“A Chaos Dancer has been called.”
The scene on the aethercast dissolved into pandemonium. The camera focused back on Bob’bi as the silver haired foxkin paused for her audience to calm down. “Kindred, I can’t believe what I’m hearing”; she said wide eyed as her ears flattened to her head. “Elder Sho’hanaheah has confirmed that after 2000 annum another Chaos Dancer has appeared. I’m sure I don’t need to remind our viewing audience that the chaos storms which still rage over our oceans arose after the fight in which Ros’hane, the last Dancer, died defeating the Breach Demon, Az’xion.” Bob’bi babbled at her camera, as the chaotic mass of other reporters and dignitaries began to settle down.
“Wa’ahine has awoken from her trance, and while her news is dire, it also brings much hope!” said Sho’hanaheah, as the crowd calmed down. “As many of you may know, there is something causing the chaos storms to strengthen. The energy that these storms resonate with is that which was released when Az’xion’s body was destroyed in the same chaos blast that killed Ros’hane, when she sacrificed herself for all of us. Wa’ahine told me just this morning that the storms will soon coalesce into another Breach Demon. Be not afraid, for as before, Infinity has graced us with one of her daughters, a Chaos Dancer to stand against this horror.”
Sho’hanaheah looked directly into the camera, “To our new Dancer: Please come see us as soon as you can. We need to speak. Be sure to look in a mirror before you come. I would say good luck, but as you are finding, that comes naturally now. Don’t wait too long, dear.”
“Oh shit. Nononononono, this can't be happening,” panicked Ilnya as she stared at the mirror. She was still about 137 cm tall, and her ears added another 20 cm to that. The vivid hot pink of her hair and ears was normal, as was the sapphire blue of her inner ear tufts and tail, but her eyes …
As she watched they changed again, her right eye shifting from a glowing pink to an equally glowing blue, as the left one made the same change in reverse.
“Oh no, Oh Ifni, no. Why me, I can’t fight a Demon?! Oh please, no.”
As her panic rose, vivid, glowing sapphire marks appeared on her cheeks and temples, as the glowing, twisting lines appeared in her vision again. Two thick lines sprung into b4ing, one flowing towards the front door of the suite, the othér, fainter line flowing towards the door leading to the rooftop pool and patio.
The knocking on the door of her suite startled her, and she began frantically searching for he aetherspecs, finally finding them as the knock sounded again, “Ma’am? Are you alright? This is casino security, we need to speak with you about last night.”
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Adjusting the lenses of her specs to a mirror finish took a brief though and flex of aether, she wasn't capable of much, comparably to many kindred, but controlling interface devices like specs was childs play. Her voice squeaked at first, so she cleared her throat and tried again, Wait one, be there in a moment.
Giving the visible room a quick glance over, she grabbed a couple of joints from the coffee table and shoved them into the pocket of the robe she was wearing. Tha ashtray full of roaches, she kicked under the couch. She glanced through the peephole and saw a male wolfkin, standing almost 30 cm taller than her, wearing the hotel cop uniform. “What's this about?”, she said through the closed door.
“Well, you were pretty drunk last night when we poured you into your room last night, so this is primarily a wellness check. When someone wins the amounts of credits that you did last night, we try to take very good care of them.”
Looking around the palatial penthouse suite, Ilnya had to concede the point.
“Also, we reviewed the security tapes of your incredible run at roulette and craps last night, and there are a few … anomalies we’d like to discuss. Don't worry, you're not in trouble and will definitely be keeping your winnings, but, we do need to clarify some things going forward.”
Ah, here's the panic again. That didn't take long. As her anxiety began to again increase, a knock sounded on the door to the pool/patio area, where the suddenly thicker and now pulsing line of (luck? fate? other freaky weirdness?) was leading.
‘Oh Ifni, what now?’ Ilnya thought. “Give me a moment, she said to the cop in the hall, I need to get dressed.”
“Take your time, ma’am.” He replied calmly.
She stepped quickly to the glass patio door and saw a very short, very nervous rabbitkin wearing an Aether cycle racing suit.
“Good morning, ma’am, I'm here to deliver the aether cycle you won last night”
…
Well ok then. Ilnya was really starting to wish she could remember more about what happened. “Room, what were my total winnings last night, after the Imperial tax was paid?”
“496 billion, 235 million, 825 thousand, 420.76 credits. That is the remaining amount after the Imperial taxes and your bar bill have been deducted.”
Ilmay paused, her brain feeling slightly short-circuited from that number. “You said billion. With a B, right?”
“Yes, ma’am, that is the commonly accepted spelling.”
“Room, please transfer all funds to my personal account, and open the patio door.”