Chapter 18 - Seeing the Show

Azel woke on Friday already anticipating the whole day to come. He went through the rounds of his morning routine with a spring in his step, arriving at the Dry Vein before he could even realize it. Once he was there, he headed down to the area Petru set aside for him and Mead to work on the venom fermentae.

Mead was already there, looking over the diony seeds they had recently started growing. She smiled and greeted Azel warmly as soon as she noticed he showed up.

"Azel! Hey, good morning!"

Azel gave Mead a smile of his own. "Hey. Already looking over the plants, I see."

"Yep! Gotta make sure the moisture levels are just right, wouldn't want to be feeding dead seeds after all!"

"Do we actually have to worry about that? They're supposed to be hardy, right?"

"Well, yeah, Mister Laurent even set us up with seeds from an extra hardy strain, but you can never be too careful, especially when using something like venom to feed them!"

"Oh, speaking of that…" Azel paused. He moved over to a cart loaded with clean containers and picked one of them up. "Can I get your help with extracting some venom for today?"

Mead beamed. "Yeah, of course!"

Azel sat down in a chair next to the cart and bit down over the rim of the container. Mead watched as he filled the container with venom. When the flow from his fangs started to slow down, she gently massaged the sides of his head above the jaw, coaxing more venom to pour into the container.

When the container was filled appropriately, Azel released his bite and handed it to Mead. She covered the container, marked the date on it, and put it in a nearby fridge to store it.

"Okay, that's as much as I can put out for today. You know, it feels nice when you do that."

"Really? I looked up how to do it just for you!"

Azel smiled. "You already do it way better than most of the collectors at the clinic ever did, I appreciate it."

He moved up to Mead and grabbed her in a hug, which she happily returned. The two stood embracing for a few minutes, and even shared a short kiss before breaking off.

"So, Azel, what else are you going to do today?"

"Well, I figured I'd head down to the Mirage to practice for whenever my next show is. Maybe once you're done here, you could come watch," Azel offered.

"Of course! It's always so much fun watching you practice!"

"And then after work…"

The two of them smiled and shared another hug.

"I've been waiting for it ever since Nadine mentioned her show!"

"Me too, I just can't wait to go out and see it with you."

"Well, we've got a whole day before then, so let's get to it!"

After another kiss, the two of them got back to their work, eager to make it to the end of the day.

—

Lucia showed up to the Hall of Records eager for the night to arrive, but no less enthusiastic about work. A couple of days ago, Cato had confirmed that the Hall's new employee would be starting today, and she was eager to start managing the scrolls after being introduced to her new coworker.

As she stepped into the lobby, Lucia could already hear Cato's voice. Once she was inside, she saw him speaking to a crimson-furred coyote boy who appeared to be just a little younger than her. Notably, his legs ended at stumps too short to even have knees, and he was sitting in a wheelchair behind the lobby desk.

"…You will be required to maintain a certain degree of decorum while working here, Master Rossi. Be punctual, respect the Hall's archives, and bring a healthy attitude to work."

"Yes, sir. Makes sense to me." The young man nodded emphatically.

"Indeed." Cato turned his head to look at Lucia, who was standing in the doorway. "Ah, Miss Santoro. You've arrived at a convenient time. This is Master Niccolo Rossi, he will be overseeing the lobby starting today. Master Rossi, Miss Lucia Santoro, your senior coworker who will be working in the reading room now that you are working here."

Lucia took a moment to respond. She walked over to Niccolo and extended her hand to him. "Nice to meet you."

He took her hand, rising slightly out of his wheelchair to meet her. "Ah, same, Miss Santoro! I'm sure we'll be fast friends!"

"Well, then, now that introductions are settled, Miss Santoro, I'll be expecting you to get Master Rossi acquainted with his new station. Once you are certain he knows all he needs to, you may head to your own new station and begin managing the scrolls there."

"Y-yes, Mr. Cato, sir."

"Good. I will be in my office, finalizing the young master's paperwork, if you happen to need anything."

With that final statement, Cato departed for his office, leaving the two coworkers to speak with each other.

"So, you're the new guy, then," Lucia began. "You can call me Lucia. Sorry about Mr. Cato, he can be a lot to handle on most days, um, Niccolo, was it?"

"Just Nico's fine! And I don't mind Mr. Cato that much! He just wants the best for this place, after all!"

"Hm, I guess you're right… Come to think of it, I think I have a friend who's just like that, too."

Nico perked up. "A friend? Someone like Azel?"

"No, I mea-" Lucia paused and froze up. "H-how do you, I mean, why that name in particular?"

"Is it a familiar name to you? I thought so. Maybe Radiant Ring is too…"

"A-are you in…"

"Yep! You didn't think I just got a job here for no reason, did you?"

"Well, no one said anything about who the other members were…"

Nico frowned for a short moment. "Oh. I guess that makes sense! Secret group and all!"

"More importantly, you got a job here because of me? How did you even…?"

"My parents! They're the ones who founded the Ring, and they keep tabs on everyone connected to the group, even friends of the performers! Since you're a friend of our latest member, I applied for the job the moment I found out this place was hiring!"

Lucia paled. "They were watching me this whole time? That's… kind of creepy, really…"

Nico wheeled back slightly. "Yeah sorry, I get it. Not the best introduction, I guess…"

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that! In fact, I should have figured someone was doing that for the Ring."

"You're sure? It is pretty creepy. I mean, really, something like, 'I stalked you just to get to know your friend better,' isn't the best kind of thing to tell someone."

Lucia nearly burst into laughter, forcing herself to chuckle quietly instead.

"Something funny, Lucia?"

"Heh, it's just that, I make jokes just like that with Azel and the others all the time!"

"Really? You've gotta tell me more!"

"Okay, but first I should teach you about your new job, otherwise Mr. Cato will never let me hear the end of it!"

"Heh, well then, teach away, Lucia!"

Lucia went through the basics of the lobby job with Nico. When she finished, they retreated to the reading room for privacy, and she started telling him stories about her interactions with Azel, his workmates, and the other Radiant Ring members. Nico had a smile all the way across his face when she finished.

"Wow! All that just from Azel coming in here for research!"

"Yeah," Lucia nodded. "Chance encounter of a lifetime, really!"

"So, when's Azel's next show? I'd love to see just what he brings to the group!"

"Well, the thing is, the police in Ruskol have been following a lead on his shows, so he's putting them on hold while the heat dies down."

"Ah, yeah, I get that. It's a real shame though, I was looking forward to seeing the new guy in action…"

"We were planning on seeing a show tonight, though. You know the Ribbon Queen, right?"

Nico perked up. "Of course! Her act's pretty amazing if you've never seen it before!"

"Azel's going to be there, if you want to come with me after work. I bet you two would get along pretty well."

"Yeah, that sounds good! I can't wait to meet him!"

Lucia smiled. "8 o'clock tonight, at the Sabbaton telepad station. I'll see you then?"

"Sounds good, something to look forward to! But I guess until then, we should actually get to work!"

"Heh, I nearly forgot! Well, it's been good talking to you, Nico!"

"Same here, Lucia! I'll see you tonight, then!"

With the plans made, Nico wheeled himself back to the lobby while Lucia turned to her work. A smile crossed her face as she started reading and organizing the scrolls. In a span of time that seemed to pass much faster to her, her shift came to an end and she returned home to prepare for the coming night.

—

Fen sat on a bench waiting for the telepads to arrive. A quick glance at the schedule displayed on a nearby data-scroll assured him that the one from Ruskol would be here soon, yet his mind raced as he sat there, waiting. In a short time, though, the telepad from Ruskol whirred into existence and he saw a familiar trio heading in his direction.

"Hey, there ya are! Ya had me worried ya weren't gonna make it!"

"Yeah, we're here!" Mead said with a smile. "It's a good thing Percy knows his way around, or we might've got stuck in Ruskol all night!"

"Oof, I can imagine! Woulda fuckin' sucked if ya missed tha show!"

Azel gave Fen a faint smile. "That's a bit of an understatement…"

"Well, the point is we're here now. I guess we just have to wait for Lucia to show up, then?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, should be about…" Fen took another glance at the schedule. "Just a few more minutes before tha Theophanies 'pad shows up."

"So, about the show! It's an acrobatics thing, right?"

"Well, I don't wanna spoil too much, but pretty much, yeah!"

"Must be a real sight to see…" Azel thought aloud.

"Oh, that's for sure. When she really gets going, well, like Fen said, I don't want to spoil it."

The group spent a short time chatting until the telepad from Theophanies arrived. Fen noticed Lucia quickly, but then did a double take as he saw the person she was pushing in a wheelchair.

"Ho-ly shit… is that Nico?"

"Another friend of yours?" Mead asked.

"Yeah, didn't think he'd be comin', though."

Fen smiled and got up to meet the other two, with the rest of the group following behind.

"Nico, holy shit I was not expectin' ta see ya here tonight!"

Nico smiled. "Good to see you too, Fen."

"An' ya came here with Lucia too… Small fuckin' world, I guess!"

"Heh, yeah, if stalking someone makes the world small!" Lucia said with a laugh. "His words, not mine!"

Percy chuckled. "Perks of being related to the people on top, I'd say."

Azel took a moment before speaking. "So you're…"

"Yep! Same as Fen! Name's Nico! And you must be Azel! Great to finally meet you!"

Nico extended a hand, which Azel took gingerly, resulting in Azel getting a much more energetic handshake than expected. After an exchange of introductions, Nico did the same with Mead, and the group headed to the commercial level, where Nadine would be holding her show.

Fen took point leading the group, guiding them away from large crowds, while Percy pointed out the occasional camera or CCA patrol.

"You know, I didn't expect the show would actually be in the Sabbaton Towers," Azel said as the group went along. "What with the CCA being even more present here…"

"Yeah," Mead nodded. "It's gotta be tough finding hidden places to perform around here! I mean, I've spent most of my life living in the Towers, and I couldn't even point one out!"

"Well, not every show has ta be in some hole in tha ground! An' RQ's been livin' here a long time too, plus she's been keepin' track a all tha places tha CCA doesn't bother ta check!"

"Hey, Fen, why are we still calling her that? I mean, we all know…"

"Nico, come on! It's called subtlety! An' ya know she's real serious about keepin' her identity a secret!"

"You never know just who could be watching or listening in, after all." Percy noted. "Ah, on that note, camera up ahead, Fen. Let's take a right to avoid it."

Lucia took a look over where Percy indicated. "You've got all the cameras in the Towers memorized? I didn't even see that one until you pointed it out."

"In a way, yes. Call it a photographic memory."

Fen smirked at the comment, and Lucia smiled faintly.

"Ah, back on the topic of subtlety, I have to agree on the watching or listening part," Azel spoke up. "Given recent… personal experience."

Nico looked down. "Oh, yeah. That. Sorry, I'm not great with the whole subtlety thing…"

"Hey, no worries, Nico! Yer still pretty new ta this after all! It'll come ta ya in time!"

"Well, in that case, I guess I'll just have to keep working on it, then!"

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about! Now, it shouldn't be too far ta get there…"

The group continued making small talk as they approached an area under renovation. One of the work crew members noticed Fen and waved him and the group through, leading them to a large, open area, dimly lit except for the center. A barricade held a large crowd of spectators out of the central area, which was completely cleared out. Two stories of walkways ringing the area held even more of the venue's audience.

Mead looked around. "This building style looks pretty familiar, was this supposed to be a mall?"

Fen nodded. "Yep, one that never took off! Ya take that, put some lucre in tha right hands, add a few well-paid bouncers ta pose as a work crew out front, an' ya got one a Radiant Ring's best hidden venues, right in tha Sabbaton Towers!"

"Wow, all that to hold the Ribbon Queen's act here?" Lucia asked. "That's got to be a huge amount of effort for one place!"

Azel nodded. "Yeah, I never could've imagined something on this scale…"

"Hey, Fen said it best, not every venue is a hole in the ground! And I hear Na- RQ makes the lucre that goes into it back pretty easily, if you couldn't tell from the crowd!"

"Huh. That makes me feel a little guilty. I know I just joined, but my shows weren't really set up to pay out like that…"

Nico turned his head to Azel. "Oh, don't worry about that, Azel! Radiant Ring isn't really about who's getting paid at the end of the day! From day one, it's always been about freedom of expression through using powers!"

"Yeah! All that really matters is that yer helpin' carry tha message, an' ya had that down from tha moment ya started performin'!"

Percy nodded. "That's right, the only reason lucre is important here is because of all the work that goes into keeping a venue in Sabbaton. The Dry Vein has its own system, and honestly it's easier for everyone that way."

"Well, when you all put it that way, I guess it's kind of a silly thing to worry about…"

Mead gave Azel a hug, causing him to smile. "Yeah, no use worrying about it! We should just sit back and enjoy the show!"

"On that note, do you think we should try to find a better place to see it from? Maybe one where the crowd is less in the way?"

"Oh, yeah! Good point, Lucia! Tha middle level should be good, I think!"

Following Fen's suggestion, the group started moving up toward a higher level of the mall turned theater. Though the only way up was by stairs, Nico's wheelchair only proved to be a temporary setback; Fen carried him up as Lucia brought the chair up with her.

"Heh, I guess that's part of why this place never took off," Nico said with a laugh, "No ramps or anything for people like me!"

Mead looked over at Nico. "Has that been much of a problem for you? Sorry to ask…"

"Eh, I don't mind! My legs have been like this since before I could even remember, so I don't let it get to me!"

Lucia paused, setting the wheelchair down. "Not since birth though? Was it some sort of accident?"

Nico slid back into the chair with Fen's help. "Something like that. But it'd kind of kill the mood to bring up right now…"

"Yeah, that's puttin' it lightly. Let's just drop it an' focus on tha show."

Azel shrugged. "I guess that would be better for everyone…"

Mead snuggled close to Azel. "Yeah, let's just focus on the show! It's about to start soon, right?"

"Right," Percy nodded. "Shouldn't be too much longer, now."

Putting the topic aside, the group turned their attention to the center stage and waited for the show to begin.

—

Nadine sat in a room on the highest level of the theater, going through her final preparations before starting the show. She wore the same outfit from the day of Fen's fight with Azel, and spent her remaining time making sure that everything was in place.

Once everything was in place with her outfit, she put her mask on, activated her power, and turned to the room's entrance, which was concealed behind a thick curtain.

Staring out from a sliver in the curtain, Nadine used her power. In an instant, a gold ribbon materialized straight at the center of the theater's ceiling and began spiraling down to the floor. Hearing the audience's cheering at the trademark start to her show, she smiled behind her mask and took several steps back.

A running start led into the Ribbon Queen bursting out from the curtain, leaping out into the center of the theater, and grasping the ribbon. From there, she descended safely to the floor and ended the display with an elegant bow.

As she finished her bow, the Ribbon Queen grabbed hold of the ribbon once again, and it began to lift her up. She posed and swirled around as she rose, changing hands as needed to make the movement more fluid.

Midway through her ascent, the ribbon disappeared, causing gasps to erupt from the audience. Showing no apparent concern, the Ribbon Queen used her power again, creating a silver ribbon hanging across the middle viewing area, which she caught within moments of it appearing.

She swung herself around the ribbon and launched herself upward. With a twirl in the air, she landed so that she was now standing on its narrow length. A few jumps from there led into a leap, where she grabbed onto another ribbon manifested onto the ceiling, which she proceeded to swing from.

From there, the Ribbon Queen began using her power to create multicolored ribbons mere moments after the previous ones, either as handholds or footholds as was necessary.

Eventually, she made it to the ceiling and began descending and ascending from varying heights, showcasing her ability to control her power and body with the greatest of ease.

The show continued in this manner for a time that the Ribbon Queen wished could last forever. The raw exhilaration of defying death with her perfectly timed power use was a rush that she lived for, and she knew the audience was eating the show up.

With one final return to the ceiling, the Ribbon Queen began her closing act. Hanging onto the barest sliver of a ribbon at the dead center of the ceiling, she looked around the audience to see all eyes were on her.

Smiling behind the mask, she deactivated her power, and began to fall in a nosedive. As the ground drew ever closer, there were gasps and some screams from the audience.

Once she passed the middle viewing ring, the Ribbon Queen activated her power once more, and a gold ribbon much like the one from the start of the show raced down from the ceiling to wrap around her with only moments to spare.

The ribbon arrested her momentum to the point that her head was only a few inches from the ground before she came to a complete stop. Once she was no longer under gravity's control, she used her power to set herself upright.

The bundled up Ribbon Queen began to ascend, once more, to the sound of cheering throughout the theater. As she rose, she unraveled the ribbon and bowed to each tier of the audience on the way up.

When she reached the top level, another ribbon materialized underneath her leading straight back into the room she began in, which she walked along until she disappeared into it, the ribbon vanishing as soon as she was behind the curtains.

—

The audience erupted into cheers as the Ribbon Queen made her departure. Azel, Mead, and Lucia looked stunned while Percy, Fen, and Nico had pleased expressions on their faces.

"Holy shit… Some of those moves, it was like she was flying…" Azel said, as if in a trance.

Mead nodded. "That was so cool! The power use was one thing, but who knew she was so athletic?"

"That really was something to see…"

"See, I told you, Lucia! RQ's act is amazing!"

"Yep, that's RQ fer ya! Always bringin' tha best ta 'er shows!"

"It's been far too long since I've been able to see her in action… Still as great as ever."

"Do you think we can stop by and talk now that the show's over?"

Fen looked around. "Sounds like a plan, but maybe we should wait fer tha crowd ta clear out a little."

After some time was spent talking among themselves and waiting for the audience to clear out, the group eventually headed to the top level. After being waved through by the bouncers at its entrance, they passed into the curtained room. The area inside was set up like the backstage area of a regular theater, with props, costumes, and an area to prepare for shows.

Nadine was in the back of the room, mask off, reclining in a cushioned chair. She smiled as she saw the group approach her.

"Ah, there you are, loves! I take it you enjoyed the show?"

"Heh, yer damn right they did! I swear, 'Dine, if ya saw tha looks on their faces!"

Azel nodded. "It was honestly amazing. Thanks for recommending it to us."

"It was great as usual, Nadine! So glad I came up tonight!"

"Oh, Nico! Sorry, love, I almost forgot to greet you. I suppose you're all familiar by now?"

"I guess you could say that! Would you believe he got a job at the Hall of Records with me?"

Nadine laughed. "Using your parents' influence again, Nico? You could've just asked me or Fen to introduce you!"

Nico shrugged. "Well, you know, it just seemed like more fun this way!"

"Makes for a better story, right?"

"Yeah! I knew you'd get it, Azel!"

"So, Nadine, about the show!" Mead said. "The way you were able to move like that was amazing!"

"Thank you. It takes a lot of work, keeping that sort of physique, and I'm glad you appreciated it."

Percy nodded. "Years of practice and careful routine maintenance, and it's nice to see you're still keeping at it with how busy you can be."

"Well, I do have to have my hobbies, after all." Nadine said with a laugh.

"So," Nico said after a moment, "Now that you've all seen Nadine's show, I kind of want to show you mine. You know, since Azel's shows are off the table for now."

"I think Fen mentioned your shows, once. You're the one who's doing them in Theophanies, right?"

"Yep! Me and my parents, actually! All three of us, using our powers to put on a show that'll shock and terrify you right down to your bones!"

"Oh, so a horror show? That sounds like fun!"

"It would be good to see some more types of acts. I think you can count us in." Azel said, nodding in agreement with Mead.

Lucia paused. "So between all of you, we have historical reenactment, martial arts and fighting, acrobatics, and now horror? Just how many different acts does Radiant Ring have?"

Fen smiled. "Well, that's kinda tha beauty a tha whole thing! With all tha different kinds a powers there are, tha list just goes on an' on!"

"Well, I think a horror show run by the Ring's very founders would be quite the next step for you all! So, Nico, love, when can we expect you to have the show ready?"

"Hm, I think if Azel's going to be seeing it, we'll have to take some extra time to really make it special! I'll run the idea by my parents first, and get back to you after we figure out how long it'll take to put together!"

"Whatever you come up with, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!" Mead said with a smile.

Azel nodded. "And until then, there'll be more time for power training and practicing, I guess!"

With the plans in place, the group continued to talk about performances throughout the night. As their time in the theater eventually drew to a close, Azel took a moment to think.

I didn't think I'd enjoy taking a break from my shows so much. But now, it seems like there's just so much to look forward to! Nadine's show was a great start, but now we're going to see a show put on Radiant Ring's founders and their son… Not to mention everything that could come after that!

Seeing new shows with all of my friends, and even making new ones along the way… I think I could get used to this…