Asher shot up from his bed as a small scraping sound awoke him.
He looked beside him, but Mei was still sound asleep. It was early morning. Did the invitation that Salvador told him about finally come?
Indeed. Nearing the doorway, he saw a thin envelope sealed with red wax jammed between the door and the carpet.
With a yank, he pulled the envelope out.
Since it seemed like Mei would still be asleep for some while, Asher quietly peeled off the seal, revealing the letter inside.
He took out a crisp smelling piece of paper, reading it underneath his breath.
(Salutations, residents of Room 307)
The print was in neat cursive.
(The Thumb formally invites the readers of this letter to a festival extending from morning to night, at Nightclub Vivi, one of our associated nightclubs.)
(Individuals of all ages may attend for a day of relaxation, socialization, and delicacy. If delicious food and fine wine spark interest, scan the code printed below for directions to the location.)
(We hope to see some new faces.)
(Delightfully yours, Capo Stella)
Asher read over the letter, becoming more confused by the second. Did the mental image painted by the letter match up at all with the previous experiences he had with them?
...Actually, perhaps it did. He had gone to one of their nightclubs before. Although the main room of 'Pink Passion' was filled with things that he wished to forget, the back of the club, which was solely for Thumb members, was surprisingly refined and quiet. And maybe that was a purposeful ruse of theirs.
He read the letter again. Nothing in particular stood out to him. It wouldn't hurt to check it out. After all, he could always leave when he got there if something bothered him.
'Huuu...'
Asher let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding inside.
'Just what does a party in the Backstreets mean? I'm strangely... excited...' He felt adrenaline pulsing through him. 'Relaxation, socialization, and delicacy'? Those foreign words enticed him like a moth to a flame. And just like the flame, his curiosity burned inside him. What was a party like?
Asher popped up from his trance as Mei tossed and turned in the bedroom, checking the time on his phone at the same time. Seven on the dot.
He wanted to go. Just to check it out, right?
Asher might not have admitted it, but his curiosity about this supposed 'party' overrode his reason.
The letter made it sound so classy, too.
And Salvador told him to go, so he should go... Right?
Right.
Asher made up his mind. He tiptoed to Mei's room, shaking her awake lightly.
"Mei, wakey wakey~"
Mei muttered cutely as her lips twitched. After a few minutes of light shaking, she finally opened her eyes.
"Abber...? Mleh..." She rubbed her eyes, sitting up with a little of Asher's help. She smiled. "What's up, Asher?"
"I found this under the doorway today. Just read it, and you'll see."
Asher looked at her reaction expectantly as she read the words, line by line. Tense seconds passed as her eyes ran over the text.
Sensing Asher's excited gaze, she drew her lips into a strained smile.
"That's... wonderful, Asher. Do you want me to go with you?"
As Asher's head flickered up and down childishly, her smile grew a bit more genuine. She put aside her own worries for now.
"Okay, okay. And it should be all day today, so when do you want to leave?"
Asher's eyes lit up. Before he left, what about Pete and his friends, too? Wouldn't they wanna come with him?
He pulled out his phone, texting them to see if they got an invitation under their door, too.
And of course, they did.
They met up in the hallway a few minutes later. All the kids were excited, even Mangchi. Despite having some hidden secrets, even Mangchi had never been to a party of such status before. The Thumb was one of only a few dozen Stars in the entire City.
Looking down the railing, they could see some people walking the main road with similar excitement in their steps.
The four of them rushed down the stairs, equally anticipating the destination of the invitation.
Mei didn't want to see the disappointment on Asher's face if she refused, so she could only join them with faux excitement.
...
The directions on the letter led to a clean, ornately decorated building, a twenty-minute walk from theirs. A neon sign situated in the building's center displayed the words 'Vivi', in pink pulsing cursive.
Rising over twelve floors tall and extending nearly as wide, the massive building seemed to spark an even greater anticipation inside of them.
Perhaps this building was specifically built for parties.
Even Mei's breath quickened slightly. She was roped into the Thumb individually; the Soldato who introduced her never showed her any sights like this.
A small line had already formed near the entrance, which was guarded by a male and female Soldato. Their gold engraved uniforms stood out amidst the ragged clothes of the residents.
When they approached the front, the male Soldato held his arms out, motioning for Asher to do the same. The pale man patted each of them silently, checking for any weapons and such.
In an instant, the knives Asher and Mangchi hid in their clothes were taken out, by a trick of the hands. The Soldato glanced over them plainly.
"...Occupation?"
Asher wondered whether to tell him that they were Fixers.
However, it seemed like the man could read his mind as he scoffed.
"Tch. Fixers're fine, too. What are your grades?"
"Grade 9, 8, 8, and 7," Asher said, pointing to Aiko, Pete, Mangchi, and himself, respectively. Mei shrank her posture, whispering "unemployed" beneath her breath.
"Grade Seven... You're Asher, joined a few days ago?" The Soldato matched him to a profile, scribbling something on a notepad to the side before gesturing them inside.
"Welcome to Nightclub Vivi. This building will house the residents of Dawn 03 Street for today's event. Enjoy."
"Fighting is strictly prohibited inside the building. If you see a fight, contact one of the Soldatos on each floor and they will punish the parties involved accordingly." The female Soldato spoke on the side. Each nameless Soldato's voice was helpful and professional, nothing like Asher's first impression of the Thumb.
Asher's eyes widened as the gaunt man handed their knives back.
As a Finger of the City, they had every right to act so dismissively. To make a commotion here was to provide one's neck to the guillotine. The Thumb had absolute control over this building.
They didn't even care if a Fixer infiltrated here.
Or, perhaps more unsettling, it signalled the reality of the unspoken truce the Thumb had with Fixers.
Asher led the way for Mei and Pete's group, taking the first step inside the building.
The inside wasn't as dark as Asher thought it would be. In fact, it was well lit, and spotlessly clean. Fifty or so chairs were spaced out in front of them, as well as a light emitting machine that projected images on the wall.
A few of the seats were already filled with people that arrived earlier than them.
"Some new arrivals. Come in, come in. Take a seat in one of the chairs in front of you. The presentation will begin shortly."
Asher took a seat in the back row, along with the others. This was such a novel experience. The few residents in front of them seemed to share this sentiment. They had just moved in, and most of them were vagrants or desperately poor. This lavishness was a wonderful change to the usual fear stricken atmosphere they were used to living in.
Several black clothed attendants entered, bringing each seated individual a glass of cold juice.
"-!" As most of the people brought the glass to their lips, they were struck by a sweet, refreshing flavor. Gasps rang across the room, and the attendants stood silently for them to finish.
Seeing this, even the hesitant ones drank from the glass. It really was juice, sweet and red and tangy. Soon, everyone had finished their glass.
The attendants collected the glasses from each of them, disappearing through a backdoor.
A leading Soldato clapped his hands together, letting a small smile touch his lips.
"Welcome to Vivi, dear guests. Today will be an unforgettable experience of relaxation, socialization, and delicacy. As the Thumb, we guarantee your satisfaction and safety in the confines of this building."
An excited murmur wormed through the crowd as the image on the wall changed, displaying an overview of the building from top to bottom.
"Club Vivi has twelve floors, and each is specialized to satisfy the needs of all guests, each and every one thousand or so of you all joining us today. Showers and restrooms are provided on the first floor, for those who need it."
'For those who need it.' Some people certainly needed it.
Afterwards, he pointed to the second floor. Without a word, the excitement in the room began to bubble forth. Everyone could read the words on the wall.
"Floor two is a buffet, fully stocked and catered to by thirty top-of-the-line chefs, hand chosen by Capo Stella. For today, feel free to eat as much or as little of our rich variety of premium delicacies, completely on the house."
Now, the constant drone of whispers could be heard.
"Floor three contains the Game Center, as well as the wine bar. Taste our selection of fine wines as you play cards, pool, and slots. Win real money - Two hundred credits will be given as a complementary gift for today only, exchangeable at the front desk for real Ahn."
The Soldato swished his hand, and a double set of doors swung open automatically to reveal a hallway filled with elevators leading to the floors above.
"If you wish to make the best of your time, you may leave now."
Several people stood up from their chairs, excited to get the day started. Some of them had skipped their jobs for today, and... Two hundred credits?? If they cashed it in right now, wouldn't they get almost a week's salary for free?
And if they were lucky with the cards and slots... Money, money, money.
When the flow of people stopped, however, a majority of the people were still in their seats, including Asher, his Fixers, and Mei.
The people left were more curious about the floors above.
"Floor four is where the Arcade lies. For those with children, do not worry. Arcade games, laser tag and so much others are available for free, as well. Wonderful prizes will be given, to all who care to try."
A few children bounced up from their seats, dragging their parents along with them. Usually this would cause a stern scolding, but the parents just smiled, trailing behind. They wanted to see their children happy, at least for today.
They were thankful for the Thumb's hospitality.
And when it came time for them to decide between the Index's Prescripts or the Thumb's Tribute system...
That was a story for another day.
Floor five: Movie Theater. Movie technology was almost exclusively used in the Nest. The few people who knew that fact bolted to the elevators. The rest were left wondering what it even was.
Floor six: Rest Stop. Spa, baths, massages, even waxing. The gender of one's attendant could be specifically requested, though with a strict no-intimacy policy.
"Floors seven through eleven are the same as two through six, in order to provide the space for the number of visitors today."
The Soldato waited for a period of silence before continuing to the final slide.
"The Twelfth and final floor is 'Vivi'. I'm not going to be the one who spoils it - you have to go there yourself. And, of course, your safety is guaranteed there as well, for both children and adults."
One could only wonder, why was there no floor that's restricted to children? Was it that explicit activities would happen, but they simply didn't care if children saw?
No. Nothing like that would happen, courtesy of the higher ups' decision.
Why?
This restriction would leave a good impression on the people here today, especially parents. And parents were useful to the Thumb.
If one couldn't afford one of the payments in time, a child would make for a great substitute.
But no one in the audience knew about this.
The Soldato gestured to the elevators once again, and this time everyone stood from their seats.
"Enjoy yourself. Relax your soul. Vivi!"
Following a signal, the Soldatos outside began to let the next group inside as the previous group streamed toward the hallway of elevators.
Seeing the stream of people, Pete and his friends looked at Asher, excited.
Having a bit more common sense, Mangchi waited for Asher to make the first move.
Asher's first move was to stay still, waiting for the other people to leave first.
He stepped up to the Soldato who gave the presentation, speaking what was on his mind.
"Do you guarantee that no harm will come to anybody in here?"
The Soldato peered down at him as he sipped from a throat-soothing honey mixture to prepare for the next group.
"All I can say is we'll try our best. Ask Capo Stella for details; even though she's a Capo, she'll be roaming Vivi to make sure no one will get hurt."
A memory of Asher's was activated at the mention of Stella. She was the Capo that was with Sottocapo Kalo back when he saved Mei a week or so previously.
It felt like so long ago, but the memory of Stella bashing the Soldato's head into the glass tabletop still stood out to him quite clearly.
Asher's mind inadvertently wandered to Yan. Was Yan as strong as her? And the girl was only as old as he was...
The Soldato interrupted his daydream.
"Kiddo, you should enjoy yourself for today. There are some of the Thumb's men on every floor to make sure nothing goes wrong. Not to mention Capo Stella." The man's voice softened as he patted Asher's head, much to Mei's horror. The Soldato looked to the side, raising his hands in a show of innocence.
"The next group is coming soon. Miss, don't worry too much. Your son's safe here."
Mei glanced at him with a bit of distaste in her eyes. Her transactions with the Thumb had been mostly fair, but the corrupt Soldato from last week ruined her goodwill toward them.
She was suspicious of their goody-two-shoes attitude today.
But she allowed Asher to pull her toward the elevators. The mention of Asher softened her a bit.
Her 'son' was looking forward to this.
*Ding!*
As the elevator doors opened, Mei's lips twitched upward. She wouldn't admit it, but she was looking forward to this, too. Up to the last few days, it felt like her heart would explode at any moment.
She could use some 'relaxation, socialization, and delicacy'.
A massage sounded nice. A day with Asher sounded nice.
The steel elevator doors closed behind them.
"Hey, which floor should we go to first, guys? I'm thinking about-"
Asher was interrupted by a loud growl from Aiko's stomach.
"A-Ahem... I didn't eat breakfast today..." In fact, none of them did. They were so excited that they rushed here without even eating first.
To the second floor it was.
With a push of a button, they accelerated to the floor above.
Club Vivi.