Chapter 13: The Bad Hair Gang
Aisha looked around. She was pretty sure she was at a dinner party back home. Something was off about it, though she couldn't put a finger on it. Maybe it was the staff swinging from the chandelier. Maybe it was the loud music her parents would never tolerate. Maybe it was the food that was being hurled all over the place.
"Princess, you're naked," somebody told her.
She briefly considered if that was what was so weird about this. She concluded that being naked at the dinner table was in fact weird. She would have to fix that afterwards.
Something poked her shoulder and she looked to the side to see Darkar.
"More cake, Your Mayonnaise?" he asked.
Darkness instantly consumed everything, which Aisha suddenly realised was because she was staring at the inside of her eyelids. She briefly forced them open, glanced at the clock and rolled over with a groan to continue sleeping.
A couple of rooms over, Flora lay in her bed, glancing at the ceiling. She was trying to remember something she had wanted to do. Suddenly remembering, she turned her head and asked: "So how you feel about being a model?"
Mirta turned her head to look at her and asked: "You mean for Helia and Bloom? It's kinda fun. Though I'm really not used to it".
"Being the subject of artistry or attention?" the brunette asked.
"Eh, both really," the redhead replied. "I mean, I never really thought of myself as somebody you'd paint pictures off".
"You give yourself too little credit," Flora stated.
"I know. But really, it's the attention that weirds me out at times," Mirta continued. "Not that I mind, really. I'm just much more used to being ignored. Even in Cloudtower and here on Alfea, I always seemed to manage to just be one with the background. A wallflower, if you will. Well, at least most people here don't accuse me of being damaged because I don't try to attract attention to myself".
"And now Helia and Bloom are making paintings of you," Flora added.
"Yep. As I said, it's weird," the redhead said. "But... Honestly, I kinda like it. Even if I still kinda need to get used to it".
"We really should ask Lucy if she wants to dance with you again one of these days," Flora noted, glancing at the picture on the wall. It was a coloured piece, the result of Bloom and Helia's artistic cooperation. "I think the picture they managed to make is fantastic".
"I'd like too," Mirta yawned. "He's a nice guy. And him and Bloom really..." She interrupted herself to yawn again. "Really make some interesting pieces".
"You sound like someone who is ready to sleep," Flora noted a bit amused.
"Yeah. Good thing we can sleep in tomorrow," Mirta noted. She gave her girlfriend a kiss, said goodnight and rolled over on her side to sleep.
Flora glanced at her, smiled a bit, before closing her own eyes and sinking into the darkness of sleep.
...
The next morning, Bloom sat in the dining hall, once again appreciating how much better the food was when SeFogelia was present. A fact that she had ensured to tell him once he came back from sick leave, a remark that seemed to cheer the cook up immensely.
The redhead glanced around the hall for a moment, noting how empty it was. This wasn't unusual on the students' days off. They usually wandered in whenever they manage to roll out of bed. Which meant weekend breakfast was usually something SeFogelia could easily keep warm for a couple of hours until everybody had had a chance to both sleep in and get breakfast.
As Bloom bit off part of what could be a type of sausage, Stella, Musa and Aisha joined her by the table. "'Morning, girls," Bloom greeted them.
"Good morning to you too," Stella said as she sat down with her breakfast. "So, any plans for today?"
"Well, I was planning on going home today and staying overnight," Bloom replied. "Might even be better weather than here. If nothing else, it'll at least be a bit warmer".
Outside, a cold wind was pelting the school with sleet.
"It kinda does suck, yeah," Musa added. "So, when you're saying home, you mean Earth, right?"
"Yep. Talked with Faragonda about it and everything," the redhead said. "We agreed that I've been away from Earth long enough. I mean, I call my parents and friends pretty often, but it's just not the same".
"I can see that," Stella said, rubbing her chin. "Hey, could I come with you?"
"Why?" the redhead asked curiously.
"Well, first of all, I'd love to check out Earth again. Haven't had much time to look around the last couple of times I visited," Stella added. "Plus, less risk of a repeat of what happened last time, if I go with you".
"Last time?" Aisha asked.
"You remember those three witches from Cloud Tower?" Musa asked. "The ones behind the Usurper Crisis. Well, they tracked down Bloom while she was on Earth and stole the dragonflame from her".
"Really rather nasty business," Stella added.
"Well, if you want to get technical, they only stole the energy that I had stored," Bloom added. "But other than that pedantic note, yeah, that happened. Also been involved in stopping a harassment campaign against my mother's shop that ended with a big fire and the ogre attack that started it all".
"Going with you sounds better and better," Stella dryly added.
"Yeah, I'd like a visit home without everything going crazy," Bloom remarked. "Would make for a nice chance". She pondered for a moment. "I'm starting to understand why living in interesting times is considered a Chinese curse".
"No kidding. You'd think last year was bad enough, but now we got that Darkar fellow running around and making a mess of things," Musa noted.
"Hey, at least we know we can take Darkar in a fight," Stella said with a shrug. "If only through our fusion spells".
"We still do need to get better at that," Aisha added. "While minor damage to the classroom is to be expected, I don't think they appreciated us breaking all windows on the south side of the building".
"Still better than almost setting the teacher on fire," Musa added with a smirk.
"I wonder if there are circumstances where throwing food at others is considered acceptable," Bloom pondered loudly.
"Nah, I checked the rules," Stella added. "There's even a specific sub-rule that says that provocative students aren't a justification for breaking rules".
"Says a lot that they got a rule about that," Musa commented. "Anyway, would you mind terribly if I tagged along for the Earth trip? I haven't really got anything better to do".
"Why not," Bloom replied. "We'll just need to ask Faragonda about it. Hey, how about you, Aisha? Would you like to come with us too?"
"I have nothing else to do and little desire to remain here alone," Aisha stated.
"I'll take that as a yes," the redhead dryly stated with a smile. "Still, we gotta ask Faragonda first and make sure it's okay".
"What about Flora and Techna?" Musa asked.
"Flora's out with Mirta and Techna is out with Timmy," Stella added. "I would have been out with Brandon if I could, but he's kinda busy this weekend".
"It's nice to know that we can serve as backup entertainment when you boyfriend isn't available," came Musa's snarky reply.
"Hey, what about the pixies?" Bloom brought up. "Maybe they'd like to come with us".
"Well, they have stayed cooped up here in Alfea for a while," Aisha said. "They've been kinda afraid of a repeat of the homesickness incident".
"Still, as repetitious as it sounds, we should ask Faragonda if it's okay to bring them along," Musa added. "There might be something we're not considering".
"Well, it can't hurt to ask," Bloom commented with a shrug.
...
With a blink of light, the girls found themselves in an alley in Gardenia.
"Huh. Doesn't look that different to me," Tune commented while looking around. "Though it does feel a bit... Off".
"It's probably the low amount of magic," Bloom commented. "You should all probably expect some side-effects in a couple of hours".
"Side-effects?" Aisha questioned.
"Well, I start seeing auras and get really tired, plus I can do less magic," Bloom explained. "Speaking of magic, we should all do what we can to not cast any while we're here".
"Because of the Black... What was it again?" Livy asked.
"The Black Circus if I remember correctly," Piff stated.
"No, Black Circle," Bloom corrected. "And we don't know if it's them. But what we do know is that somebody is very good at noticing when something magical happens around here. And my parents aren't sure they're the trustworthy types".
"Alright, no magic, gotcha," Stella said.
"Also, you pixies should probably stay hidden until we're home," the redhead continued. "You can probably hide in one of our bags without any trouble".
"Ah, joyous freedom. Really looked forward to finally get outside and get stuffed in a bag," Amore quipped, as she and the other pixies dove into a bag Musa was carrying.
"You know, a pet cage would have been a more dignified way to transport us," Tune commented somewhat displeased.
"Sorry, but Faragonda really made it clear that we should not take any risks at all," Bloom said apologetically. "I promise you that as soon as we're home, you can fly around as much as you want".
"Speaking of home, how do we get there?" Aisha asked. "Do you have a chauffeur available?"
"Nope. We're taking public transport to Mom's shop and then we'll decide what to do from there," Bloom explained. "And don't worry about the money. I got enough for all of us".
"I assume the pixies are coming on board for free?" Musa questioned.
"Well... It is kinda necessary," Bloom admitted, scratching her neck. "Buying tickets for people that aren't there is just suspicious. I mean, I guess we could pretend they're dolls and buy for them, but you don't have to buy tickets for dolls and, they might think we're kinda crazy if we try something like that, but maybe then again, it's kinda going against the spirit of..."
"Bloom, breathe," Musa and Stella said simultaneously.
"Sorry," Bloom wheezed. "Guess I got kinda worried".
"Yeah. I was just making fun," Musa noted. "It's okay that the pixies go freeloader on this, especially if it's for everyone's' safety".
"It's rather rude to cheat the system like this," came Tune's muffled voice. "But it's even ruder to attract the eye of dangerous organizations. Also, someone better remove that foot from my face before I do it for them".
"I guess that settles it," Bloom said with a shrug. "Let's get going".
...
"Here we go," Techna said as she placed the two cups of cacao on the table. "Hot drinks for hot people".
"Thanks, Techna," Timmy said as he took one of the drinks. Outside, the world was grey as half-melted snow pelted the streets of Magicalis, filling it with sludge. "So, how do we handle the bill?" the bespectacled warrior continued. "I mean, does one of us pay or do we split it?"
"Eh, we both got enough money. Let's just split it," the scarred girl replied.
"Alright then. So, how have you been recently?" Timmy asked conversationally.
"Well, we're slowly progressing in fusion spells," Techna replied. "Still ways to go before we're reliable with it, but we can pull it off circa half the time. Still, the other half of the time, shit goes down. Or rather up. Last class, one of the chairs ended up being launched through the roof. Never did find it again".
"There are times when I'm kinda jealous of magi," Timmy admitted. "Then there are times like these were I'm just happy I don't have to bother with that sort of thing".
"It takes practise and patience," Techna added. "Got a lot of the former, not so much of the latter. Lot like your programming, really".
"I suppose I can see the similarities," the bespectacled boy replied. "Except I have yet to program a chair into the stratosphere".
"That's why magic is so fun," Techna said with a grin.
"So, any new projects going on?" Timmy continued.
"Well, still working on the wingpack," the scarred girl explained. "This time I'm making a miniature version so that if it goes crazy, it won't do as much harm as the last one. If it works, then I simply scale it up".
"Then let us hope nothing blows up this time," Timmy added. "On that note, I heard you tried to build an improvised cooling system".
"Yeah, I'm thinking I need to make it a closed system," Techna said. "Right now, I'm just wondering where I can get some liquid nitrogen".
Timmy stared at her for a few seconds, before sighing and saying: "May I suggest a better solution?"
"Sure, I'm always open to new ideas," Techna said before taking a sip of cacao.
"How about you use this?" he suggested, pulling something from his pocket. It was a small, square, black object. "A heatsink. My own family swears by this type's usefulness, so there's your seal of approval," Timmy continued. "Best of all, it can easily be plugged into up to five computers".
"Now that's awesome," Techna said enraptured and took the gift. She put it in her pocket and looked back at Timmy, a warm smile on her lips. "Now I almost feel bad about not having a gift for you".
"It's not about you having to repay me," Timmy said with a dismissive gesture of his hands. "I just don't want you getting hurt over such an easily fixed problem".
"Well, me or somebody else," Techna added. "I don't mind the occasional scrape, life's dangerous ya know. It's when I get others hurt that really gets to me. Like with Avalon. Boy, did I ever feel bad. I'm just happy he could forgive me".
"Still not found out why it did it?" Timmy asked.
"I have no clue," Techna admitted. "I mean, I don't have a lot to work with, since it kinda exploded, but still..."
"Weird. Maybe the mini version will provide some answers," Timmy suggested.
"Possibly," came the scarred girl's reply. "I've got the materials and plans ready. Only thing is that the teachers insist that I use the workshop for it, which means I can't work late into the night outside of weekends".
"Well, getting your rest is healthy for you," Timmy added.
"So are roos, if Flora is to be believed," Techna added. "Still taste like licking a brick".
"Is... Is that a metaphor or...?" Timmy questioned.
"Let's just say that drunk people do weird things," Techna added with a smirk.
...
Bloom walked out of the flower shop, looked both ways and then crossed the road to where her friends were waiting. In the distance she could see Gardenia Park, where autumn had coloured many of the trees distinct shades of yellow, red and orange. "Alright, I just talked with Mom," the redhead said. "Here's the plan. I'll go with her home and then we'll make things ready so you three will have somewhere to sleep for tonight. The question is if you'd rather come with me home or stay in town until later today, when me and my mom will pick you up in our car. But if you do stay out here until we come pick you up, you're going to spend a couple of hours in town".
"Do you have a shopping mall around here?" Stella asked. "Because if you got one of those, I won't have a hard time spending a couple of hours".
"There's one nearby. Right on the other side of the park," Bloom said and pointed. "Pretty hard to miss".
"Well, I'd like to get to check this world out a bit more too," Musa said with a shrug. "Last time I was here was pretty much five minutes of charging in and hauling you out".
"I for one would also like to check out the local fashion," Aisha offered.
"That reminds me, your money won't work here," Bloom continued. "So Mom offered to lend you some money and Faragonda was willing to help out with exchanging your own nummi so you can pay her back. Not the most elegant solution, I know, but it's the best we can do as it is. Just try not to go completely shopping crazy and it should work out".
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on the shopaholics," the black-haired girl offered.
"Well in that case, we'll just need to discuss with Mom how much money you'll be lending," Bloom said and turned around.
"Actually, we're waiting for the pixies," Musa said. When Bloom turned around, the black-haired musician quickly added: "And before you say anything, they insisted and threatened to set the inside of my bag on fire, if I didn't give them five minutes to breathe. Apparently, the leathery smell was quite uncomfortable".
"Besides, they'll be in the park. Plenty of places to hide," Stella added. "And you said there weren't any dangerous animals in the area".
"I hope you're right," Bloom sighed.
"Don't worry," Musa said. "They know better than to just stop up and talk with any random person they run across".
...
"Do a princess," the little girl said eagerly.
"Alright, here we..." Amore said and twirled. "Go," she finished, now clad in an incredible pink and elaborate dress, a golden and ornate crown on her head.
"A clown, a clown," the girl eagerly requested, jumping up and down.
"Alright, just give me a second to catch my breath," Amore said. Changing her costumes did drain her and she was starting to feel the effects of the low magic.
"What part of remaining hidden was it that involved putting on a show?" Tune asked. "Please remind me, because I certainly can't remember".
"I'm just having some fun," Amore said, twirling into a clown costume. "I so rarely get requests".
"You could have stayed behind with the others if you're so worried about being seen," Piff suggested.
"Somebody has to keep an eye on you four," Tune stated. "And as the responsible one, it's only natural that I take up that burden".
Glim added to the conversation by rolling her eyes at the proclamation.
"She's the responsible one?" Livy asked, genuinely curious.
"She certainly likes to think so," Amore added, having changed into a catgirl costume. Tune just huffed in response. "Alright, last costume. I'm running low on energy".
"Then I want... Hmm," the girl said, looking ponderous. She had many ideas for what she wanted her new pixie friend to turn into, but knowing that she only had one left made it hard. "How about you choose," she suggested.
"Alright, if I had to choose... Then... I got it," Amore said. She twirled, now clad in her marching band uniform, complete with several instruments. She landed on the ground and started playing an energetic song, which the little girl eagerly clapped to while giggling.
"Somebody's coming," Livy warned the others. "We better hide, now".
"Sorry, concert's over," Amore offered apologetically, before diving into the bushes.
Seconds later, a couple of police officers walked down the path. "Hey, are you Sandra?" one of them asked.
"Mmm," the girl responded in confirmation.
"You mother is worried about you," the other said. "Wondered where you had gone off to".
"Huh?" the girl responded and checked her wristwatch. "Oh no, I forgot the time".
"Heh, figures. Don't worry, that happens kiddo," the first said. "Come, we'll take you back to your mom".
"So what did you do out here that was so interesting?" the other officer asked conversationally.
"I played with some fairies," Sandra said excitedly.
"Heh, that's cute," the first cop said. "Well, say goodbye to the faeries then. You can play with them another day".
"'Bye fairies," the girl called, as she followed the officers.
"Well, the terminology is wrong, but the gesture is appreciated," Tune said as she popped out of a bush. "So, can we go back now? I don't fancy another close call like that".
"Sure... Just... Give me a moment," Amore said out of breath. She had changed back into her usual pink dress. "I need to... Catch my... Breath".
"Using so much magic in such a drained area turned out to be a bad idea," Tune said sarcastically. "Who could possibly have known?"
"Own fault," Glim stated in agreement.
"Please... Both of you... Can it," Amore responded.
...
"So this is an Earth mall," Stella stated as she, Musa and Aisha walked down the long, white hall, shops on both sides and curved glass above letting sunlight into the mall. "It's very... Actually, it's very much what I would expect a shopping mall to be".
"Well, I guess there are only so many ways you can group a lot of shops together," Musa said with a shrug.
"So, what do we look for first?" Aisha asked.
"I suggest we go around and get a feel for what this money Vanessa gave us can get us," Musa replied. "Figure out what's cheap and not so cheap. Don't want to waste this, after all".
"It's weird, knowing how rich we are and yet it means so little here," Aisha noted.
"How rich some of us are," Musa corrected the brunette a tinge annoyed.
"Anyway, I suggest we go get a feel of the prize of clothes," Stella interjected, cutting off any potential arguments.
"We should probably also check out what sort of fastfood they have around here," Musa added, as the three of them continued their walk down the mall. "We're going to be here for a couple of hours at the very least, so I imagine we'll be hungry at some point".
"Alright, sounds like we have a plan," Stella said.
"Hey, you three," a rough male voice said and the girls turned to see a police officer march over to them. "Shouldn't you three be in school?"
"Should we?" Stella asked confused.
"I don't know. You tell me," the man said, tapping his foot. "Because it certainly ain't weekend yet according to my calendar".
"Ah, I see. You suspect that we are dodging our responsibilities," Aisha stated. "No worries, good sir, we have permission to be here".
"Really?" The officer said a bit sceptically. "What school are you from?"
"Alfea," Aisha said. The two other girls just focused on looking like that was true. It was, but neither were certain that they should tell this guy, though they did also realise that any backtracking at this point would most likely lead them into trouble.
"Alfea, huh. Haven't heard of it," the officer said, scratching his chin.
"We notice a lot of people around here haven't," Aisha said and pulled a phone from her pocket. "But scheduling meant we had a couple of days off, so we went to Gardenia with a good friend of ours, who has family in town. If you want more proof, I'll be more than happy to call our headmistress".
The officer scratched his head, as if trying to remember something, before asking: "So who is this friend of yours?"
"Bloom Peterson," Aisha stated.
"Ah, yes. Daughter of the flower-shop owner," the officer realised. "I've seen her and her mom there a couple of times, chatted with them a bit. I do remember them sending their kid off to some out of town university or school. Alright, I guess it checks out. You have a good day now".
"Likewise," Aisha said and waved goodbye as the officer left.
"Well... That went better than expected," Musa said. "You handled that pretty smoothly".
"Well, in these kinds of situations, you want to seem open and give them enough information to build a picture of their own. If that picture makes sense they won't ask any more questions, enabling you to keep whatever you want hidden," Aisha explained. "It's a fairly standard tactic when it comes to making trades and deals".
"Huh. Maybe there's something useful to be learnt from those royal studies after all," Musa mused.
"Yeah. It's just a bit well hidden," Stella admitted as the three moved on.
...
Aisha stared at her burger. Then her eyes turned to her fries. Then she looked at her companions, who were sitting on the other side of the table.
"Well?" Musa asked. "What's wrong?"
"We didn't get any cutlery," Aisha said confused.
Stella glanced around the fastfood place they had walked into. "Nobody's using cutlery. Just use your hands".
Aisha stared at her food, then at her hands.
"Don't worry, it's not acidic," Musa commented. "And if you do get something on your dainty princess hands, you can clean them in the bathroom".
"But eating with your hands is just... So uncivilised," Aisha argued. "Plus, you'll get dirty real fast".
Musa just sighed in response.
"Well, most of this looks somewhat familiar," Stella stated as she finished inspecting the layers of the burger. "Not sure what all of it is, but it looks somewhat like stuff I've had before".
Musa took an experimental bite and after swallowing it, said: "Tastes fine in my opinion". She glanced at Aisha, who still hadn't touched her food. "Seriously, did your parents tell you that you would die if you touched food?"
"You remind me of Anne," Aisha quietly said. "She would always question everything. Nothing was ever just what it was to her. She would poke and prod everything I had been taught, and I... I could never answer her questions".
"Maybe there's a reason for that," Musa commented.
"But I'm a princess," Aisha argued. "There are certain precepts and rules I have to follow. It's part of being a princess... No, part of being a royal".
"But you don't know why it is," Musa stated.
"Look, Aisha, I'm a princess too, right?" Stella brought up. "And I know what to do with fancy dinners and such. But this isn't a fancy dinner. It's just fastfood. There's a time and a place for those rules and this isn't it".
"I don't think my parents ever said anything about when the rules won't be applying," Aisha argued.
"Look... Okay, first off, I'm not trying to insult your parents," Musa said, with as much patience as she could muster. "But maybe, just maybe, your parents never envisioned you being outside of the royal life. Maybe they've never been so themselves. But Stella here has spent a lot of time both inside and outside the royal world. So I'd advise you to listen to her".
Aisha glanced at her friends, then at her burger. "I guess I could give it a try," she finally said and carefully picked the burger up.
...
"It's great to finally be home again," Bloom said as she entered through the door.
"I'm glad you think so," her mom said as she put some groceries on the kitchen table. "Now then, we'll go pick up your friends in... Let's say about three hours from now".
"Sounds fine," Bloom said. "Oh, and by the way, I should probably introduce you to the pixies". She opened the bag Musa had handed to her and the pixies immediately shot out.
"Thank goodness, I was starting to get cooked in there," Tune said. "Honestly, Musa should freshen that bag up with something".
"She'll have to if she ever expects us to hide inside that thing again," Piff commented.
"Mom, these are the pixies. Tune, Piff, Glim, Livy and Amore" Bloom said, the respective pixies bowing as their names were mentioned.
"Never expected I'd ever be visited by Tinkerbell," Vanessa commented. "Well, as long as you don't flatten any of our walls, we'll get along".
"Somebody flattened your walls?" Livy asked. "Walls are supposed to be upright".
"Yes. A couple of times," Vanessa said as she sat down by the kitchen table. "So, Bloom, how has school been?"
"School itself has been busy. We're learning a lot of new things," Bloom said as she too sat down by the table. "But it's not what's really been tiring me out".
"Oh?" her mother questioned.
"Remember the part where we found out I was actually a princess?" Bloom asked.
"Yeah, it was like one of your little girl fantasies come true," Vanessa chuckled.
"Yeah, except my fantasies never involved so much politics," Bloom commented. "I've gotten extra classes just to get me up to date with all the rules and social norms and such. It's a nightmare, let me tell you".
"If it gets too much, couldn't you just abdicate?" her mom questioned.
"Well, I guess I could," Bloom said. "But that would pretty much kill my royal line, or at least move the burden to my hypothetical kids. Or it could fling the responsibility over to some far off family and give them more power. I don't know, it's really complicated. So I'm not considering abdicating at this point". Bloom paused for a moment. "Plus, finding out I'm a princess has actually made me very rich, though most of it's frozen until I officially become a queen. I could actually do some good with that money. Both Techna and Musa have certainly come up with several suggestions".
"I suppose that would be the best way to handle it," Vanessa considered.
"But to get back to the subject of how annoying things are, remember Sky?" Bloom asked. "All that trouble I had with him? Solely because of said rules. Turns out, he was part of an arranged marriage he could barely talk about because he was undercover as a squire. And yes, it's as stupid as it sounds. He even admits to it".
"Well, that is certainly different from how things work around here," Vanessa agreed. "So, is he your boyfriend again?"
"Mooom. Not the point," Bloom responded a bit annoyed, her cheeks already flushing with colour.
"It's a parent's privilege to pick on their children," her mother responded with a cheeky smile.
"Well, speaking of boyfriends, if I ever do get one I will have to hold a press conference just to make sure I quell the worst rumours," Bloom sighed. "Honestly, I've had whole articles written about me based on random comments I've made".
"Such is the life of the famous I guess," Vanessa said with a shrug. "At least you're free from them here".
"Yes. It's just that being on Earth brings other problems," Bloom agreed. "Well, let's hope nothing goes horribly wrong this time. There are enough problems going around without us alerting those men in black types that keep dropping by".
...
"You want to go clubbing? This time of the day?" Musa asked as they walked down the road, noisy cars passing by. "Look, they've got cars with wheels. I wouldn't be surprised if they've also got nightclubs that are open in the middle of the day," Stella replied.
"Actually, there are clubs back in Magicalis that are open all day, for your information," Musa responded. "But my point is that there's probably not going to be a lot to do. You heard the officer back in the mall. Most people are most likely in school or at work at this time of day".
"I assume that by clubbing, you don't mean we will be beating people down with clubs," Aisha commented.
"No, that only happens if things go very wrong," Stella said.
"Or very right if you ask Techna," Musa added, shaking her head.
"But if the only issue is that the place will be light on people, then it will be the perfect opportunity to introduce Aisha to the concept," Stella argued. "Let her loosen up a bit. I think it could help".
"Eternally optimistic, aren't you?" Musa dryly quipped.
"Ah, there's the one I heard people mention," Stella said and pointed. Across the street was a large building with neon signs on the front, the soft thumps of a beat audible across the street. "Gardenia Dance Hall. Sounds just like what we need".
"Well... I guess it could be fun," Musa said with a shrug as they crossed the street. They walked up to the bouncer. "Hey, this place open?"
"Sure is," the either bald or clean-cut man responded.
"Wait, I just remembered I forgot to buy a souvenir for Brandon," Stella suddenly realised. "You two go in. I'll be right back". Then she charged off.
"Typical," Musa sighed. "First she's all 'Let's go to the club, please'. The moment we get here, she suddenly has to be elsewhere".
"So, does that mean you'll still be going in or...?" the bouncer questioned.
"Sure, why not," Musa responded.
They paid the entrance fee and entered the main room. Coloured lights illuminated the otherwise dark room, while thumping music played from the loudspeakers.
"I think they should get the lighting fixed," Aisha commented. "It's not even the right colour".
"Wrong, this is just how a club looks," Musa said. "Not that different from some of the clubs I've visited, to be honest".
"And... What do we do here?" Aisha asked as they made their way into the middle of room.
"We dance. Or have a drink. Or find a corner to sit and talk in," Musa said. "Honestly, just whatever you feel like, as long as it isn't against the rules. And I don't think I need to fear you breaking anything, least of all the rules".
"But I don't know any dances that go with this..." Aisha said, struggling to find the right word. Finding no word that could both describe the sound she heard and remain what a proper lady would say, she just went with: "Music".
"Just improvise," Musa suggested. "Like... See that guy over there? Does he look like he knows what he's doing?"
"Honestly, I was considering if he was having stroke," Aisha admitted.
Musa couldn't help but chuckle a bit, before saying: "This is about having fun and letting loose. You go a little bit nuts and improvise. I think you'll find that you like it".
"I can try," Aisha said a bit uncertain and shrugged.
Meanwhile, sitting around a table, several pairs of eyes followed the newly arrived.
"Hey, anybody seen those chicks around here?" one of them, a skinny boy with a red mohawk and a white suit, asked.
"Nope. Haven't seen them around town either," a burly and older teen with spiky blond hair said.
"Well, maybe we should go introduce them to the Gardenia Suits," the final one said. He was dressed in a smoking and had purple hair that looked like someone had bombed an afro.
...
"I wish it would really snow instead of this," Mirta sighed as she and Flora walked down the forest path. Around them, everything was wet, grey, muddy and covered in slowly rotting leaves.
"Patience. Let the temperature drop a bit more and we will surely see snow," Flora said comfortingly.
"I look forward to it," the redhead said. "I mean, I like winter and I like autumn. But between the two, there's this... Period of time where stuff's just really grey".
"I will admit, it is not the most aesthetically pleasing of sceneries," Flora said and nodded. "But it too will pass".
Suddenly, to both of their surprise, they saw Helia walk up the muddy path towards them.
"Hello Helia. What are you doing around here?" Flora asked conversationally.
"Oh, me? I was... Actually, I was looking for you. Both of you," Helia clarified, looking a bit nervous. "Was told back at Alfea that you had gone for a walk, you see".
"And you were looking for us because...?" Mirta asked, trying to help the nervous artist along.
"Well, I've been thinking... You know, maybe I should expand on my artistic capabilities," Helia started.
"I thought that was what you were doing by studying dynamics with Bloom," Flora brought up.
"It was. But I was thinking of... You know, maybe something beside painting," Helia continued. "So I... Well, I decided to try my hand at poetry... And I've made something. Nothing much, really. Just a line. But I wanted to hear if maybe you thought I was on to something".
"Would it not make more sense to write the entire piece of poetry before subjecting it to criticism?" Flora questioned, scratching her head.
"Let's just hear what he's got," Mirta added. "I actually really want to hear it".
"Right, so, I didn't know what to write about," the artist nervously rambled on. "So I finally just decided to make an ode to nothing".
"And what have you written?" Flora asked.
Helia cleared his throat and read aloud with as much drama as he could muster: "Nothing. Despite its definition, fewer words have more meaning".
Silence filled the half-frozen forest. The black-haired artist carefully peaked over the edge of the paper, trying to gauge their reactions.
"It is a start," Mirta said. "Just don't try to force it. Like your paintings, poetry must come from the heart".
"I'll... I'll keep that in mind," Helia continued. His cheeks were starting to flush.
"You must really value our input," Flora stated. "Considering that you came all the way out here to have us judge one line. That is actually pretty flattering, though I will suggest you make more before attempting to get our opinion next time. Might give us a better idea of what you are aiming for".
"I'll... Keep that in mind. Anyway, I must be off now. Stuff to do and such," Helia said and marched down the road.
"I notice he is starting to get easily flustered around us," Flora mused.
"He's just shy," Mirta giggled. "I can relate".
...
Musa made sure to keep an eye on Aisha as they danced. It was obvious that the brunette was completely unfamiliar with letting loose, awkwardly dancing from foot to foot and constantly trying to see if anybody was laughing or judging her. In a way, Musa started to feel sorry for her. Sure, her ignorance really hit a sore spot at times, but was that really Aisha's fault? It's not like she choose to be raised that way. And furthermore, Musa started to notice that the girl wasn't merely unwilling to step outside her appointed role as princess. She was almost completely incapable. The black-haired girl began to understand, at least a little, why Stella and Flora constantly tried to help her out of the box that had been built around her. Still, ignorance couldn't excuse all the princess' comments. One would think the girl would at least have learned some common sense. Or would she? Musa was actually unsure. Maybe she should look up how things work in Tides before judging the brunette too harshly.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice going: "Hey there, doll. New in town?"
Musa turned to see the Suit with purple hair walk over towards her, flanked by his two companions. "As a matter of fact, I am," she responded as she stopped dancing. "What's it to you?"
"Well, I happen to be the leader of the Gardenia Suits. No contest, the coolest gang in Gardenia," he said, his purple hair swaying all over the place. "So I decided to be nice and come say hi. Not everyday a pair of cuties like you two come marching into our little hangout".
"I suppose I should be flattered," Musa said dryly.
"If you feel like it," the Suit responded. "So, wanna come to our table? Feel free to bring your friend over there along, we won't mind".
"Oh really?" Musa asked with a provocative smirk. "Are you sure you can handle a girl like me?"
"Hah, babe, no insult meant, but I've hung with plenty of girls," the Suit leader said confidently. "And I know how to treat you. Don't think this is my first time to the rodeo".
"Well, that does explain what happened to your hair," Musa commented. "Guess that's why they call it a cowlick".
The two other Suits immediately burst into laughter, as their boss' grin stiffened.
"She got you there, boss," the scrawny one laughed, using his bigger friend for support.
"Well, you certainly got the trash talking down," the boss admitted. "Think you can back it up?"
"Depends. What do you have in mind?" Musa asked.
"A dance fight. Let's get a proper beat going so we can see who's really got the moves," the Suit boss said.
"You know what? You're on," Musa said with an enthusiastic grin. "Just don't be a sore loser when you get your ass handed to you by a girl".
"Babe, if you can actually out-dance me, you'll have earned my respect for a lifetime," the Suit leader responded. He turned to the DJ and called: "Yo, Thomas. Put on something with some real tempo. We're having a dance off".
"Got it, boss," the DJ responded.
Musa and the Suit entered the middle of the room as everybody else moved out of the way. They took a stance across from each other as the music stopped while the DJ found something with some go in it.
The black-haired musician quickly noted the sheer amount of people with wild hairdos and snazzy clothes. "Friends of yours?"
"The Suits stick together, even just to cheer," the leader replied.
"Alright, everybody get ready to party," the DJ said excitedly as he put the disk in. "Three, two, one, ROCK OUT!"
As the music started pumping, the two dancers immediately started moving. The Suit was somewhat traditional, his style based on mimicking music videos and learning from other challengers. He combined different move sets, switching style as the music changed tone.
Musa had no formal training in dancing, but knew how music worked and had enough martial training to know her body in and out. Her style was improvised, following the rhythm with twists and turns, as they seemed appropriate.
The music was varied, changing style and instruments quite often, though not randomly. There was a clear flow through it that allowed the dancers to comfortably change their style. People stood enraptured as the two of them squared off, improvisation meeting replication. The new and experimental versus the tried and true.
On the sideline, Aisha stared. Again, she couldn't help but think of Anne. She had also liked music and dancing. She had even insisted that Aisha danced with her, though there was never any of the style or routine from the dances Aisha had learnt. She remembered actually having a bit of fun just going with the flow. And as she watched them dance, she started realising what Musa had meant by just letting loose.
Finally, the music halted and the two dancers stopped, sweat dripping from their brows. Cheers broke out from the assembled audience, as did whistling and clapping.
"Hmm, not bad, girl," the Suit admitted. "Not used to seeing moves like yours, but they were awesome".
"You're actually not bad yourself," Musa admitted. "So, how was it getting beaten?"
"Hah, was about to ask you the same," the Suit chuckled. He glanced around the audience. "How about we call it a tie?"
"Do I still get your respect?" Musa cheekily asked.
"Doll, you've earned it," came the response. "With moves like yours, I'm just about ready to give you a personal invite to the gang".
"Sorry, but I'll be leaving town soon," Musa said. "But I might be tempted to drop by here next time I'm in town. And next time, I will cream you".
"I'll be looking forward to the rematch," the Suit said with an excited smile.
"Wow, that was impressive," Bloom said as she made her way through the crowd, followed by Stella. "Hey, Jasper. How have the Suits been doing?"
"You know this guy?" Musa asked a bit surprised, gesturing to the Suit boss.
"Sure, I went to school with him," Bloom replied. "Hung out with them a few times. Really, they're harmless".
"No cool, girl. No dissing da Suits," Jasper said, adjusting his smoking.
"Hey, I said harmless, not classless," Bloom cheekily added. "Besides, I think I prefer the Suits to be the cool neighbourhood kids whose worst offence is breaking school regulations for clothes and hair".
"What else would we do? Rob people like a pack of two-bit thugs?" Jasper questioned and sniffed. "Ain't anything stylish 'bout that".
"And that's what I like about you guys," Bloom said. "So, what are you doing here? Is this another one of those Truancy Days you've arranged?"
"Yeah. Gotta show them they can't keep us confined by a schedule," Jasper said. After a moment, he admitted: "Plus, we've only got one class today, so it ain't like we're missing much. The flu's been hitting the staff pretty hard".
"I can imagine. Anyway, would you mind me taking my friends with me? We kinda have to go now," Bloom continued.
"Only if you promise to bring them back one day. Have a rematch to win," Jasper said.
"You'd probably be better off taking a nap, because that's only going to be happening in your dreams," Musa taunted.
"We'll see about that, doll," Jasper replied with a challenging smirk. "And have a nice day".
"Likewise," Musa said as she and the others left the club.
"Well, looks like you had fun," Stella commented. "I barely had time to get a souvenir for Brandon before Bloom called".
"Sorry 'bout that," Bloom said apologetically.
"Anyway, yes, we did have fun. Well, I did," Musa said. "What about you, Aisha?"
The brunette thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I did have fun," she finally admitted. "Though I might have to try it again to be really sure".
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Musa said with a smile.