On TOI 7000 e, aptitude was supreme. And it was forbidden to share one's beast form with anybody outside family to strengthen the unity. But, there were certain exceptions to these.
Some clans were predominantly known for and by their beast forms. These clans took the liberty to happily disclose their identity. Such as the cat clan, snake clan, and peacock clan. The cat clan was famous for their spirituality, the snake clan for their venom and hypnosis, and the peacock clan for their aesthetics.
People from the peacock clan had a natural flair for fashion, interior design, and beauty. But there were two problems. First, they were expensive. They would charge an exorbitant amount of beast coins for every sitting. That is why, only the wealthy could afford them.
And second, they were fussy and noisy! They only believed in their skills. Any suggestion would go to waste on their ears. And they just wouldn't stop talking! From the color to the fabric, they could speak for hours! There were rumors that one wealthy bride had commissioned them for her styling, and by the time they were done, her ears began to bleed!
Listening that somebody from the peacock clan would come, Arella was both surprised and scared! She became a little flustered. She had her reasons. First, she wasn't exactly a talkative person, so she wondered if she would be able to entertain them. She didn't want to leave a bad impression.
Second, it was too expensive! She didn't have many coins in her possession and was frugal by nature. So, never in her wildest dreams had she thought of seeing a member of the peacock clan!
And last and most important, a peacock clan member would never let her lie low key! There goes her plan of avoiding the limelight! Sigh.
As she underwent internal turmoil, Adrian kept observing her. Her myriad of expressions didn't escape his eyes. She was happy, nervous, scared, and disappointed? Adrian wasn't sure. But looking at her like this made him feel like watching a little bird trying to fly for the first time.
He waited for her to reach out and share her troubles with him. But she didn't. She politely thanked him and left. After some time, Adrian made a call to Andrew and then went to the study.
The next morning, just like Adrian had claimed, Andrew delivered the dress. When Arella opened the box, she was awestruck! In front of her was a star studded, stone embedded, luxuriant, and elegant red tulle gown!
It was something that came straight from the pages of fantasy! The stones shined in the light, the stars gave it a shimmering and glittering effect. The upper part was a body fit, accentuating her perfect boson. And the lower flared part gave her the freedom to walk.
It was simply perfect! Arella couldn't move her eyes from it. At a social gathering, looking good and being the center of attention were every tamer's dream. Arella loved it.
But it was a little too much. She had never worn something so exuberant in her entire life! Should she tell Adrian that this dress was too exaggerated for a person like her?
Just as the thoughts of not wearing this dress germinated in her mind, the doorbell rang. The stylist was here. Before she had the time to keep the dress away, a hand took it from her.
When Arella looked up, she found a man staring unblinkingly at the dress. The features of this man were appreciable but what attracted her the most was his rainbow head! She hadn't seen such a vibrant color of hair to date!
It wasn't mainstream but the man pulled it off easily. One couldn't imagine his face with any other hair color. It looked very cheerful! And then. she noticed his eyes. Was his eyes twinkling? Why was she seeing stars in his eyes? And then she noticed his line of sight.
The dress! He was constantly looking at the dress! He didn't fall in love with it, right? The man kept staring at the dress and Arella kept looking at him. It was then, the engrossed man felt a slight chill and a murderous aura directed at him. His survival instincts kicked in and he instinctively looked behind him.
Behind him was Adrian. Glaring at him! Cold sweat dripped from the man's forehead. His feet refused to move. Arella felt that something was wrong. She looked at Adrian but he didn't have any expressions on his face. But she felt that he was getting angrier with every passing second.
Seeing that the situation was about to get dangerous, the good Samaritan, Andrew intervened.
"Madam, the peacock clan member is here. Let him help with your styling today. Oh! And he accidentally drank some poison because of which he won't be able to communicate with you today. I am sure he feels sorry for it, right?"
Andrew hopefully looked at the trembling feathered beast. Thankfully, he took his hint and politely bowed in front of the Madam! Noticing that things were becoming normal, Arella excused herself to take a bath.
As soon as she left, gave one last deathly look to the man and left.
A sigh escaped his mouth! Ahh! He wanted to shout so bad! Looking at the state of the peacock clan member, Andrew felt pitiful. He went and patted his back to comfort him. He knew how gripping Adrian's aura was. It was akin to a snake trapping you in a deathly grip. The prey can't move or breathe. Thankfully, he reigned in his emotions.
Being with him for so many years, Andrew knew him better than others. Seeing that the man ignored Madam, didn't pay his due respects in time, were already treading in deep water. But when he saw Madam staring at his face, Adrian almost lost it! Thankfully, Madam was here, and he reigned in his leaking murderous aura. Otherwise, this peacock clan member wouldn't have any intact skin on his body!
"Don't ignore Madam in the future, and be careful not to hurt her. You should have known how important she is to Chief when he administered the venom to numb your tongue! Don't be reckless, fussy and careless. If you want to live, complete Madam's styling and leave as soon as possible." Andrew comforted and shared his wisdom with the pitiful peacock like an older brother.
The peacock was comparatively young but well renowned for his skills. When he got a call for the styling of the wife of Major General, he couldn't stop feeling proud. He knew that his skills must have caught the higher official's eyes! When he spoke to Adrian for the first time, he couldn't stop boasting about his skills.
But who would have known that instead of appreciating his skills, Adrian would administer venom to numb his tongue? He was full of anger at the official's rudeness, but couldn't do anything. When he entered, he saw a heavenly dress and forgot his manners momentarily.
Everybody had put him on a high pedestal. But he didn't know, that a small foolishness could get him killed! Thankfully, Andrew was here! With hints of tears in his eyes, he looked at his savior and bowed to show his sincerity.
"No need, just take care of Madam's styling." Andrew patted his back once again and then left.
The pitiful peacock was left all alone. He wiped his tears and stared at the dress. He raised his hand and started touching the glittering stones and shimmering stars of the dress. He wanted comfort and nothing could comfort him better than a good dress!