Chapter Text
Telenia looks at all the signs confused trying to understand them, while Delihi seems to be able to understand some of them and shows her a clothing store nearby. Inside they find some skirts with light wooden beads sown at the bottom and many tassels, along with all types of jewelry like nose pieces, earrings, lip attachments, even stuff that covers entire sections of the body like a waist cuff. Dremelona looks at some of the jewelry but doesn't know if some of it would be appropriate for the girls and decides to limit the girls to the more common stuff. Delihi picks a fake nose piercing and some ear cuffs, while Telenia goes for some earrings and two lip cuffs. They all buy some clothes and continue along their way.
They cruise by many other places before stopping to eat some street food, the man at cart asks them, "GlEi Chi-Qi TuBri?" Dremelona replies, "TriSi-Chi VeMu." Telenia is dumbfounded and Delihi is also confused but asks, "Qi ChiChAi?" The man points at the menu above him and says, "Ye-DiEi ChiChAi o Ye-ChiChAi WuVe?" Delihi ponders for a bit before saying, "DiEi ChiChAi ay MuPa. Aylo ChiChAi WuVe for my SpAi-Wh." The man says, "O-Ai!", before making their meals. Telenia whispers in Delihi's ear, "What did you say?" Delihi tells her, "I said you wanted the second option, and I wanted the first one with sauce." Telenia reassured asks, "So what does 'SpAi-Wh' mean?" "It means good friend!", says Delihi as she flashes a smile.
"Also, what is ChiChAi? So, I can know what I'm eating!", says Telenia as she looks at the food cautiously. "It's a duck-chicken hybrid that has been domesticated here over the last two centuries. My first time eating it was when I was five and my dad made ChiChAi tenders for me and my brother. He cut mine into small pieces and removed any bones so we wouldn't choke.", says Delihi as she takes her first few bites. Telenia looks at the food again, before asking, "So my SpAi-Wh is smart! Now how do I check for if mine has bones?" "Your sister told the guy to give us the boneless versions. Also, I think most people remove the bones anyway and you called me your SpAi-Wh!", says Delihi as she hugs Telenia. After they all finish eating, they look at a few more places and find a pet store.
As they enter the pet shop, the shopkeeper says hi and shows them around the place. They see frogs, fish, a rock, some birds and snails, a few snakes, and in a small section in the back a few exotic animals. In the back, some looked like balls of lights with four tiny legs that float around, and the others moved like tiny living shadows. Delihi touches one and it sucks on her finger leaving it with a slight glow. Telenia finds some cool spiders and shows them to Delihi, who gets scared and asks why she's holding it. Telenia puts the spiders back and says, "I thought they were cool! Sorry for scaring you." "It's okay, I'm just not a fan of them! But if you like them that's cool!", says Delihi as she calms. The two go to see the cats before going to the hotel to rest.
As they finish playing with the cats and Delihi's finger stops glowing, the two go back to the hotel and Dremelona trails close behind them. Telenia says they should probably study for the test tomorrow and Delihi says, "Totally, why don't we study together in my room!" Dremelona, sensing the oncoming question from her sister, says fine. Delihi goes to tell her dad that Telenia is sleeping over, and he says, "O-Ai '' as he watches tv.
"I'm guessing 'O-Ai' means okay!", says Telenia as she walks into Delihi's room. "Yeah! Now let me get the books we need!", says Delihi as she goes to a pile of books on the counter. She picks 5 books on: Natural Sciences, Alchemy & Aligned Magics, Magical Ecosystems and The Science on how they work, Everyday Manual Methods, and Basic Chemistry. "Which one should we start with?", says Delihi, throwing the books on the bed. Telenia looks at the selection of books, "How about the ones more grounded in reality like this one?", as she holds up the Natural Sciences book.
"But magic is a part of our reality, some of the cultures and places that exist are because of magic. Like the Nymfilo tribe, ArveMu tribe, and the QiLo-Pa tribe; not to mention that the Land of the Dark Moon is in a perpetual state of night at all times because of magic. Plus, other regions have people whose magic is part of their biology, like the hivemind people up in one of the northern regions, also your sister is a witch!", says winded Delihi as she tries to catch her breath. Telenia thinks for a minute, "But I don't use magic nor do any of the other people in my village. My sister plus two of her friends are the only people there who use it, but they do it discreetly so as to not bother people or the environment." Delihi is perplexed by this revelation, "But how did your sister learn magic, and, in my village, half the people used magic on a daily basis. My village is only a few miles east of yours." Telenia reads some of the Natural Science book before answering, "I don't know how she learned magic. I know she learned before going to the boarding school, but don't know the rest. She doesn't talk much about her magic and the school only taught her about magic, not how to use it. Also, this page has a diagram of the water cycle." She points to page 16 of the book.
While the girls are studying, Dremelona decides to go have some fun at a nightclub called, SeRi-AiQu, located on the 2nd level of the city. Before going she picks a thin lace white top and mini black denim skirt with a black denim jacket to match. She gets on a nearby elevator and tries not to look down at the ground level. As she gets off and looks around, she notices that there are no vehicles, meaning she has to walk everywhere. People walk along not noticing her as she tries to ask for directions. A guy playing the guitar sees her and asks what she needs help with. Dremelona looks at him and thinks he's cute, before saying, "I'm looking for this place called 'SeRi-AiQu', do you know where it is?" The guy moves his curly hair to the side and looks around, "I think it's in that direction, but I could be wrong. How about I come with you!" "Okay!", Dremelona says as the guy grabs her hand and they run off.
As they run along the walkways, they chat about their day, why they are here, and general life stuff. Dremelona learns that the guy is a musician named Arifo with 4 siblings, a cat named Spico Mcgingerfluff, and has his own place with a roommate named Dervan. "So, you're a witch, who is bilingual, is the legal guardian of your sister and is hot. That's a quadruple threat!", says Arifo as he gives her a smirk. Dremelona blushes, "Well you're packing some hot stuff yourself there!" He blushes as well, and they make it to the nightclub.
The bouncer looks at them and asks for their name and age. "Arifo-DevWu ay AgLi is 27. My SpAi-Wh is ...", says Arifo as he gestures to Dremelona. "My AgLi is 28 ay my name is Dremelona-Keer, but you can call me Dreme-Keer for short.", says Dremelona.
Once in the club, Dremelona asks, "So why did we give him our full names?" Arifo laughs, "Because my dear Dreme, it's how things are. Everyone just expects honesty here. No real reason to think someone is lying." Dremelona looks at him like, "But does it still happen?" "All the time! But no one really cares cause the truth will come eventually maybe.", says Arifo as he gets them some drinks.
After dancing for a while, they meet back up and get some drinks. "Are you not hot in that?", as he gestures toward her jacket. "I thought I was already hot!", she says as she poses with the jacket. "I mean you are hot, like hot-hot! Just don't want you to melt!"Arifo says as he playful laughs a bit nervously. "What if I want to melt!", Dreme says with a little shimmy. "Then melt in my arms!" Arifo says with a smirk as he wraps his arm around her waist pulling her close. "Glady!", as she sensually wraps her arms around his neck. They share a short but passionate kiss.
Some time passes after their kiss and Arifo offers to walk her back to her hotel room. Dreme accepts his offer, and they slowly walk to the hotel. On the way there, Arifo buys them a dessert called TrAi-Bu, blue ice cream with a dreamy gold chocolate sauce on top. "I've never had this before! It tastes silky and soft with crunchy bits that taste oddly warm against the cold parts.", says Dremelona as she takes another bite. "Glad you like it! I always have a small bowl of it on my birthday before midnight.", says Arifo lost in thought. "That's cute! I assume you have always lived here.", Dremelona says inquisitively. "Yep! Born and raised, only been to other parts of the wetlands! How are the lawlands, though? Never met anyone from there!", says Arifo halfway done with his bowl. "I guess it's okay, not much to do but exist and talk to people or look at the scenery.", Dremelona says with a shrug. "Well one day, I hope to come see myself.", Arifo says as they both finish their food.
They pay and continue their walk; Dreme starts to get warm and takes off her coat. Arifo notices the long tattoo going down her back along her spine and asks about it. "It's just a magic tat to represent my connection to my home, my people, and myself. The spread-out bird at the top acts as an overseer, the magic circle below him contains many sigils of blessing/protection and other stuff, and the last bit is a personal script I had to make myself.", says Dremelona as she uses her fingers to point to each part. Arifo is amazed, "So does everyone who does magic in the lawlands have one? Also did it hurt?" "No, it's an ancestral practice that only those who wish to forever stay connected can go through. Only the ones in the village who know magic can give you one and you have to know magic to receive it. It also acts as a ward, so they use an ink made from the mixed blood of the giver and receiver to help the body accept the working. So yes, it only hurt a little! But I think it was worth it!", says Dremelona as they both get on the elevator.
As they reach the hotel, she goes to check on Telenia and Delihi and finds them asleep with books around them. She closes the door and goes back over to her room, gives Arifo a kiss as they have one final chat before he leaves, and she goes to sleep. She gets a couple hours of sleep before the alarm rings.
