13. Dressed to Impress
Chapter thirteen
Dressed to Impress
“Tryhard,” Boyband scoffed. He eyed me up and down, taking in the light reflecting from my outfit. Deep in his gaze, I think I spotted a shimmer of jealousy.
“Shut up, BB.” Ralia ran her hand along the violet lights of my sleeves.
She touched the violet streaks in my hair, probably wondering how hair could light up without disintegrating a moment later.
Part of me still worried that it might happen, but Naoma had worn light in her hair countless times and still had plenty of hair.
Ralia continued her inspection, flipping my collar up so that the blue light shined out on her. “I like it, but I’m not a fan of the tight shorts.”
I shrugged. “Naoma said it fit the outfit. You like the shoes?”
She nodded. “Hightops with a thick base, can’t go wrong there. Really, Pet, you look pulse, maybe a little too much violet, though.”
We laughed.
“What, luxury doesn’t fit me?”
“Shouldn’t fit anyone,” Boyband said. “My parents were stupid rich and I didn’t dress like that all the time. All that violet on you has to be worth more than this street and everything on it.”
“It bothers me as much as it does you, du, but it came from Naoma’s account so you can keep your filthy lumens to yourself.”
“Why didn’t she use some of that to get us into a nice hotel rather than stay here on these mats? No offence, Denji. We appreciate it.”
Denji shrugged.
“Because we know we’re safe here. Just because we haven’t had another assassination attempt since Ral and I entered the neurocore doesn’t mean we won’t.”
“Glad Naoma has her knight in zegging armor to protect her out there.”
Ralia flicked his head. “What is your problem?”
“He’s jealous of love,” Abbas said.
“Yeah,” Kuni added. “He wants to kiss Akna but she thinks he’s gross.”
Boyband gave Kuni a familiar “piss off.”
Ralia smirked. “He’s just lucky Akna’s too busy helping Naoma to hear that.”
Boyband rolled his eyes. “Why are they taking so zegging long?”
“I’m just a du trying to blend in.” I adjusted the tight jacket I wore. At least the middle was open to a breathable shirt because I already felt hot. “She’s got a reputation to hold up.”
“Are we sure she still has one after abandoning her fans to put on some whack mindshow in Arabasia?”
I shrugged. “If they were ever loyal, they will be still.”
“Loyal or brainwashed worshippers?”
The door down the hall opened. Akna led the way with a little more makeup on than usual after helping Naoma, but it was nothing compared to the glamor of the Neon Idol herself.
I had gotten used to her natural look after spending so much time with her in her normal life, that I had almost forgotten the front she had to hold up.
Of course I was drawn to her natural look, but I couldn’t deny my affection for the image of the star who had made me into one of her “brainwashed fans.”
She smiled, keeping those pink lips tame as I tried to remain relaxed while still showing that I was impressed.
She wore a tight jumper with a skirt bottom and high boots.
Everything she wore was a chromatic white, besides the violet light in her eyeliner, stripes on her chromatic nails, and bright on her earrings.
She did not wear as much violet as before, but there was no hiding the luxury in her style.
It was bold enough to say that she could reserve herself from a complete violet outfit while still maintaining the highest luxury.
Despite the highlights, she wouldn’t match the violet-covered Reef artists.
This wasn’t mere style, it was brilliance.
She was showing that she could stand without Reef and maintained the power she had before.
If there had been a drop in her popularity since her departure, I had no doubt that she could take it up again with more influence than ever.
Perhaps she was the first pop idol in years to be her own person and not a corporate creation.
How would 3Rochi take that? She had set our meeting up with them but hadn’t said anything regarding their enthusiasm.
“You’re not going with her, so why are you all done up?” Boyband scoffed at Akna.
“Why do you look like guk?” she bit back.
“What is your problem?”
“Maybe I cared about putting myself together more before I got caught up in this. You probably had a better haircut, right?”
Naoma and I locked eyes while they argued. We couldn’t help but laugh, though we knew there was more to the situation.
“You look… really nice.” My words stumbled as they came out.
She smiled and bowed her head. “You, too. You clean up well.”
“Thanks to you. If you hadn’t given us directions, I would have been left to the mercy of Boyband’s lack of style.”
“Shut the zeg up, Pet. I’m arguing here,” Boyband said.
“Against yourself,” Akna added. “And losing.”
“Should we get going?” I asked Naoma.
She nodded. “Might as well. Are you ready?”
“I guess? Are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I dunno, meeting back with Reef and your old colleagues.”
“I’m actually kind of excited.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Who cares what they think. It’s liberating. Without the Fins to bow down to, it’s like I’m driving myself home for the first time after being a passenger for so long. No contracts, no obligations, just establishing old relationships.”
“And if they ask what you’ve been doing or what you’re going to do next?”
“I tell them that I’ve made a deal with a new producer–” She eyed Boyband, who was back in an argument with Akna. “–and that I am currently on a sabbatical after my severance from Reef. Independent artists are the new thing.”
“They were before capitolocracy.”
“So we’ll make them the thing again. When was the last time you respected a boundary? Certainly not the last time you fed.”
“You’re not wrong. So, are we taking the skytrack?”
“Now that I’m back in my Neon Idol style? No, I’m not risking any out-of-violet appearances like this, especially on public transport. While Akna was touching up my last bits of makeup, I ordered a skyride. They should be here any minute.”
“Nice timing.”
“As a corporate pawn, you learn how to manage time effectively. Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so.”
“Extra teeth? I know you don’t like them stale, but it’ll be a while until you have a chance to feed again.”
I nodded, trying to keep my smile. I hated how relaxed she was talking about my bane.
Not only did she say it without any disgust, but she knew my preferences.
I couldn’t deny the guilt I felt keeping her with us, regardless of the fight we gave on her side.
Seeing her smile free of deception, I tried to feel better about myself.
It was a mighty hill with slipping sand, but it was possible to be fine with myself.
I couldn’t rid myself of this curse just yet, so why not accept this existence?
She accepted me, so shouldn’t I be fine with myself?
Could I ever accept a version of myself that needed to hurt others to survive?
I continued to slide on the sandy hill.
“So…” Naoma began but waited until I looked at her before continuing. “You with me?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s nothing. So, the plan from here on out. You ready?”
“Yeah.”
“You with me this time?”
I laughed. Her smile was not only sweet, but contagious. “Yeah. Shoot it.”
Her smile struggled to hold.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Think you can read me now?”
I shrugged. “We’ve been with each other a while now.”
“Get ready for more.” The strength in her smile was back.
“Oh, zeg me,” Boyband said. “Just get on with it.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t. How are you doing, Petya?”
“Zeg you,” Boyband said.
She shrugged and sighed. “Yeah, there is a catch to our meeting. 3Rochi sounded excited to meet me, but they can put on a show like I did. Rather than meet at a studio or somewhere more convenient, they’ve got a pop-up in Chuyen.”
“Is that in the violet district?” I asked.
She nodded. “Reef has us do pop-ups in Violet and rarely in Indigo Districts, or we would be trapped by fans who will give every lumen to see us. Still, that doesn’t mean it won’t be crowded. There will be fans, but nothing compared to the mob that accompanies a Blue District pop-up.”
“I’ve been to a couple of lower-ranked idol pop-ups in the Blue,” Akna said. “And those were a nightmare. I can’t imagine if you showed up to an event organized just for you.”
“Exactly. When I would show up for my Violet events, we would pull a huge crowd, even more for Indigo events, but there was order. The people who come know that any step out of line will end the event. There will be order, but I can’t promise that when I show up unannounced.”
“You think that much of yourself?” Boyband scoffed.
“No, I just know how people can get when their expectations are changed. We’ll fight for order, but we need to keep our expectations low.”
“And this is why you’re concerned?” I asked.
She nodded. “If they want to paint my departure from Reef poorly, it’ll be easier with a crowd. We’ll be in the public eye, good or bad. “
“And they’re doing that because…” Boyband asked.
“Because if they decide I’m as tainted as their Fin masters say, they can ruin my reputation in an instant. How? I don’t know, but I’m sure Reef has an agenda for them that they are only holding back because we were friends. We might still be.”
“And if they don’t like the new Naoma?” Boyband said.
“Then that’s their problem,” I said. “They can be corporate drones all they want if they think that gives them good personalities.”
Naoma snapped. “That is another point of interest. You’ll see soon enough that even though the three of them each have their own unique personality, they are seen as a single being. They’re a single mind with three heads that are treated as one.”
“So that’s real?” Akna asked.
She nodded.
“You know them?” Boyband asked.
Akna scoffed. “You don’t? You know them, right Petya?”
“Kind of. I know their music but it’s not my favorite so I never dove into their story, but I have heard about them.”
“Anything you’ve heard is probably true,” Naoma said. “I don’t know what else to tell you except be prepared for drama, if they choose to stir it up.”
“And let you take the lead?”
“Oh, that’s a given. You know your world, Pet, but you have no idea where I come from. I’m not talking about my forgotten past or whatever you think you might know from your brief interaction with Anton and anyone else you might have met.”
I nodded.
Boyband prodded me. “Du, are you excited?”
“This is serious,” Naoma scolded.
“I know, but it’s still pulse, especially for the lowlifes like us.”
I scoffed. “Says the heir to a SocStan empire.”
“And where did that get me? This is different. I might have visited the Violet District on occasion, but I never got this close with the elites. Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it. All the attention and adoration has to be nice, doesn’t it?”
“Until you can’t go out in the open without a swarm approaching you.
Yeah, I got around with a lightguise but that doesn’t prevent the most modded creeps from seeing through it.
I won’t lie that undying adoration is nice, but I didn’t care about it back then.
Now that I’m out of Reef’s control, I can see that I was a shac to a lot of my followers.
Without Reef to back me up, I can’t protect my public image so if I piss off the wrong person, they’ll use social warfare to smear what I have left into disgrace.
I can’t say that you have it better because I don’t remember a life out of this, but I would give almost anything to try that right now.
Unfortunately, I don’t have that leisure. ”
“You could just ditch us all and chase a life alone if you really want.”
“And abandon the only people I know who seem to care for me? Me, Naoma. Not the Neon Idol. I know I could leave and jump back into the life that I had, but, Pet, people aren’t the only reason I’m staying.
I’ve seen enough to know that what you are all doing might be the most important thing in the world right now.
I’m not going to toss responsibility away for ‘finding myself.’ I have met too many people in the Violet who gave everything away because they wanted to love themself.
They gave up family and friends for an impulse.
Too many people forget what matters because they want to toss their luck into the race to become someone like me. ”
Boyband nodded. “I get it.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to sound upset. If I did, it’s not because of you. It’s because of the Violet District and the people who only care to see lumen-producing machines instead of people.” She sighed, then looked at me. “But, that doesn’t eliminate all the fun. Ready to go?”