Scarlet

“Couldn’t you have worn something nicer?” Denise continues whining as we sit in the back of a fancy limo floating through the air down the main air-street towards the closest mall. “Maybe something more-”

“No,” I cut her off again as I stare out the window at the passing windows of the high-rise buildings and the other cars – none of which are as fancy as the one we’re in.

The limo is quite large overall. It spans several meters in length and has a literal table in between the front and back halves of it, with refreshments magically grounded to the table. Meanwhile the limo has a very comfortable cushioned seat on one side of the limo, with special glass on each side that allows people inside to look out but no one outside to look in. And the driver area is completely cut off from our section, with some sort of call button located in various locations around the vehicle.

Much fancier than anything I’ve ever been in before. And also much nicer than that motorcycle that Sylver drives. Since I can sit further away from the others without having to be squeezed in.

“But why noooot!!!” Denise whines, “I’m sure you’d look absolutely stunning in a skirt and blouse!”

I finally turn to look at her, taking in her attire of a black skirt that goes down slightly lower than midway down her thighs, with a white and red blouse, jewel encrusted earrings in both ears, a pair of rather fancy heels, albeit not high heels thankfully, and a purse, and say, “Sorry, but even if I had the slightest bit of interest in that sort of clothing, it’s currently winter. What person in their right mind would wear that in winter?”

Denise just looks confused at my words before dropping her fist and hitting her other palm with the fist as her mouth opens to form an o, as if she had some sort of miraculous revelation. Then she just says with a shrug, “I don’t mind the cold. Never did. And I have a skill that makes me more resistant to the cold now as well.”

She… okay. That actually makes her attire make more sense now.

“Still a no,” I tell her while turning to look out the window again as she whines in frustration like a kid having a tantrum. Albeit a short one.

Just what’s with everyone trying to dress me up anyways? It’s frustrating.

“Don’t humans like seeing other good looking humans wearing clothes that bring out the wearer’s beauty?” Tar asks, making my eyes widen and my cheeks blush ever so slightly at the offhanded compliment that he clearly didn’t mean as a compliment.

I’ve personally never cared much about that. I wear what I wear – what’s comfortable to me – and no one can say anything otherwise. Except when there is literally a uniform restriction, like at the stupid social gathering tomorrow.

I’m just glad the university gives the girls a choice between pants and a skirt.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Michael looking out the window with a dead look in his eyes. One that kind of gives me the feeling that he’s done this before.

I wonder if that’s true? Because if it is, then it doesn’t bode well for this trip.

Meanwhile Emily is just playing a game on her terminal by the looks of it.

Speaking of terminals, I turn my attention to my own. The thing is basically just a magi-tech version of a phone that goes either on your arm or the sleeve of some sort of clothing or armor. And it’s easily removed and placed somewhere else. But each terminal is only geared to answer to one person based on their mana signature and their fingerprint scan, making it kind of pointless to steal unless someone just wants to deconstruct it.

The main benefit of the devices though is that they can access the internet through magic instead of radio waves. Meaning they can access the internet and connect with the outside world even inside of Fractures.

Out of nowhere, my terminal buzzes with a call from Belle. So I put my red, wireless earbuds in my ears and accept the call, making the video feed show her standing on the ground street in a much more open area than the main thoroughfare of the city. Likely on her campus grounds. Only for me to grow confused when I don’t hear anything she begins saying.

Or at least, I don’t hear anything very well. Like the earbuds aren’t in my ear or something

Are my earbuds broken?

“Switch ears dummy,” Tar says, making my mouth form an o in realization.

Oops.

I switch to my human ears before hearing what she’s saying midway through much more clearly, “-and so I’ll be picking him up at the station in an hour.”

“Would you mind repeating that?” I say quietly into the mic of my terminal.

She frowns for a second before shrugging and doing just that, “Arthur should be arriving in the city any moment now and I thought you might want to know. I’ll be picking him up in an hour.”

Oh. Okay.

“Cool,” I say in response while inwardly wondering how Arthur might react to seeing a Tier 1 city in person. Since it was a lot to take in when I first got here.

“I think we’ll be heading to the Silver Association base sometime tomorrow to see dad, so you wanna meet up then?” she asks with a hopeful look on her face. But right when I’m about to answer in the affirmative, I notice her eyes begin glancing towards my ears, so I narrow my eyes and answer, “As long as you don’t get anywhere near my ears.”

A look of surprise crosses her face, and she casually looks away from the screen while saying, “Oh, look! My ride is here! I’ll see you later!”

I narrow my eyes even further as she hangs up the call.

Now that wasn’t an obvious admission or anything.

“Attention young misses and young master,” a voice echoes from the speakers above us, making me turn my attention away from my terminal to look up as the driver addresses us. “We will be arriving at the Dragonfall Mall momentarily.”

Another business named after dragons? I wonder if there’s a connection between that hotel and the mall?

Just seconds later, the mall comes into view. And it’s really freaking massive. The building is even bigger than Silver Work’s main building in the city, and that building was one hundred floors. Just that this one seems to span most of its size horizontally and not vertically. Not that it isn’t tall, that is. It’s still massive in height too. Bigger than any building I’ve ever seen in a Tier 3 city just in height alone, not to mention the massive horizontal area it covers.

And just like with the hotel, there are dragons on the front of the building above the entrance. Just that this time they don’t appear to be the eastern ones. These have four legs and shorter tails. More like lizards than snakes. And there are two of them, both statues, standing right in front of the entrance facing each other.

Very fancy.