I pulled the black suit from the wardrobe and laid it across my bed.
The fabric caught the lamplight, shifting between deep black and something almost silver at the edges. I ran my fingers over the sleeve. The reinforcement spells woven into the material were barely perceptible, whoever had crafted this knew what they were doing.
I stripped off his shirt and pulled on the trousers first. They fit perfectly, the hem sitting just above his shoes. Then the jacket. The weight settled across his shoulders like it belonged there.
I turned to the mirror.
The suit was sharp. Clean lines, tailored fit, the silver embroidery along the collar and cuffs catching the light in subtle flashes. It wasn't flashy, but it wasn't forgettable either.
I adjusted my collar and stared at my reflection.
This gathering would be mainly about nobles and politics. This suit was decent clothing if anything else.
I reached for his phone and typed a message to Touko.
"I've gotten ready for the gathering, are you picking me up at Slur Street?"
Her reply came a minute later.
"No, I'll be picking you up a bit off of it. The bounded field around the area would pick up on my arrival."
I stared at the message for a moment, then typed back.
Where, then?
She sent an address. A street corner about two blocks from Slur Street, tucked between an old bookstore and a closed-down tailor's shop.
I saved the location and set his phone down. I really hoped that Touko wouldn't cause too many issues for me.
I adjusted my collar and let out a breath. This would be way more trouble than it was worth.
I finally stepped out of my dorm and made my way down the stairs. I came down to see Flat, Svin and Reines arguing about something. I decided to hear about the conversation they we're having and started approaching them.
"What did you do to make Mr. El-Melloi so mad that he tripled our homework?"
...
Flat did what?
"Why would you say that? Adding more homework is just his way of encouraging us! I mean, even you looked happy when he gave us another report to do, didn't you, Le Chien?"
Is he... No, he has to be slow. His family must've done some fucking magecraft to damage his brain or something. Holy shit.
I rubbed at my temples, exhausting leaving my body as I decided to focus on the upcoming events.
It was then that Reines noticed my arrival, and decided to speak up about it.
"Well, well," she said, her smile sharp. "Look who finally decided to join us. Going somewhere, Teitoku?"
I glanced down at my suit. "Obviously."
"Don't call people dogs! My name is Svin! Svin Glascheit! How many years will it take to get that into your skull!" Svin retorted in irritation.
Then he pointed a finger at him, and started launching Gandr's at the bastard.
"But Le Chien is Le Chien! It's the same thing as Professor Charisma, or Master V, or Great Big Ben London's Star, or Magica Disclosure!"
Great Big Ben London Star. Kakine snickered at the nickname for a second.
"What's so funny?" Reines asked, her eyes flicking to me.
"Nothing," I said, still smiling slightly. "Just... Great Big Ben London's Star. That's ridiculous."
Flat beamed. "See? He gets it."
Svin's face turned red. "...All of those examples are Mr. El-Melloi though! And the only one who called him Great Big Ben London Star is you!"
Then he turned to me in frustration. "Don't encourage him, Teitoku. Take back your snickers."
I held up my hands. "I'm not encouraging anyone. I just thought the nickname was funny."
"It's not funny. It's disrespectful."
Flat tilted his head. "Is it? I think it's accurate. He's tall, he's British, and he's a star."
Svin looked like he was about to have an aneurysm.
As much as I'd like to call him Le Chien too, I suppose it would be best to call him by his actual name. It might get annoying after a while.
I mean the scientists at Academy City kept on calling me Dark Matter like some sort of specimen. I was proud of my own achievements back in the city, but having being referred to that was annoying at times.
It was then that Reines suddenly turned to me and asked me a question. "Would you happen to know where Gray and my brother are?"
I shook my head in denial. "No I wouldn't but your best bet is to check their office."
Reines nodded her head before walking up the spiral staircase.
It was then Flat and Svin realized my clothing and Flat asked me a question. "Teitoku, you're wearing really formal clothing, are you going anywhere or?"
I waved my hand dismissively. "It's just some gathering. Don't worry about it."
Flat's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What kind of gathering? Is it a party? Can I come?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're the reason I have triple homework."
Flat tilted his head. "I still don't see how that's connected."
Svin did a facepalm that you could probably hear from across the street. The sound echoed through the hallway. It was sharp, loud, and full of frustration. Flat blinked at him, completely unbothered.
"Are you okay, Le Chien?"
"Don't call me that," Svin said, his voice muffled by his palm.
I shook my head and headed for the door. "I'm heading out,"
Flat and Svin both waved me goodbye. "Goodbye Metamorphosis." "Goodbye Teitoku."
I paused at the doorframe. "Metamorphosis?"
Flat tilted his head. "Honestly, you're different from most normal people. You're more put together compared to everyone else in a way I don't really get."
I stared at him for a moment. Flat, of all people, calling someone else different was ironic. But he wasn't wrong.
I sighed. I wasn't careful enough around Flat. His whole chaotic persona made it easy to forget how sharp he actually was. The way he watched, the way he noticed things other people missed.
I'll figure out what to do when I get back.
Timeskip
The street corner was quiet, tucked between an old bookstore and a closed-down tailor's shop. The evening light had faded to a deep blue, the last traces of sunset bleeding over the rooftops.
I stood alone, hands in my pockets, waiting for her to pick me up.
A few minutes passed. Then headlights turned the corner, a sleek black car, old but well-maintained, its engine humming quietly. It pulled up to the curb.
The window rolled down. Touko's red hair caught the streetlight.
"Get in," she said.
I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. Next to Touko, an old woman was sitting beside her.
She looked oddly familiar. Beautiful too, in a refined, timeless way. Silver hair pinned up elegantly, sharp eyes that held decades of knowledge, posture that spoke of nobility without needing to announce it.
Wait a moment.
IS THAT LORD INORAI???
I blinked. Then blinked again.
The woman smiled, a knowing curve of her lips.
"You must be Kakine Teitoku," she said. "Touko has told me about you."
I turned to Touko. She was staring straight ahead, pretending not to notice my expression. But I could tell she was snickering behind the wheel.
Lord Inorai Valualeta Atroholm. Head of the Department of Creation. One of the twelve Lords of the Clock Tower. A member of the Three Great Aristocratic Families. Ranked Brand, the highest practical rank a magus can achieve.
Grand rank is for the real monsters among magi.
"Lord Inorai," I said carefully. "I wasn't aware you'd be joining us."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Please. Just Inorai is fine. Titles are so tiresome at social gatherings, don't you think?"
I turned to look at Inorai. The old woman smiled serenely, her iPod still playing softly through her earbuds.
Wait, what? A Lord of the Clock Tower other than El-Melloi II using a modern device?
I stared at her. She caught my gaze and pulled out one earbud.
"Something wrong, young man?"
"You're... using an iPod."
She glanced down at the device in her hand, then back at me. "Yes. Is that surprising?"
"I thought the magi of your generation avoided modern technology."
Inorai chuckled. It was a warm sound, not mocking. "Most do. But I've never been one for tradition simply for tradition's sake." She held up the iPod. "What the people of any given age love, that is what I consider art." She smiled, her sharp eyes glinting. "And this little device represents the love of an entire generation, does it not?"
Touko snorted from the driver's seat. "She's been like this for decades. Always chasing the next new thing."
"Progress is progress," Inorai said simply. "Whether it comes from magecraft or from human ingenuity doesn't matter to me." She tucked the iPod back into her pouch and settled back into her seat.
"Unlike many magi of my age, I see no reason to reject the world simply because it's changing."
I leaned back in my seat, processing that. Honesty she's correct. Those mooks would deny human progress just to hold on to their fucking mysteries.
With that Touko started driving, the city lights fading behind us.
"So," I said after a moment, "the Twin Towers. What exactly are we walking into?"
Inorai answered. "A demonstration. The Iselma family has been developing something in their workshop for years. Now they want to show it off."
She smacked her lips before continuing. "The Iselma family," Inorai continued, "is a branch of the Valualeta. My family. So in a way, I'm hosting this gathering as much as they are."
Wait," I said, "if it's your family, then why don't you arrive in like a limousine or something?"
Inorai waved a dismissive hand. "Limousines are so ostentatious and uncomfortable. Have you ever tried sitting in one for more than an hour? Your back will never forgive you."
Touko snorted. "She's lying, she just wanted to ride with me."
Inorai smiled serenely. "Perhaps, or perhaps I simply enjoy your company."
Touko just sighed helplessly
I looked between them. There was probably history there. Old wounds that had scarred over but never fully healed. Yet here they were, sitting in the same car, driving to the same gathering.
Relationships among magi are way too complicated.
They can seem like the most jovial of people and damn near share a drink with each other, but underneath it all, there's always something else. A grudge, a debt, a favor owed or betrayal waiting to happen.
Touko tapped the steering wheel lazily. "You look tense."
"Honestly, I was never good with these types of gatherings," I admitted.
Inorai pulled out one earbud. "First time at a noble event?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's been to hundreds of them." She smiled. "Here's some advice: don't try to impress anyone. They'll see right through it. Just be yourself."
That sounds like terrible advice.
"It sounds like bad advice, but it works well." She said as she put the earbud back in and closed her eyes.
Touko glanced at me. "She's not wrong. Nobles can smell desperation from a mile away. Just be yourself.
That sounded like terrible advice coming from two people who lied for a living. I leaned back in the seat, watching the countryside blur past the window.