Camille and Scorpion Queen rushed out onto the sidewalk expecting to find their friend road kill on the street, but to their surprise and horror-she was perfectly fine while lifting a green truck by the sides up in the air. Traffic had stopped; bystanders stood on the sidewalk with their phones out, recording a superhuman girl lifting a car mid-air like a child hoisting a stuffed animal.
"Fear not, civilian! I'll free you from the jowls of this metallic beast!" cried Aizhen as she released the side of the truck, curling her palm into a fist, "I shall knock out its transparent eye to pull you right out!"
Yin and Jin were among those on-goers who were recording the scene in progress.
"I was half right on this one. Here, she's abrupting traffic."
"Thinks it's some kind of beasty who ate that fella," snickered Jin.
"Woah, woah, woah! Ai-Ai! Stop!" yelled Camille as she rushed toward her side.
"Stay back, Camille. I won't let this beast devour you like it did this man. Tied to its strange belt-like tongue strapped to its tooth!
"That's a seatbelt attached to the chair he's in, and that isn't a beast. It's an Auto-Mobile. AU-TO-MO-BI-LE."
"AU-TO-MO-BI-LE?", Aizhen repeated.
"Yes. It's what folks use to drive around, keep em' safe from the elements, and has cup holders to hold your drinks in while you drive." explained Camille.
"So this AUTOMOBILE in my grasp is not a beast, but some strange transport?"
"Exactly. So that man isn't in any real danger, so could you please put him and his truck down, Ai-Ai?" pleaded Camille in a calm, sweet tone.
Aizhen complied with Camille's request and lowered the truck back onto the ground.
"My apologies, good sir. I'm unfamiliar with the kind of transport that you drive. I thought it was a beast."
"Yeah, well, next time, Missy, you're going to see what sort of beast my truck can unleash when it's chasing you and your friends around town!" said the driver angrily before driving down the block.
Camille led Aizhen back onto the pavement, watching traffic resume and the crowd dispersing while they talked.
"He seemed rather rude."
"Can ya blame the poor guy when he thought that his truck 'ate' him and some crazy girl was gonna smash his windshield in to pull him out?" Jin said.
"Though, it would've been funny if ya did smash his windshield in.", Yin said.
"No, it wouldn't. Then who will be the one to buy a new windshield?" asked the Scorpion Queen.
"Not it!', the brothers responded.
"Oh, it's so "IT"! We'd all have to pitch in to pay for the windshield," Camille angrily said.
As Camille and the brothers argued, Aizhen took in her surroundings: Buildings covered both sides of the street, stretching from one end to the other. Cars passed while folks went about their business, chatting with their friends and occasionally looking at their phones.
She stepped back and bumped into a pillar housing a holographic koi fish swimming around a dish filled with digital water on top, leaping up high in the air. Mesmerized, she continued watching the fish swim around the pillar and, a second later, jumped right back up, but this time, she tried to grab it only for her fingers to pass through it.
"What the!?" she exclaimed. She waited for the koi fish to jump back up, but each time she tried to grab it, her hand ran right through it like air. "What kind of sorcery is this!? I can't grab the fish!"
"Hahaha, that's because it's a hologram, dear.," said the Scorpion Queen, finding Aizhen's antic adorable.
"A hologram? What's that?"
"From what Cammie told me, it's like a ghostly image that they advertise for certain businesses or as an art statement."
"So, is this ghostly fish advertising some kind of...fish stall?" Aizhen asked, scratching her head in confusion.
"That or just for show. There's tons of these around the city."
"I see. It had me there thinking it was real."
"I was the same when I first saw one of these when I first came to the city.", she said, watching the koi fish jump back up before diving back into the digital pool.
"But how does it work? Is it...magic?" asked Aizhen.
"It's Technology, Ai-Ai.", called Camille, walking over after overhearing their conversation, "Almost everything nowadays is techno: Phones, Cars, even cute artworks like that."
"I see. So, is technology a kind of advanced magic?"
"Technically speaking, yes and no, but we'll get into the details later. For now, there is much to show you while we go to Pigsy's Noodles to meet up with Mei-Mei."
When she took a step close to Aizhen, Camille couldn't help but take a whiff. Her nose wrinkled, pinching the tip before waving her hand.
"And I know a great starting point on the tour: The Spa. Now, Ai-Ai, I don't wanna sound rude here, but you smell a little...ripe."
Aizhen raised a confused eyebrow, raised her arm and sniffed herself. Tilting her head, she gave a soft nod to Camille.
"I do smell a little...ripe, but at least I don't smell like a basket of rotten fruit and sulfur like those two", she pointed a thumb over to Jin and Yin.
"Oi! We resent that!," Jin waved a fist at her.
"Not gonna lie, but she's right. When's the last time you guys bathed? Like three days?" asked Camille.
"More like four days, to be exact.", replied Yin.
"Yep, you three definitely need a bath, but Aizhen's getting the VIP Special." Camille rubbed her hands and turned to her friend with a glimmer in her eyes.
"The VIP...Special?"
"You'll see soon, dear, but trust me-YOU are gonna love it," said the Scorpion Queen.
Camille led her friends to a lavish building. A hologram of Lotus and Hibiscus flowers floated across the banner with the "Fuxing Spa Garden" sign. It was a well-known spa across Megapolis. The spa offered hot springs that soothed the soul and body, mud baths, hot stone massages, and the best part was enjoying the luscious flowers that filled each part to ease guests into a meditative and relaxing state. They headed to the front lobby, where gilded flowers spiraled around orchid pillars. Cerulean tiles flooded the floor, making the guests feel like they were walking on water, and the air smelled of lavender. One deep breath of the captivating incense sheds the worries right out of you.
The receptionist was finishing up with a customer, who sent him on his way with a wave before acknowledging Camille and her friends. She was a kind old lady with her hair bunned up in a hairpin, roundish eyeglasses, and a warm smile that'd melt the frosting off a cinnamon roll.
"Ah~Camille, it's so good to see you again. You and your friend come for a mud facial?" said the elderly lady.
"Yes, but also, it isn't just me and Queenie. I got a new bestie who desperately needs the 'Nirvana Package'. She's new in town and needs to get herself a little spruced up.", explained Camille as her tail pointed to Aizhen.
Aizhen awkwardly waved to the old woman. The lady fixed her glasses to get a better look at her.
"Ohh~She's lovely, but she does look like she slept in a cave with that bed hair."
Aizhen stared at her hair and patted down the sides after hearing the old woman's comment.
"I wouldn't say 'slept in a cave'-more like curling up on the softest and silkiest of giant pillows to rest upon."
The old lady tilted her head, confused momentarily, and returned her attention to Camille.
"Now, Camille. You know what's included in the 'Nirvana Package'."
"I'm well aware, Ms. Qiao, but this is an emergency, and my friend needs a makeover," said Camille, "I'm talking fresh, poofy hair. Fresh threads and a pleasant scent to make her smell like a cherry blossom in springtime."
"From the looks of it, she does look like she needs to update her wardrobe. Looks like she came straight from one of my favorite historical dramas."
"What's a historical drama?" Aizhen turned to her friends, hoping they'd know the answer.
"I'll explain to you later, but I think you may like it if you don't nit-pick on one's interpretation of the past.", explained the Scorpion Queen.
"Alright then. One 'Nirvana Package' and one 'Lotus Bundle' for your pals there."
Camille used her credit card to tap on the machine, then turned to her friends and gave an approving thumbs up. Ms. Qiao pressed the page button on her phone, and her voice echoed through the building.
"We have a Nirvana Package for Miss Camille's friend. Please escort her friend and the girls to the Rejuvenation Room, please?"
The moment the announcement was made, the side door opened, and a group of attendants rushed toward Aizhen. Before she could react, she found herself lifted into the air, held against her will, and began to get carried away.
"H-h-h-hey~! W-w-what is this?! Unhand me this instant! Where are you taking me!?" Aizhen snapped as she struggled to escape their grasp.
"Don't fight it, Ai-Ai, just let it happen. It's normal procedure for the Nirvana Package."
"Well, I don't like it one bit!" she protested.
"You'll like it soon when we get to the rejuvenation room," shouted Scorpion Queen.
"Yeah, you're going to love it. Trust us.," Camille assured her anxious friend.
The attendants led the girls into the Rejuvenation Room, the door closing behind them, leaving Yin and Jin by their lonesome, standing by the receptionist's desk.
"Guess we'll catch up with em' after we scrub up.", said Yin.
Aizhen found herself wearing a comfortable bathrobe, with her face covered in a smooth cream and cucumbers placed on her eyelids. She was reclined in a chair while two attendants gave her a foot massage, and another pair worked on her nails. A giggle escaped her lips now and then. It was an unusual yet sensational feeling. She never thought her feet were quite so ticklish.
"Hahahaha...E-e-e-xcuse me, c-c-an you please stop doing that...Hahaha...It's making me feel...gitty?"
"That's normal, Ai-Ai. Everyone has ticklish feet or sometimes tails, but I'm gonna remember that weak spot well.", said Camille, sitting beside her alongside Spider Queen, getting their nails and feet done.
"So, it's normal that I'm laughing because my feet are ticklish?"
"Yeah, and let me just say you got the cutest giggles I've ever heard."
Her face, covered in cream, turned light pink for a few seconds at Camille's compliment.
"I didn't realize...my giggles were cute. When I laughed before, it was mostly strong and refined."
"When you were a dragon, right?" asked the Scorpion Queen.
"Well, technically, I am still a dragon-just different than how I was before."
"Smaller, agile, and in a while about to look downright gorgeous with her gal pals."
"I've been meaning to ask: How do cucumbers on one's eyelids, this creamy substance coating my face and being coddled in a cozy robe while servants tickle your feet and scrub your nails?" asked Aizhen.
"You should also ask, 'Can ya eat the slices after they were on your eyes?'. That, my friend, is a YES.", replied Camille.
"Cucumbers hydrate, soothe and brighten your eyes. The cream gives your face a shiny glow, and the robe makes you feel wrapped in a cozy blanket," said the Scorpion Queen as she dug deeper into her chair while an attendant filed her nails.
"The robe does make me feel like I'm cuddled in a cozy blanket...Soothing and fluffy.", she said.
"If you think that's great, wait until you try the Seaweed Body Wrap. It's gonna do wonders on your complexion.", said the Scorpion Queen.
"I'm sorry, but what did you say about a seaweed body wrap?", Aizhen raised a confused eyebrow.
"Aizhen, this is just PHASE One of the 'Nirvana Package'. You can say this is the appetizer before the main course.", explained Camille.
"Hold on...Are you saying there are different stages of this 'Nirvana Package'?"
"Yep. The first stage gets you in a state of bliss; the next one, they go deep tissue on your body. Seaweed wrap, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage-"
"Wait a minute, did you say hot stone massage!? They use burning stones on one's body!?"
"Don't worry. They're not burning stones; they're just heated stones. They'd be crazy to put stones on your back that'd give ya third-degree burns. Now, chillax and enjoy the ride."
Aizhen sighed as she continued to be pampered by the attendants.Ten minutes later, the girls were wrapped in strands of seaweed from head to toe. It felt like being trapped in a sleeping bag with a broken zipper, but it was more like becoming a human sushi roll. Soothing music played while masseuses massaged their scalps.
Next, the girls were hurried to the salon. A hairstylist examined Aizhen's hair, measuring the length from her head down past the chair. After giving a nod and a hum, she turned toward her tools, and with a red gleam in her eyes, she whipped out a pair of scissors and a comb.
Aizhen closed her eyes when the stylist thrust her scissors at her! Was this woman planning to slash her throat?!
Snip! Snip!
She was mistaken. The only thing getting cut was her hair. Strands of silvery-blue hair fell straight toward the floor. She felt her head brushed by the comb, then a strong gust of wind tickled her face, and finally, she felt her chair being spun around before stopping to see her reflection in the mirror. Her hair fell a little past her shoulders, wavy and shiny like a sparkling river full of stars. She couldn't help but blush at her new look. Never in her life had she had such luscious locks that would make even a celestial being jealous. A warm smile spread across her face, gaining the approval of the hairstylist, who returned her nod with a sunny smile.
The girls were brought to another part of the spa, the boutique. Camille and Scorpion Queen hurriedly picked out various outfits, shoes, and accessories and put them into Aizhen's arms before being taken to the dressing room.
Waiting for Aizhen to change, Camille and Scorpion Queen patiently sat, anxious to see what outfit she'd try on first. The door opened, and Aizhen stepped out in a pair of ripped jeans, a short-sleeved top embedded with the logo of a blazing lion, and combat boots. She glanced at the mirror as her face cringed; even the girls agreed that the look was too "punk."
Returning to the dressing room, she emerged a few minutes later wearing a long black skirt, a yellow shirt, and an orange jacket adorned with flowers to match her shoes. She looked at the mirror but shook her head in disapproval. This didn't feel right either; Camille and Scorpion Queen sighed before giving a thumbs down.
Aizhen returned to the dressing room and, ten minutes later, stepped out wearing blue and white shoes and blue jeans with golden dragons stitched on both sides of her legs. She had on a magenta tank top covered with a jean jacket. She struggled to fix the collar and smooth it out as she faced the mirror.
"Hmmm, now this one....This one isn't bad."
"Isn't bad? You should be saying, 'Is great!' because Ai-Ai! That look is so 'you'! Camille rose as she applauded Aizhen's new look.
"I think it suits you pretty well. Especially the pants.", commented Scorpion Queen.
"They struck out to me more than the other 'leg garments,' I love the detail in the stitch work. It captures the true essence of a dragon."
"What you call 'leg garments', Ai-Ai, we call 'pants'. Course, this is your first time wearing em'. Did they give ya any trouble?", asked Camille.
"Only when I tried to figure out where they go. I tried with my arms, but then how would I get my head through. So I put two and two together and wala. Guess pants are required to cover one's lower region so not to offend even a god to expose one's 'dignity'.
Camille's cheeks puffed as she bellowed with laughter at Aizhen. She planted her palms on her knees, continuing to laugh until her eyes began to water. Aizhen stared, confused yet concerned for Camille.
"Are you okay, Camille? Did I say something funny or offensive?", asked Aizhen.
"No, no! Hahahaha! It's just that-hahahaha! How you worded it there! So funny!" Camille said between fits of laughter.
"I wasn't trying to be funny..."
"It's probably the last part about covering one's 'dignity', Sweetie.", Scorpion Queen explained.
Her cheeks turned red as she repeated the lines in her head. Oh my goodness! She inadvertently said something offensive while explaining how to put on pants.
"Ohhhh....My deepest apologies for not realizing it sooner.", said Aizhen.
"It's okay! It's okay!...Sighh~But, ya know? It was pretty funny. You got a weird sense of humor, Ai-Ai, but in a good way.", Camille rose her head giving her a warm smile.
Aizhen chuckled, returning a smile to her friend Camille.
"And you have a weird taste in humor."
"Yeah, and a weird taste in food. Speaking of food, we should see if the boys are done so we can get moseying to Pigsy's, but only after making a few pit stops. This is just the tip of the iceberg, Ai-Ai. Wait until you see all of Megapolis!"