The sun peered through the new curtains the maids had sourced. God knows what miracles they worked to acquire some so late last night. Nelly's eyes were puffy, from more crying during the sleepless night. She swore she had fallen asleep seconds before her alarm rang, but the smart sleep system stated she hadn't slept a wink.
Her favorite pillow was gone, murdered by some idiot who forgot how good it was to sleep with. Legs were heavy as lead, but with some effort she managed to get them over the beds edge. If the apartment had one good thing going, it was that it had a great temperature. It wasn't uncomfortable to wear only the sheer silver nightgown.
She pulled the curtains apart and was blasted by the sunlight. Her eyes hurt, but it was a good way to force her brain to wake up. They were far above the clouds, Kadek's apartment was on floor 1505, which looses only barely in height to the tallest mountain on the planet. A few thin strings of clouds were the only ones at eyeheight. Nelly couldn't remember who said it, but the wording had left an impression and she would always remember the name of these clouds.
"Cirrus clouds, more like I'm getting a cirrius headache trying to remember these names" she said chuckling to herself. The glass in front of her mouth fogged and she absently drew a heart in it, before hastily erasing it with her hand. Nelly was annoyed at herself how much of emotional disaster she was. Up, down, sideways and all other ways her mood tumbled. She knew it was how it had to be, after all that had happened, but logic only increased the levels of annoyance.
"Good morning miss," said Yellow as she entered the room a tray in hand. Nelly wished she could suck up some of the radiant energy Yellow had, a bundle of limitless energy. Her thoughts came to a full stop and whirred back again, she in fact was capable of sucking some energy, but the aftermath of yesterdays feeding stopped her from going too far in to that fantasy.
"I won't disagree with the fact that it is a morning." Nelly said and sat in a comfortable recliner, giving Yellow a quick smile as thanks when a blanket was draped over her legs. Nelly wasn't expecting to have much of an appetite but the warm focaccia with pesto and mozzarella had her drooling the second it was in front of her.
"If I may miss I have some advice I'd like to give." Yellow said after she had unpacked the tray. Nelly closed her eyes as her teeth sunk in the bread, it was delicious beyond compare. With her mouth full she managed to get out some sound that indicated Yellow should continue. "Please don't read the news today."
For the second time today Nelly thought she wouldn't have an appetite, but that fragrance of the focaccia was still too divine to resist. She didn't answer Yellow for a few more mouthfuls.
"Even worse than I think its going to be?" Nelly said mouth finally clear of obstruction. The bread had stolen her attention so completely she had completely forgot to engage with the cappuccino. If Yellow's plan was to keep Nelly engaged with food and not think to much about bad things, it had succeeded wonderfully.
"Yes." Yellow said hanging her head slightly.
"The food was fantastic thank you." Nelly said leaning back and enjoying the warm liquid and its encompassing aroma. She didn't ponder on an answer for too long. "Give me the brief and I won't."
"Of course miss." Yellow said and gave a small curtsy, her expression unreadable. "The short is: you have gone crazy in a vampiric bloodlust stabbing Gideon Walsh, who was so scared and finally realized he was to marry someone who had actually cared for him all along." Yellow continued, all in one breath, eyes glued on the hardwood floor in between them.
"I'll assume the words used weren't as pleasant as that." Nelly said and waited till Yellow nodded in answer. "Thank you for informing me. Lets move up the shopping trip a few hours, I'd like to be on the move." Nelly continued, her expression unchanging from the earlier light smile. Yellow affirmed Nelly's intentions and left to prepare their outing.
When Yellow left, Nelly stared at the door intently, knuckles white around the coffee cup. Somewhere beyond that door was Lalage, the distance in both time and meters was long, but she would eventually have revenge. The porcelain in her hand exploded and stained her nightgown brown.
***
It was pleasant to breathe in the air of an open floor again after a long time, it was like a city street of old, filled with houses up to five floors tall. The tallest buildings but a few meters down from the fake sky—a masterpiece of engineering—the space didn't feel cramped at all, but in fact seemed to reach far above. The theme of this floor was the time after steam, a glorified city of the industrialist era.
All houses unified in the use of stone and wood, not disturbed by the varying facades of each building. One townhouse more exotic than the next, but none stood out as a specific bad example. Then again even if it wasn't an authentic replication, there was no place to check, as all old cities were gone.
Nelly, Yellow, Paco and a few other guards had dressed down, no insignias to mark from which family they were. All gear had been downgraded to something that everyone used, no exclusive Arbore technology was allowed. Nelly and Yellow both wore colored contacts and donned incognito masks. Nobility wearing identical masks, that covered hair and the top half of the face, had been a trend some fifty years ago and now it was a useful tool all the houses kept in their repertoire.
The streets weren't packed yet, they had arrived an hour before the lunch rush, but the group was still noticeably splitting the sea of regular populace in their way. Nelly and Yellow walked arm in arm talking about one inane thing after the other. They were both—or at least Nelly, she couldn't be sure of Yellow—playing up their enjoyment to appear as the most regular pair of friends on an outing. Both as a cover and for actual use one of the guards was pulling behind him a small cart with goodies they had already bought.
After turning a few streets in front of them opened one of the goals for today: Salon Orchard. It was in a slightly more imposing townhouse with a wider yard than most, a terrace with tables fairly far apart from each other. Perfect for privacy yet feeling like you belonged in to a group.
"Welcome miss and miss" a male attendant clad in the pear green uniform of the Salon greeted them. "Shall I pen in your names to the guestbook?" he continued and Nelly added internally a plus point to the establishment, for the hinted at possibility of anonymity. Nelly squeezed the arm she was still clasping, giving Yellow the go ahead.
"Two under miss Carrasco, if you would" Yellow said with a wide smile. The attendant did as asked and brought the two inside, after asking for their preference. They were brought to a small table and ordered the salon's special boba. It had a peculiar taste, with the infused pear, but it was pleasant enough to warrant thinking about a repeat order next time.
Nelly took the time to spy on the other customers. There was a couple opposite that was also wearing incognito masks, out on a date based on the long looks and hands resting on each others across the table. A few other tables were filled with notables, one was the Floor Mayor's daughter and her group of friends. She didn't recognize the faces of the other notables, but her blood curdled at the insignia woven in to the mans suit pocket. A large steel blue 'W' with a dot.
"Paco look after those and have someone follow them when they leave." Nelly said surprising herself how calm her voice sounded. Paco nodded and said something in to the helmet radio, Nelly turned back to face Yellow whose mouth was a thin line. When Yellow noticed Nelly looking she smiled warmly again. It felt warm in her chest to not be alone in her feelings towards the Walsh Inc family.
"Pleasure to have you here miss Carrasco" a young woman's voice said. A beautiful grandiose pear green dress filled her view, donned by the hostess and owner Viscountess Nadia Perenboom. Nadia repeated her greeting to Nelly, and had now acknowledged them both. She must have been a few years older than Lina, potentially having left her teens recently.
"The pleasure and honor is on the side of the Carrasco family, to be welcomed so warmly to the exquisite venue that is Salon Orchard." Nelly said smiling widely, trying to mimic some of the radiance Yellow shone with hers.
"Why thank you, I've put much thought in to its decor and atmosphere." Nadia said and curtsied lightly. If Nadia's outfit included a fan she would be hiding her expression behind it. The smile she donned was forced, still untrained or simply uncomfortable in engaging with social politics and its grandiose etiquette.
"I love how you have taken in to consideration the meaning of your name when creating this establishment. I do in all honesty quite like it" Nelly said, letting go of the stifling etiquette and smiling her regular, less overtly shiny smile.
"Thank you!" Nadia said, this time her smile reaching all the way to her eyes. She was about to add something, but a loud slap rang in the room. Nadia turned, shock spreading on her face.
The male attendant that had welcomed Nelly, was lying on the floor clasping his face. The Walsh company or family member was standing over the fallen man shaking his reddening hand.
"Why would you behave like that, don't you see what is embossed on my suit" The man spat out, face competing with the redness of his hand. "Screw that, even if you didn't have eyes you should smell the superiority of my unique perfume." The mans voice continued to grow shriller by each word. "One of one, nne of one you absolute piece…" he raised his leg about to kick the man, when Nadia yelled for him to stop.
She ran heels clicking on the ground, and stepped in between the two parties, forcing the Walsh man to step backwards. Nelly thought it was quite the bold move and she was proven right immediately, the man now ready to compete on the farmers market in the reddest tomato category.
"Duke Walsh, I beg you to please cease with the violence, whatever mistake the attendant has committed the Orchard will of course make right." Nadia said, her steady voice telling a different story than her body language. Her hands were shaking and she deftly held them behind her back, trying to no betray her feelings.
So it was Duke Walsh, the only brother of the head. Third in technical rank in the family, but had little actual power outside of the wealth allowed such a position. Hence Nelly unaware of his looks—to her knowledge he hadn't been part of her weddings guest list either.
"Can you really girlie, can you afford to fix the pocket watch given to me by the king himself!" he said pulling out a pocket watch encrusted with jewels. The glass was indeed cracked, but if the glass had been part of an accident now or earlier, was another question. It was of a brand known for their slogan 'Most diamonds by square millimeter', and it truly was a monstrosity of diamonds. There was no doubt in Nelly's mind, the Walsh head wouldn't have gifted something tacky like that.
"I can see it fixed, but I can only apologize for the sentimental loss. If you wish we can offer some additional recompose for it." Nadia said, trying her best to sound strong. Her lover lip was already quivering slightly. Duke Walsh was still red, but his anger hadn't blinded him to the slight fear she was displaying. He grew an evil smirk, making Nelly shiver.
"The only thing that someone like you can offer is the whole establishment." The duke said, licking his lips and eyeing the Viscountess with a gaze Nelly and all other girls present were all too familiar with. For the moment he left his desires unsaid.
The Duke's guards moved in to put additional pressure on the girl. Nelly forced her eyes away from the revolting play and addressed Paco.
"Give her this and whisper that its a gift from Lina's sister." Nelly said handing over a hexagonal crystal with a thick three carved on its top. Paco nodded and left to do as asked. Nelly relaxed her body which she had unwittingly tensioned, letting her face fall back in to neutral.
It was time to watch if Viscountess Nadia Perenboom was going to be a worthy of further investment or if Nelly had to step in herself to put a Walsh in their place.