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At the prospect of her father throwing a shindig at the park, two things came to mind: yay, Foochie can go (not that she didn't tote him around enough), and yay, Father! Elegancia really did not get to see him enough.

Unfortunately, the fun was blown the moment she and her father arrived. He instantly turned his attention to his associates, all of whom treated her like a "dumb little girl" or flirted with her behind his back. Despite this, she attempted to find a place among the party-- she sat at a park bench with the 'bottom of the chain' employees, but not even they would have her-- they ignored her, and wouldn't let her into any conversations. It was truly frustrating. To remedy her isolation, Elegancia decided to take Foochie on a stroll along the banks of the lake. It was soothing, really-- the fresh lake air breezing through her ultraglossy and newly-dyed hair. Elegancia desperately wanted to feed a duck or two, but every time one approached, Foochie barked it back into the water.

After suitably distancing herself from all the commotion of the party, Elegancia found a soft patch of grass to sit upon while Foochie ran circles around her. This was her way of saying "I want attention," but really, she was only bothering herself further. As she lounged back, waiting for someone to come by and notice her, Elegancia slowly closed her eyes, listening to the gentle sound of nature, and then... Foochie yelped. Not a scared yelp, an "ouch!!" yelp. Opening her eyes in a hurry, she found a splatter of bright orange on his ear-- "why, what... Who...?"

Splat!!

Now it was on her!! Worse yet, it stung! And it was all over her bosom, no less!! Elegancia gathered her pooch into her arms, looked around anxiously, and was shot again, but this time in the back of her head. It really did sting, and worse yet, she couldn't find the source of the pellets-- as a result, Elegancia cried. Not because of the pain so much, but because of an accumulation of things: she was distraught over her father, she couldn't find any place to be comfortable, and now someone was shooting unsavory paintballs at her!

With Foochie in tow, Elegancia daintily dashed back to where her father was, who only stared at her incredulously. He looked back at his co-workers, laughed nervously, and took her to the water's edge where he would 'calm her down.' As the two made their way to the water, though, something stirred in the deep. It wasn't noticeable, at least, not at the moment...

They stood near the edge, and as he wiped a tear from her cheek, a serpentine creature emerged and hissed at the both of them (Foochie, as well)-- then it slithered out, wrapped around them, and screeched at the party-goers, spitting orbs of water in every direction.

Unfortunately, Elegancia could not transform into her sailor-suited alter-ego, Sailor Rosalind. Not in front of her father, and not while being wrapped up by a youma, either.

... Would this be the end of the Soldier of Wealth?

Elegancia knew that awful voice.

Grasping Foochie as gingerly as she could (squeezing him any harder than need be would have only resulted in a loss of air for the poor dog), Elegancia slowly turned her head to the source. Sure enough, it was him-- the one she had only met just a few days prior, the one who she held a ridiculous amount of contempt for, the Soldier of Bad Manners, Sailor Chaonis!

"Not you again," Elegancia yelled, "I mean, not a... Terrorist again!!" She turned her head to face her father, who eyed her strangely. "Honestly, Elegancia, if he's going to save us, you ought to shut your mouth." He looked at Chaonis expectantly, and then added, "young man, if you take this thing out, I'll be sure to reward you accordingly!"

Elegancia huffed and leered at Chaonis with a deep, hateful stare. The youma whipped the end of its tail at the brunette boy, hissing all the while.

"Now that's what I like to hear! What a man's man!" Elegancia's father chortled as Chaonis attacked the youma, clearly getting an adrenaline rush from just watching him. Apparently, he didn't care that the two of them and Foochie were in danger of losing their starseeds. This was truly frustrating for Elegancia, who wished her father could have seen Sailor Rosalind. "Well, I personally don't see what's so great about him."

As Chaonis beat the lake-monster in the gut, Elegancia and her dog were sent flying out and into the lake, splashing rather ungracefully with a flop on the surface. Her father, luckily, landed on a soft patch of grass. He immediately went out and found a group of his colleagues to place bets with, like older men were wont to do. Elegancia screamed out for her father, thrashing about in the water with her dog, who only turned back halfway and yelled in return, "c'mon, Sugarplum-- quit fartin' around and get outta there!!"

The nerve!! Elegancia clawed her way back to the shore, pulled herself out (soaking-wet clothes and all) and stomped towards her father, who only smiled at her passingly. Wringing her hair out, Elegancia huffed once more and watched as Chaonis laid into the youma. Maybe he'd gotten better in the past few days.

The upside of things? The paint was washed off as she was forced into the water.

Well, Elegancia could have gone off to transform and actually help Sailor Chaonis, especially since her father wasn't paying any attention to her, but she just... Didn't feel like it. Especially since he threatened to run her over the next time he met up with her. It was truly an unfortunate situation Elegancia found herself in, but at the same time, it was less work for her. She relaxed and watched as Chaonis laid into the beast-- shouting "not there," or "aim higher!!" every so often. She had become a backseat battler.

After the creature was dusted, and Chaonis had marched on over to where she and her father stood, Elegancia leered. "You know, I bet there's a much prettier soldier who could have done ten times better than you just did." Her father shut her up by standing in front of her, threw a large hand out for Chaonis to shake, then added, "well done m'boy!! That was some ace fightin' you did back there-- and a deal's a deal 'n all, so..." He looked down at the large wad of cash he had just accrued from the bets he had one, then back at Elegancia. "I said I'd reward you accordingly, and so I will-- the best thing I have to offer is my beautiful daughter's hand in marriage!!" He pushed Elegancia forward and into Chaonis, then chortled once more.

"Can't say there's any better prize out there, can ya, boy?!" He continued to chortle, then looked at Elegancia, "and you know, Sugarplum, he's a scrapper!! Better than any hoidy-toidy, prissy little mamma's boy you'll ever find, I can guarantee it!"

Elegancia backed away from Chaonis, looked down at her feet, then sighed with exasperation. She was now muddy, and apparently objectified.

Elegancia's father looked confused for a second, obviously not understanding why any sane young man would turn down the offer of marriage to a very beautiful young lady. "Why, you must be crazy-- think of all the things you could do to her if y'all were married! Now, if I were your age, and she weren't my daughter--" Elegancia promptly cut him off with a stern "Father!!" to which he shut down for a second.

Unfortunately, Miss d'Strella would have nothing to do with this. "I am not some prize to be given out," Elegancia told her father sternly while picking her dachshund up, then added, "I'm going now." She stomped off, feet squelching with each step.

"Eh, women-- anyways, where was I? Oh, right-- you don't want to marry my daughter..." He thought for a second, very conflicted, obviously, then added, "well, I get it! You must be one of them gays, huh? I guess that makes sense. You sure fight like a man, though!" He proceeded to hold his hands out, the wads of cash within them. "Will this do instead?"

"W-wow, hey now, guy," her father started, "I appreciate the come-on and all, but uh... I'm not uh, like that, sorry!" He laughed anxiously, dropped the cash in Chaonis' hand, then rubbed the back of his head. "It's flattering, really, but you're barkin' up the wrong tree, guy." For once, he wondered where his daughter had gone-- he looked back and forth, to which she was nowhere to be seen. After a second or two, he turned around, and noticed that she was standing behind the limo, waiting in a huff. "Well, son, I've got to get going now-- it was, uh, nice meetin' you?"

He rushed over to Elegancia, patted her on the head, and hopped in the limousine. The two didn't talk at all the entire way back-- Elegancia was too upset, and her father was still in shock that he had some sex appeal to the younger crowd-- especially to men. He chuckled quietly, and told himself, "looks like you still got it, eh?" Elegancia stared at him in disbelief and held Foochie tightly.

Looks like she'd be the one running Chaonis over next time-- again.