Nyx was grabbing piles of clothes from the rows and display mannequins and trying them out in various assortments. Julian was sitting on a red and gold padded chair, worriedly watching her coming in and out of the changing room she chose, staring at the grime accumulating on the clothes from her body.
- "You're probably gonna need a bath. And a haircut." He comments.
- "Why ?" She turns towards him, an oversized top hat sitting on her head.
- "Look." He points at a mirror next to him. "This is what happens when I'm not around to remind you about hygiene."
Nyx locks eyes with her reflection, and tilts her head to the side. Her hair was even wilder than Angelica's, and a myriad of dark stains were covering her skin like a constellation. Her white dress from the infirmary had turned a yellowish brown, and her fingernails were long enough to prevent her from forming a proper fist.
- "Oh. I look a lot less like Vanessa now." She comments.
- "Maybe that's because Vanessa showers more than once a month."
- "What are you doing to my body…" Nyx hears Vanessa sigh in her mind.
- "Oh. I didn't think I needed to clean myself that often." Nyx passes her hand in her hair, and it comes back covered in grease. "Oh well, I'll just do that after this!" She uses the same hand to take a white and silver shirt off a shelf.
- "By Solomon…" Julian glances at Vincent, who was blankly staring at them. "I'm sorry for… well everything."
- "Pay it no mind." Vincent dismissively waves his hand at him. "Clothes are intended to be dirtied. Granted, I believe my assistant, who will be tasked to clean them by hand, might make an attempt on your life."
- "Looking forward to that…"
- "Alright, I've chosen!" Nyx exclaims, brandishing a few articles of clothing above her head.
- "That's… surprisingly good looking actually." Julian comments, and immediately feels the room get warmer. Vincent's expression hadn't changed, but he was staring at Julian with his pupils very slightly glowing like they were earlier. "Like, the entire outfit I mean, not the individual clothes! I was half expecting her to try wearing twelve hats at once." The temperature of the room returns to normal right after that.
- "Of course." Vincent adds as the glow in his eyes dies down. "No article of clothing woven by my hands could ever be qualified as… poor looking. And that is regardless of its arrangement in an outfit."
- "That would be accurate!" Angelica observes. "I remember seeing that man wearing nothing but scarves all over his body walk out of this store, and truth be told he was positively dashing!"
- "Guess I can just choose at random then." Julian replies, sighing in relief. "Fashion's never been my strongest suit."
- "Nyx! How do I look?" Beatrice shouts as she runs up to Nyx. She was wearing an extremely oversized black dress, that would probably even be too large for Agnes. It was dragging on the floor behind her, and she was doing her best to keep her balance while she moved.
- "You kind of remind me of myself!" Nyx replies.
- "Oh really? Really?!" Beatrice excitedly jumps up and down, then trips on the fabric and falls on her back.
- "Yes! Way too big! Take it from me, being too large can be a big pain when you're trying to interact with smaller objects like planets."
- "Ah." Beatrice's smile disappears, and she angrily pouts instead.
- "Huh? Did I say something wrong?"
- "...No." Beatrice turns away from her.
- "Oh okay. Then why are you mad? I need to know."
- "I'm not mad."
- "You're not happy though!"
- "This is painful." Julian comments before glancing at Nyx. "Just tell her that she looks great or something."
- "Huh. Beatrice you look great!" Nyx flashes a bright smile with her yellow teeth and gives her a thumbs up.
- "You don't mean that!" Beatrice sniffles.
- "That's true!"
- "You… you meanie!" Beatrice gets up and starts lightly punching Nyx in the stomach.
- "Woah, that was a mistake." Julian sighs. "Next time I just won't say anything, since she'll find a way to make the situation worse…"
During that time, Angelica walks up to Vincent, who frowns.
- "Do keep conversation to a minimum." He tells her. "I would love to end my day without the terrible headache your every word could curse me with."
- "Then I will keep it short!" Angelica replies. "We need this by tomorrow to go to that new theater, how much is this gonna cost me?"
- "About five thousand gold roses, from my assessment."
- "That's a fortune! I could swear the prices weren't that high…"
- "You must've been fantasizing. Now leave my establishment, your articles will be ready by tomorrow morning. I have already taken the measurements of all the people in this room."
- "I see you've taken interest in them as well!" Angelica laughs.
- "I am simply showing professionalism. One does not become the most reputable tailor in Crystal Rose by dismissing potential clients." He glances at Beatrice, who had climbed on Nyx's back to be able to hit her forehead, while the latter was struggling to try and get her off without harming her. "I shall vault this garment for the time being, mayhaps this Beatrice girl will return later to claim it, when it fits her."
- "So you're in an exceedingly good mood! Does that mean you could tailor that outfit I requested the other da-"
- "I refuse." He cuts. "I do not accept commissions from Polemian warlords."
- "That's not true! All my attendants have clothes from your brand!"
- "Let me rephrase. I do not accept commissions from YOU."
- "But come on, you're the only person that can make clothes that are actually resistant enough to last me more than a week!"
- "I am, firstly, flattered, and secondly, overjoyed to know that I can return even a fraction of the psychological torment you afflict upon me on a monthly basis." He looks back at Angelica, his purple coat agitated by an invisible wind. "Now begone from my establishment if you have no further business, lest you wish I show you out myself."
Date: July 21st, year 1286 Location: In front of the Emerald Lotus theater, Crystal Rose
Angelica exits her luxurious carriage pulled by tall black horses, her cape flying in the wind. A large crowd was surrounding the vehicle, mostly made up of people of high standing and their attendants. In front of her, a gigantic circular structure with walls made of thick black and white marble lined with gold was sitting on top of a massive cliff overlooking the sea, the large wall surrounding Crystal Rose nowhere to be seen as it had been rendered invisible using magic. On top of the structure, a giant dome of green crystal shaped like a lotus flower served as a roof, its petals as detailed as they were sharp. The sun's rays were being dispersed by them, forming a circle of emerald-colored light on the ground around the structure.
- "That building doesn't look like it can withstand a siege for more than a day!" Angelica shouts.
- "Cut down on the bloodthirsty talk. Plus, the capital is usually not where you'll find sieges." Julian replies as he exits the carriage after Angelica.
His hair was neatly styled in a slick back with a single rebellious strand on the right of his face, and Agnes' dove was perched on his extended arm. He was donning an elegant black suit trimmed with gold complete with a long, white cape lined with fur around the collar.
- "Spectans truly do not know how to have fun." Angelica shakes her head.
- "I don't know about the siege stuff, but that place looks nice!" Nyx says, jumping out of the carriage after Julian and graciously landing next to them.
She was wearing a ball gown that made the elaborate dresses of all the nobility around them look stale in comparison. It was a deep ocean blue, lined with indigo colored thread and white frills, and was covered in silver ornaments with blue jewels embedded in them. It had no sleeves, and she had long, silky white gloves going up to her elbows. A transparent indigo colored cape was tied around her shoulders, featuring a giant, cloud-like fur collar. Her hair was perfectly clean, and styled to be wavy instead of its usual straight look. It was complete with a swarm of miniature stars gravitating around her and constantly sparkling, shining light on her and her dress. Her black heels, borrowed from Agnes, click on the floor as she lands.
- "I thought I told you to turn the stars off, you're burning magical energy for no good reason…" Julian comments.
- "Presentation is very important!" Nyx replies, offended. "Humans care a lot about it, so I have to do it right! I'm happy that this super high end beauty salon was still open last night, or that would've been a problem."
- "Now that is a thought I can get behind!" Angelica loudly laughs. "If I knew you were so versed in the field, I would have brought my fanciest set of armor!"
- "Nobody is bringing any armor anywhere." Julian says as he turns to the large structure. "We're not here to fight anyone."
A wooden sign next to the entrance, two massive double doors made of opaque emerald, read "Opening ceremony of the Emerald Lotus".
- "How typical of you." Angelica replies, rolling her eyes. "But I've always enjoyed the art of theater, so I should be entertained regardless."
- "Yeah yeah entertain yourself. Nyx and I kinda got a lot on the line here." Julian grumbles.
- "Oh we do?" Nyx tilts her head to the side.
- "Didn't Agnes tell you? We're not even official members of the Guard right now, we're just trainees. That's why we don't have a licence for casting offensive magic in public yet. We need to get results here if we actually want to be taken seriously."
- "Ah. But I don't need to be taken seriously though."
- "You do ! Having higher status means we can actually run investigations on people without looking shady."
- "Uh huh."
- "You don't care, do you."
- "Not at all! Well I'll care after this, right now I'm having a lot of fun dressing up!" The stars around her flash brighter as she says that.
- "Whatever motivates you." He turns towards the entrance of the Emerald Lotus. "Looks like it's starting."
The emerald doors open without a sound, pushed by a powerful wind blowing from inside the theater. An elf with shorter ears than Julian or Vincent walks through it, wearing an oversized black top hat with a spinning lotus flower made of green crystal floating in the air above it. His stylish white suit was covered by a fine veil of mist, and he had a black cane in hand with a large green diamond as its pommel. His hair constantly shifted between all colors of the rainbow, frequently stopping on half blue and half yellow. His left eye was blue and the right one was yellow, mimicking his hair.
- "Greetings upper crust of Crystal Rose!" He declares, dramatically pointing his cane at the crowd. "I am Balthazar, and I will be your host tonight!"
- "Tonight?" Nyx repeats, looking at the sky. Balthazar turns to look at her, seemingly having heard her despite the tens of meters separating them, and having been waiting for that question.
- "Indeed!" He taps his cane on the floor, and an explosion of color erupts from the ground.
The scenery around them changes, the blue sky turning a deep indigo and the sea reflecting the myriad of stars in it. An invisible orchestra of violins and pianos starts playing in the background as shooting stars fly above the theater.
- "In my house of illusions, reality is what we make it!" He continues, flashing a bright smile at the crowd. "Welcome to the Emerald Lotus!"
A swarm of fireworks rises from behind the theater, bathing the neighborhood in multicolored light as the sea itself rises to form a ginormous replica of Balthazar extending his hand towards the entrance. He turns and walks back into the theater, as the elated crowd loudly claps. The noble families start lining up in front of the entrance, and the group joins them.
- "Utopians sure know how to put on a show!" Angelica observes.
- "Oh he's from Utopia?" Nyx asks, looking up at the starry sky. "The stars are all out of place, but I like his depiction of them!"
- "Yeah." Julian answers. "According to Agnes, he's been expected by the upper crust for years, given that he's a pretty successful entertainer in Utopia of all places."
- "...Julian, do you think being a god makes you less creative?" Nyx suddenly asks, putting her left hand on her face in distress.
- "Huh? Where did that come from?"
- "I can't believe Vivianne named her kingdom Utopia… It's just so… on the nose? Humans normally care a lot more about names for things like that."
- "Eh, who knows."
- "Lady Ironside!" They hear multiple voices say in unison behind them.
A small group of ten soldiers in decorated black armor run up to them from the carriage they rode on the way to the theater, stopping next to Angelica and surrounding her, pushing away anyone nearby besides Nyx and Julian. They get a few nasty looks from the offended nobles.
- "You should really tell your attendants to relax." Julian comments.
- "Very well." Angelica turns to stare straight at him. "Relax yourself!"
- "...Was that supposed to be a joke?"
- "Mostly! But you are posing as one of my attendants, aren't you? Do play the part!"
- "Nah, that'd be too much of a hassle. I'm just going in as Julian Leventis, since my family's invited."
- "Right, your family might be there!" Nyx exclaims. "I'm gonna go meet them, where are they?"
- "No. Just no."
- "Aww…"
- "You always find a way to foil my plans. How disappointing." Angelica laments before turning to Nyx. "What about you?"
- "I'm attending!" Nyx's stars brightly flash as she points her finger at Angelica.
- "Not the right word." Julian sighs. "And if anything, it looks like Angelica is your attendant, not the other way around. You really should've picked a less eye-catching outfit."
- "It'll be fine!" Nyx looks at the surroundings as they finally get through the entrance of the theater.
They were walking through a tunnel of glass, floating in the clouds above a massive mountain range. The scenery changes to the middle of a volcano's crater after a few seconds, then the bottom of an ocean. Nyx's eyes widen in wonder as a blue whale the size of the theater swims by them.
- "Humans really worked hard to develop their magic!" She exclaims. "I'm so proud!"
- "I don't know if that's hard work or something else…" Julian replies as he anxiously locks eyes with the giant whale. "I've never seen Illusion magic this potent, and I've been around a lot of talented mages."
At the end of the corridor, the scenery changes again to a less disorienting setting. It was a massive, luxurious auditorium spanning over three floors above them, with a stage large enough to fit an entire city block. Floating orbs of white light were hovering close to the ceiling, acting as projectors and all highlighting Balthazar, who was standing in the middle of the stage with a static smile. Julian chooses a seat right next to the entrance to save time, and everyone follows him and sits there. Angelica's attendants sit in a circle around them, preventing anyone from getting through.
- "Are you serious?..." Julian whispers.
- "What?" Angelica tilts her head to the side.
- "I'm trying NOT to draw attention, don't sit directly next to me with all your escorts!..."
- "Wouldn't you draw even more attention if you were sitting alone at this type of event?"
- "...I can't believe you're making a good point for once."
Angelica loudly cackles and pats him on the back while he tries to tell her to pipe down. Meanwhile, Nyx had gotten up and was moving from seat to seat, carefully picking her spot in the circle of guards.
- "Hello?" Nyx asks after sitting down again. "Vanessa, can you hear me?"
- "...Nyx?" Vanessa replies in her mind. "What do you want?"
- "Can you see the stage well? I know my eyes are better than most humans, so I can't tell if something is too far or not."
- "What?? Why do you even care? That's unusual."
- "I want to treat my vessel better. You said it the other day, I'm not really being very careful with your body. I get hurt all the time, I do a bunch of stuff that makes us look bad, and I think I was really mean to you the other day."
- "...Hey, I appreciate that! But since I'm in your head and all, I can tell that's not the only reason. So, what's the matter? You can talk to me, you know."
- "... I think I just don't want to be like Lady Night. Her vessel is all broken and distorted, it doesn't even look human anymore. I don't like that. Whenever I think about her, I also wonder what happened to the poor human that's supposed to be in there, somewhere."
- "Oh… Okay, I see what's going on." Vanessa clears her throat. "If I'm being honest, I can't see very well so I'd like it if we were closer to the stage."
- "You got it!" Nyx exclaims as she jumps up.
- "I, uh…" Julian hesitantly comments. "I didn't know you were dealing with that…"
- "What?"
- "You know you're monologuing out loud right?"
- "Right. Anyways, we're changing spots!"
- "What a pain… But I guess this time it's fine."
- "I was about to say!" Angelica chimes in. "There is no way we are going to be seated in such an unremarkable location!"
- "Then where do you suggest we go?"
- "Ha! Just give me a few minutes."
Angelica walks off, followed by all her attendants. She indeed comes back a few minutes later with them, leisurely spinning her greatsword in her hand. The people seated on her way quickly get away to avoid the blade, some whispering "These damned Polemians…" or "Do they have no class? Look, now they're headed towards this elf..." and Julian's stomach drops.
- "What did you do?..." He asks.
- "Secure us premium lodges!" She joyfully replies.
- "The Polemian way?…"
- "The Polemian way!"
- "All the administrative problems are on you." Julian blankly says as he gets up. "At least we'll be closer to the top brass, and away from the bigger crowd. Where are we going?"
- "No reaction? I guess you are getting used to me!" Angelica laughs as she guides them through the upper floors of the auditorium.
They eventually reach one of the fancy hanging balconies overlooking the stage, with a multitude of couches and multiple large cups of exotic fruits on the round tables next to them. Some pillows were on the floor, as if the previous occupants left in a hurry. Angelica's attendants all sit on all the different couches, and a few of them remove their helmets to taste some of the fruits. Nyx walks over to the edge of the balcony, looking around and checking out the high standing families in the neighboring balconies.
- "Is that good enough?" She asks out loud.
- "More than enough!" Vanessa replies. "But I'm running low on energy, so I might not reply much more today…"
- "Hmmm… I'll try to find a way to fix that problem too at some point!"
- "Ladies and gentlemen, our play is about to begin!" Balthazar announces, his powerful voice resonating throughout the auditorium as the crowd slowly goes silent.