>The beggar girl returns and plops herself down like a sack next to you.
>"How did it go, Adagio?" asked Sonata.
>You hear the metallic sound of coins sliding on eachother.
>Very few coins indeed.
>"Not well enough, Sonata. I'm afraid today will be another one of those days again."
>"I wish I could take a hot bubblebath and eat something." said Sonata.
>"We haven't had a bath since we did..."it".
>The girl next to you shudders.
>"Never again. Not even if I die." said the third and most quiet one.
>She tried to sound angry but a hint of despair in her voice betrayed her.
>You hear faint sobbing.
>Part of you wants to help them, but another part just feels like it knows better.

>"You don't want to get involved. Leave it alone and it'll go away." it tells you.
>Why is it that junkies, beggars, the elderly, losers and people who want to sell stolen goods come straight to you?
>It's like you have a "sucker" fluo tatoo on your forehead.
>"I wish I could just go home. Go home and never leave."
>"I wish I could too, Aria." said Sonata.
>Sonata, Adagio, Aria. Who named these girls?
>"I remember home. I remember it like it was yesterday" said Adagio.
>Poor girls.
>"We had everything going our way. Fame, love, attention...Until that thrice cursed unicorn banished us into this...this grey world of filth." said Adagio with spite to spare.
>Lolwut?
>They know you're only pretending to be sleeping and they're pulling your leg.
>Right?
>"At least we had some of our power. Now we have nothing, zero and nada thanks to the Rainbooms." says Aria, her voice having changed from subtle despair to outright venom.
>"We never should had gone to that stupid ass school. Adagio."
>"Funny you should blame me when it was your fault, Aria."
>The two girls hiss at eachother.
>Rainbooms you say?
>You recognize that name.
>A few months ago Canterlot Highschool held a concert or something with an elaborate light show.
>You'd heard word that strange things happened there.
>Strange as in paranormal.
>Unexplained beams of searing light, mass hallucination, cryptoids, transforming cars...
>And this wasn't the first time it happened.
>There was another such incident some months before that in the very same school.
>The school supposedly threw a party celebrating fall. The celebration was marred by student drama and equipment malfunction.
>Yeah and super agile cigar-shaped UFOs in the sky are swamp gas.
>Quickly-suppressed rumours made mention of a daemonic entity, a bird-winged humanoid and a battle.
>"Fall Formal? More like Black Mass." a friend and fellow conspiracy nut told you.

>It was through her that you heard about it.
>She is working for a paranormal magazine and looked into the matter herself.
>She was banned from the school grounds when she asked the Principals about it.
>According to her story, they initially tried to confuse her, then did the good cop-bad cop routine and when she persisted they blackmailed her into silence.
>What they blackmailed her with, she wouldn't say.
>The place reeks of Innsmouth.
>And here you have three outcasts.
>More informed than outsiders but just as inclined to share what they know.
>You open your eyes and straighten up as if someone just flipped your ON switch.
>You look at the three girls for the first time.
>They look like Monster High rejects at first glance.
>But still, clearly down on their luck.
>They wear hoodies and jeans even though it's summer.
>But as the saying goes "beggars can't be choosers."
>They've frozen in place and look at you like ambushed cats, alarmed by your awkward "awakening".
>You feel awkward yourself, having more than one person's attention at a time.
"You mentioned the Rainbooms? Go on, keep talking." you say, trying to sound cool and witty.
>The trio just stares at you, trying to make up their mind about you.
>One of them looks hostile, another startled and the third one cautious.
"Continue, please. I'm not a fan of the Rainbooms either and I want to know more." you encourage them.

>The one next to you grins like a predator.
>She makes you feel like prey but strangely enough you feel like you yearn for her murderous attentions.
>Pity the stench of her body, clothes, unwashed plenty hair and empty-stomach breath are so overpowering.
>"Information isn't free." she tells you. "You want it? You have to pay for it."
>You feel insulted that someone is trying once again to take advantage of you.
"I can help with your alarm clock" you tell her with a smirk.
>You poke her belly from the side with your finger as you say that.
>She recoils some and slaps your finger away.
>"Fine, but touch me again and I'll cry rape." she snarls through gritted teeth.
>Now it's your turn to be cautious.