- Part of appearance:
Approaching the city of renowned nature and beauty was a large caravan driven by a horse. Sitting in the front of the carriage holding the reigns of the strong animal was in contrast a timid and weak young man fifteen year old man. The boy had scraggly blonde hair that seemingly overshadowed his amber eyes, he stood at a small stature of five feet and two inches, he was dressed in semi formal wear: dress pants, shoes, shirt, vest, and cardigan. His soft hands were trembling on the reigns. "Leon! Don't worry, show some confidence!" Came a voice from inside the caravan. It was his directly younger sister, Zina Mira. The shoulder length haired thirteen year old blonde girl was sitting by the front of the Caravan on the right, opposed to her future sister-in-law Ema. Ema was dressed ready for a semi-formal event herself.
Leon's shaking got worse for a moment as he gulped. "Confidence, right..." He said in almost a whisper tone. "Is, it, possible for someone else to drive? Luna perhaps?" He said in a slightly louder volume. Zina grimaced at her brother for a moment, Ema fell awkwardly silent, and the siblings mother felt the awkward silence as she in the middle on the left side decided to break the silence. "You know your sister isn't in any condition to drive right now." Shirain, the pink haired amber eye nature fairy was in her human form dressed in a strapless white dress.
A slight groan could be heard from the back right side of the caravan, the pink haired woman located there was indeed in great pain. Luna was in her human form dressed in a long grey skirt and a light hoodie. While insignificant to those that would pass her on the street, this was a particular outfit that Luna only wore on occasions where she was not at her best, whether that be serious injury or illness. The Sabertooth mage was laying on her back on a mat atop the bench, a pillow at her head with her left arm covering her eyes. Each breath was slightly labored as she was in great pain. She at first tried to say something but she never got passed a groan at first.
Ema looked over at Luna, wondering if Luna's presence out of Ace of Spades was actually a good idea let alone her leaving the house. She knew very little about the Mira family, however she knew that a third of the Caravan's occupants were more wise in the ways of medicine then her. "Are you sure it's a good idea for Luna to be out here? Wasn't she shanked through the ribs two days ago? Shouldn't she recover quietly at home?" Shirain chuckled in response. "If it was just a shank it wouldn't be a problem. Also I think the shank was three days ago. Luna's actually been working nonstop the past week or so."
Zina looked at her elder sister as she tried to recount the various injuries. "Right, started when she came home from a larger job, that was mostly just her stamina as she was still walking. Then there was the day she came home from fighting a holy horse, that mostly busted her shoulder. The next day she was just unlucky and a sword fell through her knee." Ema raised a eyebrow as that part seemed to be very confusing. "How does that just happen?"
Luna shifted her arm explosing one of her emerald eyes to be visible. "Bandit rushed me from behind and I shot him into the sky with terrakinesis. He dropped his sword mid air and when I got focus on him I caught him, but I didn't see the sword until it was too late. Also it was a magic sword that increases sharpness at the moment of contact that harder it hits something. Missed the bone but still hurt." Zina shuddered slightly at the thought of her sister being pierced by such a sword, but was still nonetheless impressed by Luna's adventures. "The next day, I think she went to a casino keep threatening and unwanted customers out for good. She managed to scare them off, but even then she took a shot from torrent bullet. Cracked a few of her ribs and gave her a horrible concussion, sprained knee. The day after she was trying to stop a bunch of birds from ravaging a farm."
Ema looked confused at how the last one was compared to the rest. "That one doesn't sound so bad?" Luna chuckled a bit as Zina had undersold the job. "They were a murder of three foot tall fire crows, and their five foot tall big mama managed to crash through one of my attacks and into my fist from a nosedive." Ema clicked her tongue. "Ah."
"Then the next two days Luna spent engaged in a constant battle with a sweatshop that targets and kidnaps children who possess crafting skills. The detective on the case got wind he was coming to Ace of Spades, and let me tell ya, that stitch magic really left a number on Luna's back. Followed by a few days ago when Luna was fighting off six men in a bar. Only walked away with a stab wound from a Fae Silver blade and a few sprains."
"That was after a job. I was in Motor city, my client lost a prototype vehicle and needed me to retrieve the vehicle. But he met me in secret at the bar, and some jerk didn't like me leaving without letting me buy him a drink, things got handsy, he ended up on the floor, his five friends came in. Also the knife was plated Fae Silver and it was rusty, so bad for infections, but the magical poisoning was low." Luna explained. Ema seemed to only be more confused by the last one."Isn't Fae Silver illegal?"
Luna sighed. "It is. A rare but dangerous metal only found in Seven, one cut from the stuff and it shuts off Fairy Magic. But that doesn't stop the criminal underworld from distributing it. Some peddlers say Fae silver is some form of enhancement as well, but that's a lie. Luckily I was able to get patched up until I was able to heal myself." Ema nodded, however the last point only seemed to confuse her all the more. "So if you are able to heal yourself and you were even treated by your mother prior to this trip, how are you so, beaten and worn down?"
Shirain chuckled a bit as the question seemed almost foolish to ask. She was used to explaining the common drawback of healing magic at this point. "Simply put, healing magic isn't undoing injuries, but helping along the natural processes. Which in turn also rely in part on the stamina of the body, and can drain in varying amounts. Fact is even if Luna was eating right, which I doubt, not to mention healing isn't always absolute, some injuries need to finish healing naturally. On the surface Luna's skin is flawless, also probably due to her God Slayer magic enhancing her skin. On the inside, Luna's still a bit beaten, torn, and probably still needs to eat more."
Ema gulped, slightly nervous as she was going to ask one last question. "So, is it a good idea for her to be working today?" She said as she recalled the reasoning for Luna to join was that she was already planning on a trip to Rose Garden. Leon and Ema were already on their way to Rose Garden. Leon's artwork was one of few on display in a gala for upcoming artists. On their way to Rose Garden, they stopped in Ace of Spades the day before to visit Luna. Luna was already in a bad condition at that point, despite getting a little better the next day she still insisted on joining the caravan on the way. "So, is it even safe for you to work?"
Luna nodded as she removed her arm from her face. "I can hold up for a few hours at a time. I got enough energy for that. It's nothing threatening, just modeling for Olga. She always has something, I mostly get the ones her favorite doesn't fit for one reason or another." Zina snickered at the thought. "C'mon Lu, you're not exactly the chopped liver, you're the underdog. Gaia's been flaunted around for a while, everyone knows her. You're fresh, new, upcoming. You could easily surpass her if you put your back into it."
Luna sighed as Zina was restarting the same debate they had when Luna occasionally modeled a few times for Olga. Her goals in life don't require fame, she merely wanted to support herself and those under her care. "As shallow as it sounds, I am only doing this as I can't do much else for jewels right now. I don't care about the spotlight, or usurping Gaia. I have nothing but the utmost respect for her as a fellow guild member, a bookworm, and a woman. I don't seek to take away anything form her. Besides I'm more likely the 'side girl' that puts on the stuff that Gaia doesn't for one reason or another."
Ema looked slightly concerned at Luna, after hearing about how Luna went back to back on dangerous work followed by Shirain's explanation, she had to wonder why Luna was dancing around with her physical and probably mental limits. "Are things that tight?" Luna managed to nod slightly. "Zina got kicked out of the previous school, having trouble finding her a decent job in Ace of Spades, paying tuition for anywhere else is immense. Then there's Solaris's bail. Even if I stopped paying her bail I'd still come short. Then there are the other expenses, like rent, food, Zina's allowance, maintenance of the family home, Leon's allowance-" Ema seemed to be caught slightly off guard by the last one. "His what?"
Leon thrashed the reigns causing the horse to speed up out of fear. "Anyways, I do have some stuff leftover for me. At the end of the day I can't deprive myself." Luna sighed as she sat up, grabbing her bottle of water and taking a long sip. "You poor girl. Seems like you're stuck playing both parents-" She bit her lip as she realized as he witting next to Shirain. "No offense." Shirain shrugged it off, she couldn't really be bothered to object as it wasn't completely wrong. "Fair enough. I never really existed to the Fiore government and what little they have is a lie. Sorta hard to be a legally dead parent these days. Besides I do try to help, it's just, I'm not ask, versatile philosophy as Luna." Ema sighed as she was starting to wonder why nearly everything being required some form of deep knowledge to understand.
"What does that mean?" She inquired to the group. "In plain language." She firmly demanded. "My mother is more pacifist then me, truer to the Vishda ways. She's only reactive. Also before you ask, it's dangerous for either of us to open a healing clinic. Those rarely end well, Nature Fairies are nearly extinct for a reason."
The Caravan made it's way through Rose Garden, and eventually came to a stop. Luna slowly stood up as she walked towards the backdoor. "This is my stop." She said as she picked up her water bottle. "Leon, Ema, I look forward to seeing you on the weekend. Zina, make sure you're home by ten tomorrow, mom, make sure Zina has no idea what you're doing and that she's home by ten tomorrow." Zina grumbled. "Alright mom I will-" Zina said in a sarcastic tone until she cut herself off realizing she was near their actual mother. "Sorry."
Shirain chuckled as she thought she couldn't really be offended, she knew Luna had to step up long before she should have. "Don't worry Luna, I have a feeling the night might be over quick, it's with a demigod of speed-" Luna waved her hand not wanting to hear any more details on the subject matter. "I don't need that image in my head. As brief as it is."
Luna slowly stepped out of the caravan and looked across the street towards the almost legendary shop, Olga's Boutique. Luna felt an ominous feeling on the back of her neck, the dark scar her long her covered tingled, a sensation that normally came right before some sort of danger. She swallowed some spit as she knew it was too late. "She already knows. Somehow."
Luna slowly crossed the street as she prepared herself as she made her way across the street and towards the shop. When she approached the door she slowly opened the door and walked in, looking about keeping her senses sharp as she recalled her previous experiences. The first time she was picked out of the sky by net and taken here as Olga did not enjoy the sight of a floral dress. The keen senses of the woman scared Luna at times as Luna was five inches tall flying through the air at the time. The second time Luna was returning to pay for the dress the first time, and she barely remembered a word Olga said from the moment the first dress was paid for until she was led into a back room being fitted for a little black dress.
That was when Olga gave Luna her card and said that Luna would be back to model. Not if she wanted, should, or could, Olga seemed to knew Luna would be back.
As Luna looked around, she was trying to remain vigilant. She was about to speak when she heard a voice from the back room. "Luna darling, it's about time you came back. Come come. I've been waiting." Luna as she was starting to worry as she had barely entered the store. She nervously walked through the store towards the back room, opening the door and closing it behind her as she entered. "How'd you know it was me?" She asked partially afraid to hear the answer.
Olga who was sitting at a desk sketching out a design still didn't move her eyes. "Because no one else uses that drab perfume, a lower end cherry-rose floral scent, a Minstrel import. La fleur séduisante. Don't move darling, I can't have any fluctuation in light. Translucent fabric is very delicate to design, especially around your mid section."
Luna did not want to intrude on the diminutive woman, but was slightly confused as to why she was working on something so critical that she couldn't risk interruptions but told Luna to enter anyways. Luna felt slightly nervous to breathe as she watched the diminutive woman's hand move along the canvas. However something clicked in her mind as she thought about the wording. "Wait did she specify mine? Also how'd she recognize my perfume from far away?" This period passed until the woman put down her pencil, took the sheet of paper and rolled it up, putting it into a case before marking the case, and placing it in a drawer on the desk before getting down from the chair and proceeded to walk over towards Luna.
The lady sighed. "This is one of your 'off days' isn't it Darling? Here to model as you have nothing else?" Luna was slightly astonished by the woman's intuition and analytical skills. "How'd you know?"
Olga seemed to focus on the outfits she had left on the mannequin and various ones in storage. "I've worked with mages before, you walk in with bravado but it's clear as day you feel like you got hit by the train you road in on. Also I've seen your attire choices, you prefer a short skirt or shorts coupled with a short sleeve top and more durable footwear typically in this region. fact that you walk in dressed in that awful outfit probably meant to conceal your body language says it all." Luna felt slightly creeped out by the analysis.
"Oh, you can tell. It's true I've been, working hard lately." She said slightly sheepishly. "But there's nothing wrong with me on the surface, my skin is as flawless as ever. Actually even more so, since last time I was here I became a god slayer and got enhanced skin." She tried to keep up a positive tone, despite knowing the back of her neck isn't photo worthy. "But if you got no work for me, I understand."
Olga threw a small box at Luna concealed at Luna who managed to barely catch it. "Darling who ever said that, I always have work for you. Change in the back. There are twenty three products of a few lines you are modeling for. Some made with you in mind, some recycled that might work better on you then other models. I expect to get through seven today from you. Today is a great day, two birds with one handful of feed." Luna was slightly concerned by the wording near the end. "Two birds?"
"My favorite model and the new fae in one day." Luna's golden heart nearly skipped a beat at the clarification. She seen Gaia plenty of times around Ace of Spades and the guild hall, and they have become acquainted through Lacbook, but she never formally met the woman and in her element nonetheless. Luna always knew there was going to be a possibility that the two would meet in this place, but formally meeting here while both working as models seemed to make Luna nervous on how the relationship would be. She did not want to come off as a hostile rival, but she was concerned on how it would appear.
WC 2972
@Gaia