Trixie's elevator ride up was silent, the other girls too drained to engage in conversation. They leaned against the walls, eyes drooping, the events catching up to them. They were finally getting a chance to breathe, but it was overshadowed by the stinging realization of their current situation. When the elevator dinged open, they trudged out, the lush carpeting of the top-floor hallway a stark contrast to their disheveled state. They found their room, the door made of steel. Trixie used her keycard to unlock the door, and attempted to open it, only to find out the door was much heavier than she thought.
She gave the door another push, huffing with the effort. After a few moments of futile struggle, Uni and Piper helped her, and finally, the door gave way, creaking open. As they walked inside, a loud sigh of relief escaped from Uni. The exhaustion was starting to catch up with her as she gently helped Stephanie inside.
The interior of the suite surprised them, a far cry from the grimy cells of the facility. Despite the hotel's policies and the uncomfortable arrangement, the interior was lavish. The furniture was new and gleaming, and the room was spotless. The curtains were drawn, leaving the room in a soft, diffused light. The girls and Piper were all taken aback momentarily, surprised that a hotel with such discrimination put this much effort into the rooms.
Uni carefully set Stephanie down on one of the beds, the girl sinking into the soft bedding, her weary body instantly relaxing. Trixie went into the bathroom to clean herself up, while Piper took a seat on another bed, letting the exhaustion take over.
Uni, too tired to move, took a seat on the third bed, her own body feeling heavy. She let her eyes flutter closed for a moment, the tiredness washing over her. The silence of the room was broken only by Stephanie's soft breathing, the air conditioner, and the muted sound of running water coming from the bathroom, where Trixie was showering.
As the minutes ticked by, the silence in the other room grew deafening. Uni sat alone with her thoughts, the exhaustion making her eyelids feel heavy, but the swirling thoughts in her head wouldn't let her sleep. Memories of their recent troubles played like a broken record, mixing with the events that had just unfolded, leaving her mind in a strange limbo between wakefulness and sleep.
The sound of a door opening and closing snapped her out of her thoughts. Through half-lidded eyes, she saw Piper coming out of the bathroom, her body freshly cleaned. Piper moved to the third bed, settling in. The silence returned, and Uni let her eyes close again briefly.
The sound of footsteps and a door opening made her open them again. This time, it was Trixie, dressed in only a towel and surrounded by the dense steam from the bathroom behind her. Her hair was wet, plastered against her face, and water dripped from the tips, leaving dark watermarks on the carpet. Trixie gave a tired sigh as she moved to sit on the bed opposite Uni. After a moment, she spoke up, breaking the silence. "They did a good job with the rooms, I'll give them that.”
Uni hummed in acknowledgment, her voice raspy with sleep. "Yeah, I guess they don't discriminate when it comes to their interiors. Shame the same can't be said about the people they let in.”
Trixie huffed in agreement, running a hand through her wet hair. "Yeah, it's a mixed bag. I mean, who even has policies like that? It's messed up, considering not everyone in this country who has the same skin tone as the queen and her cronies are racist like they are.”
Uni nodded slowly, her mind still foggy with sleep. "Definitely. It's not fair to judge everyone by the actions of a few. Not all fair-skinned people are racist…”
She trailed off, her mind drifting back to her own skin color, her thoughts getting tangled in the irony of it all. "It's just...ironic how they discriminate against skin color in the opposite way.”
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Trixie hummed, picking up on Uni's unsaid thoughts. "Yeah, it's ironic, isn't it? I know you're feeling that irony a bit, considering..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
Uni sighed, her eyes still half-closed. "Yeah...I can't help but feel that irony. I guess I understand why they have these policies, it's to protect the Yushalian people from potential racism and violence. But I just wish it didn't have to include us, seeing as we're not like that.”
She fell silent for a moment, her weariness and the exhaustion of the day starting to catch up with her. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I wonder if they would have been more accepting of me if they knew I was mixed..."
Trixie's eyes went wide like dinner plates for a moment, staring at Uni for a moment before asking, "Woah, wait...you're WHAT?!”
Uni chuckled softly at Trixie's response. She hadn't meant to reveal her heritage so casually, but her fatigue made her words come out more thoughtless than usual. "Yeah...I'm mixed. My dad has light skin, my mom has darker skin...I ended up in the middle somewhere.”
She paused for a moment, and added, "It's not something I really talk about. Not many people know, besides my family, and now you. But it explains why I'm 'white' but not quite…”
Trixie was silent, processing what Uni had just told her. This explained why Uni was so pale but had a darker undertone to her skin. It also explained why Uni acted like the situation with their room hit her so personally. After a moment, Trixie cleared her throat, finally responding. "That's insane, I heard your family's ancestry was historically all pale-skinned, am I missing something here?!”
Unir chuckled again, her voice dry with exhaustion but still holding a hint of mirth. "Yeah, my family is historically pale-skinned. But my parents broke the trend when they got married. My mom's family weren't too happy about it, so they kinda cut us off. But when your parents are soulmates, you don't just say no.”
She smiled tiredly. "So yeah, I'm the result of my mom and dad's middle finger to their families. Half pale, half dark. The human equivalent of mixed-berry sherbet.”
Trixie smirked, still taking in the new information. "Well, I'll be damned. I had no idea you were the product of such a forbidden, epic love story. You should write a book.”
Uni chuckled dryly, a small smile on her tired face. "Maybe I will someday. 'The forbidden love story of a black princess and a white knight.' It would be a hit, guaranteed.”
Trixie laughed quietly, leaning back against the bed. "Oh, definitely. A best-seller right there. Gee, it feels good learning a cool new thing about my friend, not gonna lie.”
Uni's smile widened a bit. "Yeah, I'm full of surprises. But please, don't treat me any differently now that you know, okay? I'm still the same person you've always known. Just with a few more layers to unravel.”
Trixie nodded. "Yeah, of course. Nothing changes between us, I just have a few more things to use to tease you with from now on.”
Uni groaned tiredly. "Great, just what I need. More ammo for you to use against me at my most vulnerable states.”
Trixie smirked, her usual mischievous expression returning. "Hey, what can I say? I'm an opportunist. If you give me ammunition, I'm gonna use it. It's my sacred duty as your friend. So yeah, uh, I was thinking, we should stay here for at least a good while before we fly back to Elbrastion. I always wanted to visit Yushalia, but couldn't because...y'know, my boss, she's always been on my heels," she said with a lighthearted grin.
Uni chuckled, a wry smile on her face. "Well, I can't say I recommend this particular situation as a way to explore Yushalia, but given the circumstances, we might as well make the most of our unexpected extended stay. I'm sure there's plenty to explore and see that won't involve us getting kicked out of every establishment on the planet.”
Stephanie shifted on the bed beside her, stirring in her light sleep. Uni glanced over at the girl, her tired expression softening slightly. "Besides," she said quietly, "Steph needs the rest.”
"She's been through a lot," Trixie chimed in, glancing over at Stephanie. "Poor thing, she's been a trooper, hasn't she? After all she's dealt with, this probably feels like heaven to her.”
Uni nodded, her expression reflecting weariness and concern. "Yeah, she has. It's a lot for a child her age to handle, but she's been so brave. She deserves a good rest.”
"We all do, honestly," Trixie added, running a hand through her damp hair. "This whole ordeal was stressful enough already, now we're stuck in Yushalia of all places, and in a racist hotel, no less.”
"Speaking of which," Piper's voice broke in, quiet but firm, "I still don't really like this place. It gives me the heebie-jeebies. Even with you guys here, I feel like someone's..." She trailed off, trying to find the right words.
"Watching?" Uni suggested, her eyes glancing at the door almost instinctively.
Piper nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Like someone's always watching us. It's giving me the creeps." She wrapped her blanket around herself, a shiver running through her.
"I'm sure it's just the unease of being here," Uni said, trying to reassure Piper as much as herself. "Being in an unfamiliar place, especially under these circumstances, can make anyone feel a bit paranoid."
"And maybe it's also the lack of sleep talking," Trixie added, letting out a yawn and tucking herself in bed. "I'm sleeping my butt off tonight, that's for sure.”
"Yep, we should all get some rest." Uni agreed, feeling her eyelids become heavy. The thought of being watched did send a chill down her spine, but she was simply too tired to let it get to her. "We'll deal with everything else in the morning.”
The others agreed, each finding their comfortable position on their respective beds. The room slowly fell quiet, the only sounds being the soft breathing and the occasional shuffle of sheets. The exhaustion was palpable, each girl feeling the weight of their weary bodies as sleep slowly took them over.