[center][h2]Evening in Esaka[/h2]
[color=D34C25]Primrose[/color] & Ms. Fortune
[sup][@Yankee][@Lugubrious][/sup]
Word Count: 3060 (+4 exp)[/center]
Prior to Nadia’s departure, Terry had offered his apologies. He was so sincere about it that the feral wound up feeling bad about how vehement her response had been. It wasn’t often that Nadia acted like that; it didn’t exactly gel with her carefully cultivated self-image as a cheerfully nonchalant jokester who smiled through pain and panic alike. As he averted his eyes and shrugged, Nadia ran a hand through and flipped her hair, flicking a mental switch. By the time Terry shrugged and went for eye contact, the catgirl’s body language had reset to her natural relaxed, jovial state, and she wore a mischievous, easygoing smile. “Haha, no worries, blondie. I was just givin’ ya a hard time. Gotta put the newbies through their paces, y’know?”

She slipped out afterwards. Then it wasn't long after she left before Primrose joined her outside of Banishing Flats. The dancer declined to book a room just yet, instead trading a few quiet words with her fellow Orsterran before leaving. The men seemed disinclined to join them, and as for Sakura, Amaterasu, and Yayama… the former might be a little young for a tavern, the latter (though the shortest, her bearing made it very clear to Primrose that she was not a child) had her head down on a table clearly not in the mood, and Amaterasu was, of course, a wolf. It seemed it would just be the two friends, which suited Primrose just fine. 

There was a soft thump behind the women as the (formerly) high class pup nosed his way out of the building as well and the door closed after him. Perhaps not [i]just[/i] the two, then.

Primrose took just a moment to smooth out her dress before she glanced at Nadia with a small smile. [color=D34C25]"Let's see what trouble we can get up to. There were a few places around this tier Therion and I passed earlier that we can stop by…"[/color]

When Nadia knelt down the stray pattered over and allowed himself to be stroked, still tempted by the telltale smell of her newfound affluence. The catgirl made a mental note to buy him some treats later, which might have been a little optimistic given her scatterbrained tendencies. She missed Chucho, although she knew that the polterpup she’d adopted in the Under would be at home aboard the Avenger. After giving the little dog a final pat on the head, Nadia turned her smile up toward her friend. “Sounds good. Though, I think I mighta gotten into enough trouble today already,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. “Maybe I should find somewhere else to stay. Just in case that Kazuya guy or his goons come knockin’. Not like I can’t afford it~”

She stood up, straightening her arms and calico tail in a luxurious, carefree stretch, then glanced back over at the golden streaks amidst the murky stormclouds. A beautiful evening sky like that was worth preserving in a photograph–if only the feral had a camera. “Guess we’re lucky the rain stopped when it did. No tellin’ ‘weather’ or not it’ll pick up again, though.” She faced Primrose and held her arm toward the street as if to say [i]after you.[/i] “Lead the way!”

The dancer offered a short, playful curtsy as she did just that, taking the two of them and their furry tag-a-long away from the motel down a straight stretch of road. The city almost seemed to glow in the twilight, even here nestled in the center of the 'cake,' as sunbeams swept across the bronze trimming and finials of Esaka's buildings, making them twinkle in the lingering cloud cover's shade. 

Primrose had seen Nadia bounce back from a number of things now, and she doubted the poor reaction to her heist would be any different, but even so the least Primrose could do was reassure her friend.

[color=D34C25]"Don't worry about this Kazuya. Like you said yourself, we can handle one man, demon or no. The others will come around,"[/color] she told Nadia, glancing over at her. Then, to give the cat burglar an out, while her eyes traced the edges of the homes, businesses, and dojos she added, [color=D34C25]"although, I've never seen a city like this before. The way the architecture looks, and how it's stacked... It's quite pretty. If you did want to see and stay in other parts of it, I certainly wouldn't blame you."[/color] 

Glad for any chance to quit reflecting and focus on superficial stuff, Nadia nodded in agreement. In fact, the feral was barely watching where she was going as she took in the extravagant scenery. Toward the west, the stage was set for a glorious sundown, with the city’s many spires and peaked rooftops silhouetted against the warm hues of a half-hidden sky. In the east, meanwhile, that light reflected off of colorful shingles shiny and dripping from rainwater. No matter which of Esaka’s tiers one might happen to be in, one could find a rich interplay between celebrated past and innovative present, with formidable jade-roofed [url=https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J5tlCv6IWjc/Um7oETWLPlI/AAAAAAAAAO0/MkH2GCD3-q8/s1600/RyuStageJapan.gif]pagodas[/url] standing hand in hand with [url=https://i.imgur.com/N7rdE5y.png]in-progress skyscrapers[/url]. Down at street level, meanwhile, things only got more interesting. Now that the deluge had subsided, the cityfolk had emerged to portend a thriving nightlife. Everywhere Nadia looked, she found weird and wonderful people of all shapes and sizes, shops and homes that spanned every conceivable era and architectural style, united in common passion and purpose.

“It’s incredible,” Nadia replied after a moment. Even after almost a full day here, her genuine amazement hadn’t diminished one bit. “It’s so…dense. Jam-packed with interestin’ stuff. For someone with a short attention span, it’s basically paradise. I could just wander for hours…I never would’ve thought I’d find a place I [i]wanted[/i] to get lost!” Under normal circumstances most folks would be understandably wary of such a sprawling, chaotic metropolis, but since everyone in Esaka could fend for themselves, its society encouraged a strange sort of mutual respect. It was an exceptional place in more ways than one.

Nadia paused to marvel at a [url=https://www.fightersgeneration.com/nf9/game/stage/ggxxreload-may-stage-animated.gif]food stand built into a dragon carcass[/url], and lick her lips at the a savory aroma of its grilled chicken skewers, before moving on with a shake of her head. “It’s special even compared to most places we’ve been, y’know? ‘Cause all of this stuff comes from different worlds. Like, Limsa Lominscuttle Town felt like a specific city from one world, with a bunch of other stuff thrown in. The Home of Tears and Mafia Town felt the same way. But this is totally different. It’s one big melting pot from top to bottom, too mixed up to come from any one place. Kinda like the Lost Numbers, eh? A World of Light original.”

She looked down at the cobblestones beneath her boots as she walked, her voice lowering somewhat. “Even if it’s all screwed up ‘cause of Moebius, it’s kinda sad that…if we win, everythin’ like this is just gonna be…gone.”

Nadia glanced at Primrose, watching closely for her reaction.

Primrose's expression hadn't changed much from the subtle admiration of the city she'd been showing, though there was now a hint of thoughtfulness in her eyes. She had considered this before, but never in depth, as though she was separate and the end of this world wouldn't affect her. So it was that when she replied, it was with a cool, detached countenance.

[color=D34C25]"I wonder... Everything we see is a copy, but not an illusion - more like a replica. The stone is real..."[/color] She brushed her fingers against the wall of a building they passed close by. [color=D34C25]"... the people are flesh and blood. For the most part. Even if the 'power source' is removed, it may not simply collapse."[/color]

The corners of her lips quirked upward. [color=D34C25]"Well, I wouldn't know. But a few Seekers are already making plans for after the fact, so they must not think it will disappear."[/color]

Primrose's expression softened ever so slightly after a few moments.

[color=D34C25]"I know what you mean though. Places one would never be able to conceive of, let alone see, if not for being created here... it's incredible in a lot of ways. And eventually we'll leave it all to memory."[/color]

In good company, Nadia permitted her smile to fade away. She tended to get through her days in relative happiness by neither dwelling on the past nor thinking much about the future, but right now felt like a good chance to get it out of her system. While she didn’t plan to consider the sobering subject that was the eventual fate of all things, the catgirl couldn’t help but wonder about the campaign’s end. “What if,” she began, “We fight Galeem and actually beat it, somehow. And at that point, we’re given a choice. End the World of Light, and set things back to how they used to be. Or…keep the World of Light goin’, under new management. Try and fix things so they’re less…eheh, awful, I guess.”

She shrugged. “Not that I wanna have that responsibility, hell no. I just wanna spend my days havin’ fun, goin’ on adventures, and spendin’ time with my friends. Maybe even a special someone, y’know? But…” When she glanced around furtively, her body language suggested much more apprehension than the feral typically let on. “If the World of Light ends, it’s not just places like Esaka that go bye-bye. You, me…accordin’ to Asgore and the Lost Numbers, we’re all just the latest and greatest copies. Copies of what, though? If there’s, like, an original Primrose and Ms Fortune out there, maybe endin’ this world will let ‘em go back to normal…”

Nadia stopped, her brows furrowed and her one fist balled as she leaned against a building for support. “But why do [i]they[/i] have any more right to live than [i]us[/i], huh? Even if I got less than ten years left, I’m not just gonna lie down and die ‘cause…’cause I’m not the real one! No way! I don’t want…” She grit her teeth, then turned to Primrose with a despondent look on her face. “Look, you, me, all the others. We can laugh and cry, grow, uh…change…and dream. Even have kids! We’re real too, dammit.” She took a shaky breath. “Aren’t we?”

Primrose had slowed a few feet away from Ms. Fortune, turning to give the other woman her full attention. She hadn't expected this, but clearly it had been weighing on Nadia. Probably from the moment they'd had the truth laid out to them all - and the closer they got to defeating Galeem, the heavier that weight would be. The dancer let Nadia get all of her thoughts out, responding only once she'd asked that fragile, forlorn question.

[color=D34C25]"Of course we are,"[/color] Primrose said, her voice steady and hard. Even after everything they'd learned, she felt that to be true. Briefly her own thoughts flickered back to a hole in the wall in Dirtmouth, where another Primrose had looked upon her with disdain until she was reduced to spirit once more. The present Primrose hesitated to speak again for a few moments. Then, she inclined her head slightly. That other self may have felt the same way as Nadia now. She had probably been real, too - but it didn't make who [i]she[/i] was any less.

She wished she could have borrowed some of her friends' strengths in that moment; Cyrus' ability to rationalize the abstract, Alfyn's uncanny power to comfort others, or Ophelia's quiet way of inspiring hope. She only had herself though, and her own perspective.

[color=D34C25]"I am Primrose Azelhart,"[/color] she said with a hint of pride at the statement. [color=D34C25]"Even if I'm copied from a Primrose template, and even after everything we've learned... I don't consider myself separate from that original. Her goals are mine. Mine are hers. When everything ends, mayhaps she'll wake up and the memories I've made will live in her. Or mayhaps this world lives on and she becomes me."[/color]

From the slight change of her tone, an observant listener could tell that Primrose preferred the former option. There were things she'd left unfinished in her -in Primrose's- original world that may not ever be completed in this one. She did not pause for long, though. 

[color=D34C25]"And you are Nadia Fortune. If the world comes to an end you aren't trading your life for hers; you are her. If we stay here, or go back 'home'... No matter what happens you won't disappear. At least... that's what I choose to believe."[/color]

Was some of her confidence in the outcome getting through to Nadia? Primrose wasn't sure, but she hoped it was as she watched her friend.

After a brief moment, Nadia slowly let out the breath she’d been holding. Her eyes were closed as she inhaled deep through her nose, then exhaled again, shorter this time. Although she knew that Primrose didn’t necessarily know any better about the reality of their existence than she did, the mere act of trying to bring the feral solace -of showing she cared- helped ground her. Even if the comfort she offered boiled down to being just what Nadia wanted to hear, it was what she needed, and she would savor that lie–not to mention every precious second of time she got to spend with her friends. When she looked back at Primrose, she did not crack a grin, but there was gratitude in her eyes, and her uncharacteristic lack of smile reflected just how comfortable the catgirl felt being genuine around her. It was unfair to expect such succor from someone, especially someone who shared her turmoil, but the dancer had done it anyway. A lot was going through Nadia’s mind, but in the end she could come up with only one word to say. “Thanks.”

[color=D34C25]"No thanks needed,"[/color] Primrose replied, her voice softening up. Honestly more than just trying to reassure Nadia, giving voice to her thoughts had reinforced them in her own mind. No matter what happened, or how she changed, she was real - even if she was just one of two, or more. She was a real Primrose. And she would keep fighting until at least one Primrose could complete their life's mission. The existentialism that all the Seekers had to grapple with was not to be taken lightly, but hopefully, her companions would eventually feel the same. [color=D34C25]"Come on."[/color]

Then the two got moving again, and as the stormclouds continued to clear above them, the sun continued its plunge toward the horizon. Conversation turned once again toward lighter topics as the two women progressed toward their destination. They passed a few businesses that might have fit what the girls were looking for, including a building near one of the elevators down to the Low Tier with upbeat dance music filtering out of it, in stark contrast to the [url=https://i.imgur.com/2bqf4Dh.gif]gritty aesthetic[/url] that could be just barely be seen through the slatted window shades covering the front windows now that the sun was setting, but it was evidently not the venue Primrose had in mind as she passed it by. Instead she led the two of them into the thick of the Mid Tier, closer to the wall that supported the tier above it, where nestled snugly between two alleyways was a more unassuming cantina. At least, on the outside.

The exterior was a curious mix of Asian and European design, with its roof made of sloping tiles to match its neighbors though in a terracotta shade rather than the more common dark hue. Its body was brick and stucco, with a simple sign reading "Tavern" above the only [i]official[/i] entrance. Right beside the door was a man in a black suit seated on a stool - a bouncer more than likely, and when he noted the two women approaching he stood tall and imposing... except for the smile on his face.

"[i]Ah, hermosa,[/i] back again," he said to Primrose with a congenial lilt. Then he looked at her company, his surprisingly friendly expression not faltering whatsoever. "With a different friend this time. Good thinking, this one is much prettier!"

By the time the two Seekers had arrived, Primrose had slipped back into a passively cordial look, though now she made her smile brighten and her eyelashes flutter as she offered the man a small giggle. [color=D34C25]"I thought so too. And I'm hoping to get a look inside, this time."[/color]

"Technically we're members only..." he said, stroking his chin as he pretended to consider the offer. Almost immediately he dropped the act. "[i]But[/i] we always make an exception for the beautiful. Right this way, ladies."

The bouncer opened the door for them and swept his arm in a welcoming gesture towards the tavern's interior. Right away Nadia and Primrose could feel warmth radiating out, along with the glow of soft lighting. As they stepped inside (followed by the chihuahua who'd managed to sneak in after them), they found an elegantly rustic establishment, with a full bar stocked with whole barrels of aged wine and tasteful polished wooden tables dotting the area. Women in colorful skirts served diners, moving between this front area and two adjacent rooms. One was behind a closed door down a short, dark hall, though as the servers entered or exited a glimpse of a betting parlor with a few mounted flat-screens could be seen, upon which were currently showing the "TBD" rosters of all four of Esaka's biggest tournaments. 

The other room, the largest of the areas in the front of the house by far, featured a huge central ballroom floor with dining seats arranged around the perimeter and a giant ornate crystal chandelier that flooded the whole space with warm yellow light. On one side there was a stage more than large enough for people to perform on, and it was there that the tavern's live music filtered throughout the building from, as a couple of musicians played a tune with a Spanish flair. It would have been a perfectly normal cantina, if not for the middle of the room being completely fenced in by iron gates, with scratches and scuffs gouged into the polished floor that suggested while the establishment had a stage, the real entertainment took place within the cage. 

Above it all a neon sign stated in elegant script the name of this exclusive establishment: [url=https://i.imgur.com/MP04OBc.jpeg]Mesón De Las Flores.[/url]