I decided to head to Lava’s home to pay her a visit and return her comic. Thankfully, my maps are already in my bag- for a minute, I thought I left them at my house. Usually I go there after training, but today, I was so tired I just went with the closest option, that being my knights bunk. I’ve regained just enough energy to get to the Quartz theater, so I grab the maps, get up, and go. I don’t even need to put my shoes on since I forgot to take them off.
A short trip down a hall, down some stairs, down an elevator, up another, through more hallways and elevators, and I’m finally almost to the theater. As I reach for one of the doors, I’m stopped by a familiar, silvery voice.
“Celestine Alegre. Star of the junior varsity swim team in year 149 post the creation of The Warren, vice president of the clothing construction and customization club, and eight hours and forty-seven minutes late to rehearsal. Whatever are you doing here now?” I turn around to see a hooded figure in an otherworldly outfit. It’s Pix. The admin. Despite the latter trait, they aren’t very epic on their own.
I swiftly attempt to explain myself “Oh, I’m not actually in the musica-”
“Answer the question, caterpillar.” I don’t even know what that means.
“I’m visiting my friend. The director’s daughter?”
“The loud pink one,” they mutter. I don’t think it’s a question. “Do you believe she could stand without your presence for… however long an errand takes?”
It takes me a second to process before I respond. “I guess? Why do you ask?” They look at me impatiently.
“I possess a task I would like to lay upon you. Have you ever been to the Sol Theatrum?”
“Sorta? I went to the costume room about a week ago.”
“Elaborate,” they command, giving me a strange look.
“Knight’s ball prep. That’s where I got this jacket.” They stare at it like it’s a pearl. There’s an awkward pause. Their head shoots up and they look me dead in the eyes.
“That’s a very nice jacket you have there.”
“Thanks?” I take a step back.
“Alright then. Anyways, could you perhaps abscond with a selection of files and leave another behind? They should be concealed backstage. I have cast upon this slate words of guidance, made specially for you.” Pix hands me a thin slate with engraved steps on it. It seems easy enough. I just have to find my way down to the theater, circle around to the back entrance, find a box in dressing room six, go over to the director’s quarters, and… wait a minute…
“I’m not going to break into the director’s desk!” I’m shocked they’d even suggest it.
“You won’t get in trouble, promise.” I don’t know if I even have a choice. “Here’s the key. Now fly, my pretty!” They wave their hands up dramatically, disappearing with a purple cloud in their place.
“Well, that was odd,” I muse. I check my map to find the way. So just back the way I came, but I’ll have to take an elevator and get to sector three. Easy enough. I enjoy the quiet hum of the machinery, and since I’m the only one there, I can hear it well. It makes a chime, and I step out. Unlike sectors one and two, which are all very interconnected, sector three is divided into the gold lounge area and the knights headquarters. The only reason they aren’t separated by name is they’re too small on their own. I pass by a residential hallway and step into the gold lounge. It’s so bright that I can barely see. I’ve been here before, when Antonio took Fran and I to see a go-kart race, but it’s gotten bigger since then. I take a deep breath and make my steps as light as I can.
A small group of people, presumably heading down to the Sol sector, are getting tickets at the reception desk. Because of the pressure, who goes in and out is monitored. Considering the Sol sector is the only place where alcohol is allowed, I still can’t legally go for another few years. I wonder if the secret tunnel in the spy classroom is so Captain Grant can get in without having to check in every time. If only I could do that instead of what I’m going to have to do. As the people funnel into the elevator, I quickly dash in behind them. The attendant doesn’t seem to notice, and I successfully get in. This elevator is much fancier, with a small chandelier and a glass floor. When we get out, a quick jingle is played on some out-of-sight piano. The Sol sector lobby is gorgeous. The ground is intricately tiled instead of plain stone, and a bigger, shinier, chandelier fights the darkness that seems to seep out of the floor. I think it's a side effect of being so deep underground. I take a moment to look at the directions Pix gave me. It just looks like chibbit scratch until I turn it over and see a crudely drawn map with arrows around it. I have to go in through the crew entrance right behind the ticket booth. There’s no show going on right now, so by the time the group I came in with leaves to go into the Taberna, I’m all alone. I slip into the ticket booth and use the key I was given to enter the door. It's very dim and cramped in here, but I make out a glowing sign. It has an arrow pointing where I was that says tickets, an arrow pointing up labeled: Crew Booth, and a final arrow pointing ahead saying backstage. As I sneak forward, I hear voices and my blood runs cold.
“She’s gone now, you don’t have to celebrate.” The voice sounds familiar, but it's too far away for me to tell who it is.
“Yeah, but, it’s just, um…”
“You miss her?”
“Yes. And no. I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to put it into words.”
“And that’s fine!”
“But I should have done better! I made excuse after excuse defending us, me and you, when all I really should have done was tell her.”
“She knew about us. I know that for a fact.”
“But then why didn’t she say anything? Even when I told her the truth, how our marriage was founded on a misunderstanding, she ignored me. Ugh, I feel awful!”
“Hey, it’s going to be alright.”
“I know. It has to be. Lava hates me for what I did.” The voices seem to be getting closer.
“I can’t lie to you Firesi, she would have every right to. But she doesn’t.” Is that Captain Grant?
“She’s been talking about moving out! She even stays at Z’s house at least once a week.”
“She’s almost twenty. Do you remember how we were at that age? I was hopping between Lucy’s and Maggie’s like a feral chibbit!”
“And I was married,” he sighs. I freeze again as there’s a pause.“Remember in eighth grade when we took care of eggs for domestic education?”
“Yeah, Mx. Elodie hated my guts.”
“You say that like it’s an accomplishment. There’s a reason I’m the one who cooks dinner, instant noodle boy. Anyway, Tuni and I were the only ones who kept it alive, even after it hatched.”
“Oh, that! You guys were surprisingly amazing at that. Well, I was surprised with Tuni. She was always the roughest, no-nonsense person I knew.”
“But she also really, truly, cared. Petunia was my best friend. You are the only one who has ever been more than that.”
The voices fade into the background as I finally reach the end of the hall. The backstage area is surprisingly big, with a large hair and makeup booth in front. Dressing rooms line the walls, and there’s a message board with some kind of rehearsal schedule. I take a quick glance at Pix’s directions. The files are supposed to be hidden in dressing room six, which is labeled with a ghost. I think about what Squid said earlier, and a chill runs up my spine. I take a deep breath, and quietly open the door. I grab a handheld chalkboard off the small table inside. I slowly close the door most of the way, and use the chalkboard to prop it ever so slightly open. This way, I can’t get locked in!
Now to search the room. There’s a shelf above the door, so I climb on top of the table and take a look. As I nearly fall over, I can practically feel myself being scolded for not keeping balance. Thankfully, I catch myself and adjust my position. To my dismay, my effort was in vain, since the only thing on top of the shelf is a strange doll that looks like Otter. I glance down from my high ground. How did I not notice the cot? There’s got to be something underneath! I carefully climb down, making sure to keep quiet. As I press myself against the red tile floor, I spot my target. I grin, reaching under and pulling out an obsidian box. The tablet Pix gave me is supposed to be able to unlock it, and sure enough, when I set the tablet on a perfectly sized indentation on top of the box, it clicks open. There’s a whole stack of documents inside. Wow, that's actual tree paper! Not even the library has that, since the closest thing there is made of flowers. It has a different feel to it, one I don’t have the words to describe. Silky, perhaps?
The ink is a brilliant indigo, but I can’t understand what the words say. Falling stars on the lawn? What the heck is a lawn? It must be a code of some sort. I put it to the back of the pile and skim through the rest. Pix only requested a few documents, but I can’t tell them apart, so I put the whole stack in my bag. As I’m trying to find a place for them in between a few writing slates, Lava’s comic, and my spy workbook, a few fall out. I quickly scoop them back up, when one catches my eye. The text is still gibberish, but this time, there's a picture. A terrified man, encased in a thin layer of amber. He looks just like me. His hair is a dark purpley blue, like mine’s natural color, and he has sparkly horns similar to my own, just bigger. In fact, the biggest difference is that he’s older, and has a beard. I try to read the page, but the words scramble like chibbit eggs at dinner. I need someone who can understand this.
But before I can look for anyone, I have one more task here. I close the box and dust off any fingerprints. Then, I put it back under the cot, careful to set it back in the exact position I found it. I give myself a mental pat on the back for remembering my training. Maybe I can do this spy stuff after all. Too bad the captain will never know.
Wait. Where’s the chalkboard doorstop?
I frantically look for it, under the cot, on the table, and even on the shelf. To my dismay, my efforts are in vain. Hopefully it just fell outside. I push open the door, glancing down to see if it's there.
“Looking for something, Miss Alegre? I slowly look up to see Captain Grant staring me down.
“No?” He raises an eyebrow. “It’s no use lying to you, is it?”
“No, but I’m disappointed you barely tried. Your plan was good, save for the fact that the elevator jingle gave you away. I presume you picked the lock, so that’s good. Your sneaking could use a bit of work, but overall, had I not been here, you wouldn’t have been caught.”
“Yes sir.” Right as I’m about to ask if I can leave, his expression turns cold.
“If a word you heard left this theater,” the captain growls chillingly, “let’s just say your mother would hate to see her beloved daughter flunk the very class she was captain of.”
“What words?” I force a smile. Thankfully, I get a laugh in response.
“Good. Oh, by the way, don’t use chalkboards to prop open doors. They get dust everywhere, and they break all too easily.”
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