Food was just one highlight of the date, though one that Nav couldn’t properly appreciate. With no working tastebuds, she devoured them in an entirely different way.
She ate with her eyes, fawning over the many shapes and sizes that something as simple as the common apple came in.
Green apples. Red apples. Yellow. Candied. Skinned. Sliced. Grilled. Deep fried, even. Each one caused a spark to shine in her golden eyes. She mentioned that it was a shame that something so pretty had to be eaten, and Jury figured that was part of the appeal.
Frost was just intrigued by how differently the apples were called in Elysia. The Granny Smith in her palm was called a Lush Apple, and the giant, watermelon sized red one Jury are like a corn on a cob was a Giant Succulent.
Wait. There weren’t giant apples on Earth, right?
Red Delicious were just called apples and were by and large the most common type to be produced in the majority of Regions. Golden Delicious apples, known here as just Golden Apples, were produced natively in Brandar and Grandis.
It was an interesting tidbid of information Frost managed to gain from spending some time talking to the vendors.
She did this all the while casting Appraise Object. It had become incredibly hard to level it now. A thousand objects barely gave her a level now.
< Appraise Object III [7/10] >
She had gained a whopping three levels from cleaning house in the Common Hub plus H5’s streets. It was like the starting skill in an RPG game that was levelled throughout its duration. She couldn’t help but to wonder what secrets waited to be unturned at level 40, let alone at its Skill Mastery.
Her social side came to life as she embraced the joy of normalcy, smiling at every interaction without fail. Her glasses would occasionally fall to the tip of her nose, and people would catch a glimpse of her golden eyes. Because of her height, the angle caused her to display a heart stopping image of a ‘cool’ woman, mostly thanks to her eyes.
More often than not she ended up getting a price far less than the families before them.
It also helped that she was the kind of person to stare into another’s eyes when speaking to them. Averting one’s eyes was seen as impolite to her, although, she quickly came to understand that some races – particularly Dog Demi-humans – disliked direct eye contact.
Jury enjoyed that others could appreciate Frost, but she always kept her tail wrapped around her waist just in case. And when someone seemed like they’d ask Frost her name –
“Oh – uh… H-Have a good day.” A vendor began to sweat profusely as Jury stood behind Frost, her eyes bleeding with malicious intent, which could only be cured with a delicious treat.
“You’re easily calmed, huh.” Frost said as they left the place, walking along the side of a beautiful harbor.
It was unbelievably large with water so clear that you could see straight into the bottom. A kaleidoscope of colors filled the harbor with life as coral thrived within its basin. They were large, but unlike their Earth relatives, these corals were not spiny or brittle at all. Rather, they danced in the harbor’s currents like seaweed as giant whales passed by, carrying hundreds of passengers aboard.
Nowhere near their blowhole of course. Nav was mesmerized by the sheer size a creature could reach, and yet possess such a low level in comparison to the Moons. The quality of one’s soul dictated a large portion of their strength, recognized by the Blessing as levels.
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Then, after a high-pitched shriek that saw foremen warn all to avoid the water, the whale shot out a spectacular stream of pressurized water straight into the air. It must have reached twenty meters. It was the equivalent of the prolonged blast ships did when arriving or just departing from their slip.
A rainbow formed immediately after the water rained down along its back, bouncing off a thin barrier that protected the passengers from getting wet.
“Impressive…” Nav trailed off, clearly stunned by the spectacle as they took a moment ot appreciate the sight for as long as Nav wanted.
“Isn’t it? There’s lots more to see!” Jury enthusiastically said, holding onto one of Nav’s hands. “Everything you missed out on – We’ll see it all together this time. It’s fireworks! But with water.”
“It really does.” Frost agreed, warmly taking Nav’s other hand into hers. “How is it Nav? Liking what you see?”
“My silence speaks for itself.” Nav managed to say with a small smile. “… I have so many questions. The pressure. The size. The biology makes no sense to me. But the beauty of it renders me captivated. Is this the joy of observing?”
“The joy of admiring something for what it is than trying to dissect it.” Frost said. “We can always find a book to understand the things we see later on, but moments like these can only be experienced as they happen.”
Jury then smirked at Frost.
“You’ve been more philosophical lately.” She hummed.
“Yeah. That’s me getting caught up in how people talk in this world. Sorry for sounding like a wise old man.” Frost sighed, suddenly grinning. “But hey, as long as it gets the message across then it’s fine. Getting thrown off the deep end has sobered me enough.”
“You’re the polar opposite when emotional though. That straightforwardness makes you get your message across much easier. Either that, or it’s because they’ve had enough of being beaten to a pulp.” Nav said, suddenly leading them both away to wherever her legs decided. “Onwards to new stimuli – I mean, more sights to see!”
H5 wasn’t just about their food stalls and music. As one of the more popular Sectors it housed a whole range of amenities and activities for them to experience. Nav hadn’t experienced what it was like to shop with an eccentric Jury. They found a large store selling a wide variety of apparel, from casual wear, to suits, combat garbs to even maid outfits.
Nav became Jury’s test subject. A dressing doll to spice up Nav’s appearance. She of course asked Nav beforehand just in case. Nav would have gone along with it anyway regardless of how she felt, and this was precisely why she asked.
“Would you put a lathe in a maid dress?” Nav questioned, standing before a standing mirror in a Victorian-era maid outfit. The skirt was long and frilly, and she even wore the headband to pair.
“A toaster in a suit?” She slowly asked, now wearing a sharp suit that Frost instantly approved of. “This is like putting a protective cover on a GPS. But this is one happy GPS.” She smiled, straightening her suit.
Frost could have sworn she heard someone squeal in one of the balconies above them. The changing rooms were located on the bottom floor of the store and were exposed to all upper floors.
“You put rings on things you love. I’m flattered.” Nav said, taking on goth-style as she wore rings.
That was the suggestion from the store owner, who secretly became invested in finding the one perfect style to fit Nav.
Frost thought they all fit her well until –
“Finally. A machine that can tell its master ‘I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t do that’.”
– What she wore was a loose, unbuttoned shirt with an undone collar, and her hair slicked back to give her that stereotypical ‘delinquent’ appearance. Paired with her cold gaze and monotone voice – she instantly slayed the hearts of countless onlookers when she turned around.
Even Frost wasn’t immune to it. She fought an invisible monsoon, struggling to keep herself upright. Nav ticked so many of Frost’s boxes that it caused her heart to skip a beat. Jury was also stunned by how much it suited their emotionless friend.
“Or when the punching machine punches back?” Nav brought a hand to her head, pulling her hair back further. “A plugged toaster leaping into the bathtub might be better… Is there something the matter? I’m detecting an unexpected rise in environmental Nex.”
“Man… The fact that you don’t know makes you so much cuter.” Frost gushed.
“Stay still for a second Nav. Yep~!” Jury held her hands out, framing Nav between her fingers as she made an audible ‘snap’ like a camera shutter. “That’s a new memory getting immortalized!”
Then, Jury leaned over Frost, slicking her hair back to match Nav.
“I’ll get a painter to draw one for us when get to the City of Diamonds! So – Frost, how’s this? I’m the only one that can make your heart thump.”
Frost was sandwiched between two perfect specimens, her heart racing as Jury dominated her senses. She could feel envious gazes stab her from all over the store as soon as Nav then took Frost’s hand, purposefully teasing Jury.
“Don’t copy my style. Or I’ll…” Nav said unexpectedly, surprising both of them as Jury hummed:
“Hmm?”
After some thought, Nav’s eyes narrowed as she leaned towards Jury with a defiant, yet adorable look on her face.
“… jump in the same water as you the next time you bathe.”
“Nav…” Frost laughed. “For the last time, stop comparing yourself with a toaster!”