As Trixie and her companions entered the city limits of Evergrace, the surroundings gradually shifted from sparse wilderness to tightly packed urban architecture. The city looked darker, dirtier, and more chaotic than Uni had expected. Neon signs and flashing billboards illuminated the streets, advertising various products and services. In the darker recesses, however, lurked shady figures and suspicious activities. Despite the late hour, the city was still vibrant with activity, and it was clear that not all of it was legal.
Uni expertly navigated the car through the congested streets of the city, weaving in and out of the late-night traffic. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the sights and sounds of the metropolis. Meanwhile, Trixie seemed fascinated by the seedier side of the city, her gaze fixed on the various characters they passed by.
Piper, on the other hand, seemed more wary and uncomfortable. Her eyes darted around, taking in all the potential dangers. Her sensors were on high alert, scanning every corner and potential hiding place.
"I am detecting numerous heat signatures, some of dubious origins," she warned, her voice low.
Uni nodded, her hands gripping the wheel tighter. "Stay alert, everyone. This place feels ripe for trouble.”
The girls continued through the maze-like streets until they finally reached the towering shadow of the lavish Forever Kingdom Hotel. It was a pristine, well-lit high-rise building, its sleek glass exterior glowing with a warm, inviting aura.
Uni let out a slow whistle. "I'll be damned, they really weren't kidding about the fancy.”
"Wow," Trixie said, her eyes wide with admiration. "Looks like we've hit the jackpot again."
The girls parked the car in the hotel's private lot and made their way into the lobby. The inside of the hotel was even more opulent than the outside, filled with plush carpets, gleaming marble floors, and crystal chandeliers that tinkled softly overhead.
The girls drew stares from the hotel staff, given their dirty, disheveled appearance. Nevertheless, they ignored the bewildered looks and walked towards the front desk with confidence. After all, they had been through worse than a few disapproving glances.
The young brown-skinned man behind the counter looked them up and down, clearly judging them by their appearance. He was dressed in traditional nomadic clothing with tribal motifs printed on his attire. "Can I help you ladies?" he asked reluctantly.
Uni stepped forward, putting on her most charming smile. "Hey there. We'd like to book a room for the night."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "And just how many of you are there?”
The man glanced skeptically at each of them, scrutinizing their ragged clothes and tired faces, before raising a single eyebrow.
"This is a high-end hotel," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Are you ladies sure you can afford to stay a night?”
Uni's smile tightened, but she refused to let his attitude get to her. "Trust me, we can swing it."
Trixie, however, seemed far less patient. She stepped up from behind Uni, matching the clerk's gaze with one of her own. "Look pal, we've just come a long way and we're tired. So get us a room already.”
The clerk looked taken aback by Trixie's bluntness but quickly composed himself. He typed something on his computer terminal, eyes flickering up at the girls every few seconds. After a moment, he spoke again.
"We have a deluxe suite available. That's going to run you 6,000 Palmyra per night.”
Trixie blinked, not knowing how much that is in Elbrastion's currency, Sunstones.
"One second," she muttered to the clerk before looking over at Piper.
"Hey, what's the exchange rate for Sunstones and Palmyra?"
Piper consulted her database and replied with a nod, "One Elbrastrian Sunstone equals seventeen Evergrace Palmyra.”
Trixie's eyes widened at the conversion rate. "Jeez...so how many Sunstones do we need to have enough Palmyra to get this suite?”
There was a pause as Piper calculated the numbers before she responded in a robotic tone. "Dividing 6,000 by 17, at a rate of seventeen Palmyra per Sunstone, you would need 352 Sunstones to afford the deluxe suite per night."
Uni and Trixie let out a simultaneous gasp. For a hotel of this caliber, that was a steal compared to how much it'd cost back home.
"Woah, that's it?! You sure you calculated right, Piper?" Trixie asked.
Piper nodded, her LED eyes flashing a soft blue. "I have triple-checked my calculations for a 100% accuracy."
Uni whistled once more, her expression amused rather than skeptical. "Wow, who knew that our cash would actually stretch so far in a place like this?”
The girls exchanged a look, slightly taken aback by the sudden interest. Nevertheless, Uni nodded cautiously. "Yeah, we're from there. Why do you ask?”
The clerk's demeanor softened slightly. "It's just...we don't get many visitors from Elbrastion here."
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He paused, studying them for a moment.
"You all seem to have been through quite the journey," he remarked, the tone suddenly less guarded.
Uni let out a bitter laugh. "You could say that. Just had a hell of a ride trying to escape a group of lunatic scientists who wanted us dead.”
The clerk looked both surprised and slightly concerned. "Scientists? And what on earth did they want with you all?”
Uni and Trixie shared a glance before deciding to give a heavily censored version of the truth. "They were...experimenting on this little girl," Trixie began, moving herself out of the way to reveal Stephanie. "They used her as a lab rat for a long time, basically. We got her out of there and managed to escape, and now they're probably looking for all of us.”
The clerk's eyes widened at the sight of the dirty, exhausted yet smirking child. "Holy..." he muttered, his initial judgement replaced instantly by sympathy.
He looked back at the girls and spoke in a hushed tone, "And you think they could be trying to find you all here?”
Uni sighed, her expression darkening. "Honestly, at this point, we don't know what we don't know. It's a possibility, but what we DO know is that we're tired as hell and just need a place to rest for the night.”
The clerk nodded in understanding, a mix of sympathy and concern etched on his features. "I understand. You all look like you've been through a lot. Wait just a sec."
He started typing something at his terminal once more, before finally speaking up.
"All right, good news, I've managed to get you all a discount for the deluxe suite, so you won't have to shell out the full price of the room.”
The clerk let out a small chuckle, the tension from before now largely gone. He nodded again. "Yes, you're all set. I just need to get the booking done and you'll have access to the suite. It comes with a fully stocked mini fridge, a private bathroom and shower, and a fully automated climate-control system."
He started typing on the computer before looking around the lobby for a brief moment, stopping and frowning.
"Uh...there is unfortunate news that I need to share with you all.”
Uni furrowed her brow at the clerk's words, suspicious again. "And what would that be?”
The clerk fidgeted with the computer mouse for a moment, his expression slightly uneasy, then looked up at them and said. "Well, you see...we have this rule, and I have to check for a specific characteristic about all our guests. It won't take but a moment, I assure you.”
The girls all exchanged a curious look, wondering where this was going. Hesitantly, Uni responded, "Okay, what is it?”
The clerk's expression softened, perhaps anticipating their next reaction. "Well, you don't match the skin tone requirement for this establishment… It's sort of...policy around here.”
The girls' eyes widened, taken aback. Uni spoke first, her voice filled with both surprise and irritation. "Skin tone? Why on Earth does that matter here?”
The clerk looked slightly apologetic but responded in a measured voice, "It's the policy here, as I mentioned. Due to the...unfortunate political and economic climate of this country, the majority population has a strong bias towards darker skin tones. So, just as a formality, we only allow those with dark enough skin to ensure they fit our customer profile, shall we say.”
Uni and Trixie shared a bewildered look. The blatant discrimination was shocking to them, but Uni decided to press further. "So you're telling us that you've got a policy that allows you to judge whether or not we're worth staying at your hotel based on our skin tone? Seriously?”
The clerk shifted uncomfortably, the reality of the situation appearing to weigh on him. "Well...I'll explain. After the recent racially-charged comments made by Queen Aurelia of the Mu continent wracked this nation, alongside consequent attacks on Yushalian people by the Munese, we have taken measures to defend the safety of Yushali people enjoying their stay in our residence.”
Trixie rolled her eyes, scoffing. "And we're not Queen Aurelia or any of those Munese women attacking y'all. You're seriously afraid of some racist comments starting a riot or something so your solution is to start discriminating against people based on the color of their skin just like THOSE morons?”
The clerk's expression tightened further. "Please understand, we're running a business here. And unfortunately, after the recent events, many Yushalian customers have requested that we keep potential troublemakers away from the premises.”
Uni let out a dry laugh. "So, let me get this straight. We come in here, looking like we've just run a marathon, carrying an injured child, desperate for a safe place to stay, and you think we're 'potential troublemakers?' just because we're pale-skinned like that moronic racist queen and her like-minded lackeys?”
The clerk held up his hands, appearing flustered by Uni's words. "Please understand-"
"We understand perfectly," Uni interrupted, her voice cold. "Just tell us if you're denying us a room or not. At least have the decency to be upfront about it instead of dancing around the issue.”
The clerk looked torn, but after a moment, answered, his tone hesitant. "I'm sorry, but yes, we won't be able to give you a room...on this floor."
Uni's eyes widened, shock and indignation washing over her. "Let me get this straight," she said, her voice seething with frustration. "You're telling us that we're not allowed to stay here just because we're too pale-skinned by your messed up policies? Is that it?”
The clerk looked increasingly uncomfortable, his eyes darting awkwardly between the girls. "I...I'm sorry," he muttered, the words sounding forced.
Trixie stepped up, slamming her palms on the counter. "This is fucked up. You're literally turning us away because of the color of our skin? We're telling you we're not racist and colorist like them, we have no intention of discriminating against the Yushalian people, so don't throw us in the basket with them just because we share the same skin color as them.”
The clerk opened his mouth to respond again, but before he could, they were interrupted by a strong, authoritative voice that came from behind.
"What seems to be the issue here?"
The girls turned to see a tall, stern-looking gentleman standing there, his arms folded across his chest. He was the hotel manager.
Uni turned to the manager, her irritation flaring again. "Yeah, what seems to be the issue?" she shot back, her voice hard. "Your little desk clerk here just tried to kick us out because we're not dark enough for your policies.”
The manager's expression remained stern as he took in the girls' shabby, exhausted appearance before glancing at the nervous clerk. His voice, although calm, held a note of annoyance.
"Is this true?"
The clerk gulped, looking even more uncomfortable. "Yes, sir. They don't meet the skin tone requirements for the rooms on this floor..."
The manager's expression darkened. "Requirements?”
The clerk began stammering, trying to justify his actions. "Well, sir...I was just following protocol...after the recent developments with Queen Aurelia..."
The manager raised a hand to silence him, his gaze still on the girls. "Please excuse his behavior," he said, the disdain in his voice now directed at the clerk.
The clerk fell silent, looking rather sheepish. The manager turned his attention back to the girls, eyeing them for a long moment before finally speaking.
"I understand that this must be quite frustrating for you," he began, his voice much less dismissive than the clerk's. "But I must apologize on behalf of my employee for the, shall we say, discriminatory nature of our policies here. They were put in place following recent events, but it seems to me that..."
He paused, his gaze drifting to the exhausted Stephanie leaning against Uni.
He continued slowly, choosing his words carefully. "It is clear that you all are in need of shelter and, uh, looking at little one, the sort of care that we can easily offer here. Would you be interested in an exception to our policies?”
Uni's eyes widened, a flicker of hope within them as the manager's words sunk in. She spoke up again, her voice less hostile. "You...you're saying that you'll let us stay, despite..." she gestured to herself and the others, "...all this?”
The manager nodded, his gaze still fixed on Stephanie. "Yes. Given the circumstances, I am willing to overlook the issue of skin tone in this case. However, the room you book will be on a different floor."
Trixie's expression darkened. "And why is that, exactly?”
The manager paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully for the second time. "As I mentioned, we have to consider our customer profile. While our accommodations on the lower floor cater to a specific demographic, those on the topmost floor are...how shall I put it...more accepting of...different skin tones."
Uni and the others understood the double-meaning behind the manager's words. They were being relegated to the 'white' floor.
Uni bristled at the implications. "So, we're going to be stuck on the 'white people' floor, away from the 'normal' customers, is that it?”
The manager had the decency to look sheepish but responded in a measured tone. "I understand your discomfort, but it's simply the rules of the hotel. I'm bending over backwards by letting you all stay at all. You all are more than welcome to find other accommodations, but I assure you, similar rules will apply elsewhere in this country.”
Uni and the others exchanged a glance, a mix of frustration and resignation. It was obvious that their choices were severely limited. A safe place to rest was a necessity after their grueling journey, and the manager's offer, as discriminatory as it seemed, was their best chance for shelter tonight.
Uni spoke up again, her voice resigned. "We'll take it. I guess we don't have much room to argue since it's just one night.”
The manager nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. "Very well then. I'll have my clerk get you all booked in. I'll also have housekeeping attend to your...needs, seeing as you've all traveled quite a distance."
The clerk, looking a bit more humble now, started tapping at the computer terminal in front of him again, inputting the information. After a few moments, the clerk looked up, a slight smile on his face this time. "All right, you're all booked in for a deluxe suite on the top floor. I'll have housekeeping attend to your needs as soon as possible.”
Trixie and Uni let out a relieved sigh. Uni spoke up, addressing the manager again. "Thanks, I guess. We'll head up, then."
The manager nodded, that slight hint of satisfaction still visible. "Of course. Enjoy your stay, and please feel free to call the front desk if you need anything.”