Queen vs. Political Theatre

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A sneeze erupted from Birgit, not a dainty ‘achoo,’ but a full-bodied ‘AH-HEEM!’ that rattled her tiny frame. She then blew her nose, not with a polite ‘snnrt, snnrt,’ but a full-on ‘HOOONK!’ that could rival a bus’s horn, sending a wave of eucalyptus scent washing over Eydis.

Eydis instinctively jumped back, her face barely concealing the look of utter repulsion. She launched herself into Natalia's arms, who let out a startled yelp as she was abruptly engulfed in a shadow-queen embrace while valiantly attempting to shield her precious curry from impending SPLOSH.

‘Never again,’ the Queen vowed silently. ‘One fever-induced snuggle session is enough for a lifetime. Note to self: Birgit is now classified as a biohazard. Handle with extreme caution.’

"Bless you, B?" Colette offered, her voice muffled by the yellow scarf she was now using as a makeshift face mask. "Are we supposed to be eating out here in the cold forever? Winter is coming, mon dieu! And judging by Birgit's nose situation, it's bringing a whole hurricane of boogers with it!"

"I think we've got a full-blown pandemic on our hands!" Natalia exclaimed, her cheeks matching the suspiciously orange ‘butter chicken’ (which, upon closer inspection, appeared to contain more carrots than poultry) as Eydis continued to cling to her waist.

"But... um, Eydis..." Natalia stammered, eyeing her untouched meal with longing.

“Yeah?” Eydis purred in contentment, nuzzling closer. Honestly, could she just syphon off Natalia's body heat and hibernate for the winter?

"I...um...can't eat like this," Natalia managed to squeak out, gesturing helplessly at her trapped arm.

Eydis, with a dramatic sigh and a lingering look of pure yearning, finally released Natalia, before poking at her curry with a glare. The pungent aroma of turmeric and cumin assaulted her nostrils.

A static-filled bark echoed in her mind, Cerberus voicing his usual complaints about her lacklustre diet. 'Bark, bark!' Which roughly translated to, 'Beggars can't be choosers, My Queen.'

But Eydis, ever the master of selective hearing (and having forcibly retrained Cerberus to communicate exclusively in dog barks), simply dismissed the canine critique as a series of nonsensical yapping.

"You were cute once, Natalia," Eydis mumbled, mourning the loss of her personal space heater.

Natalia sputtered mid-bite, a spray of curry narrowly missing Eydis thanks to her shadow-enhanced reflexes. "C-C-Cute?" She added in a quieter voice. “You think… I’m cute?”

"Well, you were," Eydis repeated, her eyes locking in an intense staring contest with a floating carrot on her plate. "Until you so rudely rejected my embrace." She remained completely oblivious to the hitch in Natalia's breath and the deepening blush on her cheeks.

As if on cue, the space around their table warmed, a subtle wave of heat radiating from Natalia's direction. Eydis blinked, glancing up at her friend with a silent question in her eyes.

"Not. A. Word, guys!" Natalia hissed, her blush now creeping down her neck like a spreading wildfire.

"But didn't you say you dis—" Birgit’s question died on her lips as Colette's discreet elbow jabbed her in the ribs. “…Ow.”

A silent message passed between them, a flurry of eyebrow acrobatics and meaningful glances that Eydis could only interpret as "Girl, shut it."

Birgit's eyes darted between an affectionately amused Eydis and a flustered (yet somehow radiant) Natalia with suspicion.

"Um... you look a bit flushed too, Nat," she croaked with a raspy voice, as if she’d spent the last few weeks screaming into a void. "It's probably just the changing seasons, nothing... unusual... I hope.”

“Um, yeah, sure,” Natalia replied sheepishly.

As the group dug into their meal, snippets of gossip from the surrounding tables reached their ears, some accompanied by nervous glances in their direction.

Birgit sighed. "Honestly," she mumbled between bites, “I wish people would stop talking about my little... incident at the dining hall. I'd rather not be forever known as 'the girl who OD'd on a juice box’."

"Many, many juice boxes," Colette chimed in.

Natalia scoffed. "Please, two hours in the infirmary is nothing. Try being me, 'the girl who got a free chiropractic adjustment from a power-hungry newbie on camera'." She cracked her back for emphasis.

"Oh my gosh, that video went viral! It's the hottest gossip in school, for sure,” Collette said. "And speaking of Tiffany... Well, I wasn't exactly her biggest fan, but what happened to her was truly tragique. Her dad organised a whole prayer meeting or something to wish her well, right?"

"A prayer meeting?" Eydis repeated, feigning curiosity.

"It's a political stunt, I think," Birgit rasped. "He's, um, using the whole 'my poor, innocent daughter' situation to his advantage. It's practically his campaign slogan now: 'Vote Blackwood, the man who cares' –" she added the air quotes hesitantly – "about his daughter's recovery enough to exploit it for political gain."

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Eydis's amber eyes twinkled with delight. It seemed the shy, studious Birgit harboured a hidden passion for political intrigue. Perhaps, with a little gentle encouragement, she could become Eydis's very own oracle of Alchymian affairs.

"Forgive my curiosity, Birgit," she inquired, “I seem to recall your interests were more firmly rooted in the anatomy of amphibians than the dissection of partisan agendas.”

Birgit adjusted her glasses with a professorial air. "Not politics per se, but these recent events have sparked my curiosity. I've been doing some, um, research... and I believe there might be a correlation between whatever affected Tiffany and me. Something…” she lowered her voice, “…beyond the ordinary."

"Supernatural?" Colette asked, her blue eyes twinkling.

Birgit nodded slowly. "Even more curious, there's Tiffany's father, a political newcomer with zero experience, who has suddenly become incredibly popular. And if that wasn't strange enough, he's hosting a masquerade ball next week at City Hall.”

Natalia's ears perked up, her crimson eyes sparkling with interest. "A masquerade ball? Like a fancy dress-up party with masks and everything?"

"Yes... precisely," Birgit confirmed, her voice brimming with nervous excitement. "But it's all so... strange, isn't it? From sombre prayer circles to extravagant galas? It doesn't seem to add up... And how did he get the City Hall so quickly? Usually, there's a long waitlist, a year or more, I think."

Eydis arched a sculpted brow. "Fundraising? For a...political circus? How utterly pedestrian,” she paused, baiting Birgit with a knowing look. “Is this not merely a vulgar display of excess for a glorified popularity contest? And is the man not already wallowing in riches?"

Colette grinned. "Feels that way sometimes, doesn't it? My parents vote based on who has the best hair and the catchiest jingle. Ah well, c'est la vie... or rather, c'est la democracy!"

"Democracy," Birgit countered eagerly, "is but an illusion, Colette. And Eydis, you clearly don't understand how much these campaigns cost. Even a small Senate race can cost... millions. But Alchymia? It's not like other states. It's a Territory, independent, and... and there's been a power struggle between the two parties for a very long time."

“Ugh, this is giving me a headache," Natalia grumbled, resuming her attack on the butter chicken. "I'm glad I don't have to vote this year… when is it again, end of May?"

Colette grinned, “Lucky you, you're not turning 18 until November, are you?"

As Natalia and Colette launched into birthday plans, Eydis turned to a disheartened Birgit and asked, "Territory? How does that differ from a State?"

Birgit's face lit up. "For a local, um, citizen, you weren't aware?" she asked, adjusting her glasses. "Alchymia is a bit unique, surely you remember?"

Eydis echoed the word "remember.” A glint in her amber eyes subtly prodded Birgit's conscience, "Pardon my memory, but it seemed amnesia had settled in for good."

Birgit flinched, stammering an apology. "S-sorry, I was insensitive, wasn't I?" Eager to recover, she quickly continued, "We're the heart of the Gifted community, you see. That's why we're governed by the Celestial Assembly, not the Federal Government. A unique territory, not a state."

"Interesting," Eydis mused, her smirk widening. "And this Senate seat holds significant sway, I presume?"

Birgit nodded eagerly. "Absolutely! A Senator here has a massive voice in national affairs. It's a highly coveted position, which is why this election is so..."

"So I take it that independent campaigns, with no party affiliation, are even more arduous?" Eydis continued, intrigued. In her world, power was seized through brute force and cunning, not this peculiar dance of "democracy" and public opinion.

"Absolutely!” Birgit said. “Being an independent means Thomas needs a lot... I mean, a ton of money to compete. It's actually quite surprising he's even in the running.”

She then leaned closer to Eydis, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper, "It makes you wonder... is democracy truly what it seems? Or is there something else at play here? Something... perhaps even supernatural?"

"It would seem," Eydis mused, her spoon tracing patterns in her untouched curry, a sly smile gracing her lips, "that the rise of this independent candidate has thoroughly ruffled the feathers of the establishment."

Birgit flinched, surprised by the Queen's sharp observation. Her brow furrowed in thought before her eyes widened in realisation.

“You're absolutely right!" she exclaimed excitedly. "The race is closer than ever this year. Both parties are... well, they're fighting really hard. Their ads are… stalking me on my phone!"

"Stalking you?" Colette's laughter bubbled up, her head resting comfortably on Birgit's shoulder. "Girl, please! Online ads just show what you're into. Me? I'm over here getting bombarded with puppy pics." She swiftly scrolled through her phone, her other hand pressed playfully against her chest. "Not that I could adopt one here."

Ignoring the tease, Birgit tapped her screen, and a campaign ad promptly appeared: 'Vote Noah Blackwood – Why Noah?' accompanied by a candid photo of a silver-haired man with kind blue eyes, radiating an almost saintly aura.

Ugh, Eydis rolled her eyes mentally. "So the money poured into this state's campaign must be... excessive?”

"Excessively excessive,” Birgit said with an eager nod. “Hundreds of millions, I think. I saw an analysis on Scrollit, and it's just... it's mind-boggling.”

Eydis chuckled softly. "So, a fundraising gala? An exclusive affair for the privileged, I presume?"

"Yes," Birgit said. "Thomas Blackwood is all about power and influence. He'll be inviting the most important people in Alchymia, the ones with all the money and connections."

Eydis leaned back. "Hah."

Birgit's shoulders slumped slightly. "Is that all you have to say? Just... 'hah'? Don't you find any of this... odd? Supernatural, even?"

"Indeed," Eydis said, reaching over to pat Birgit's unoccupied shoulder. "Your keen intellect and impressive detective skills have quite captivated me. It's hard to argue against such evidence-based analysis, isn't it?"

A blush spread across Birgit's cheeks. Meanwhile, Natalia paused mid-bite, her crimson eyes following the exchange with an unreadable glint.

She muttered under her breath, "Didn't know you were into politics, Eydis. Why haven't I seen those ads?" She quickly tapped at her phone, her expression growing increasingly perplexed.

Colette nudged her playfully. "Maybe they're targeting a more... mature audience, Nat. I bet your ads are full of romantic webnovels! Speaking of which, why haven't you been talking about boys lately?"

Natalia's face heated up. "I-I mean, I'm growing out of that silly phase," she stammered, her eyes darting between Eydis and her phone. She discreetly tilted the screen towards herself, her fingers frantically mashing the volume button in a desperate attempt to silence… something.

Oblivious to the exchange, Eydis was already lost in thought. An exclusive gathering of Alchymia's elite? A masquerade ball, no less? It was practically begging for her presence. The question was, how?

She couldn't afford a silk robe, let alone a ball gown. And more importantly, how could she infiltrate such an exclusive gathering without raising any alarms?

But then a thought struck her: Athena and the Student Council had begun investigating the purple smoke's origins. Perhaps, just perhaps, their paths were converging on the same target.

Suddenly, a startled yelp from Natalia shattered her thoughts. Eydis turned to see her friend hastily stuffing her phone into her pocket, her face as red as her fiery hair.

"Girl, you okay?" Colette asked.

"I'm fine! Absolutely fine! Never been better!" Natalia sputtered, hastily gathering her plate and cutleries and practically teleporting out of the courtyard as if pursued by a swarm of angry bees.

The remaining trio exchanged bewildered glances. "Interesting," Eydis murmured, watching Natalia's retreating figure. The mystery of her sudden departure could wait, for now.

Eydis had a gala to crash. The first hurdle, however, was far more daunting than any locked door or guarded entrance: facing her roommate.

Astra.

She let out a long, drawn-out sigh, turning her attention to the beige structure of the Primrose dormitory. A thrill of anticipation—mixed with a healthy dose of dread—tingled through her veins.