Nyxara
[Saturday, Umbrafall 13, 4310]
—Nyx's Bedroom—
When I woke up this morning, I was not expecting to receive a gift box from Nimra, that included an utterly badass outfit and accessories. The attached note informed me that she would be taking me out for lunch and an afternoon of shopping once my morning lessons were over. While I ate breakfast, Líma laid out each piece of the outfit on my bed. I must admit—I'm a bit shocked that my mother picked out such a form-fitting outfit for us. Yes, this is supposed to be a mother-daughter matching outfit set. According to the note, the only difference between the outfits will be the color scheme.
Then again, Nimra does often dress and look like she is our older sister instead of the mother of four grown children. How old is she in this life anyway? As I examined the outfit, I found it to be a study in light and shadow. The dark silver top is fitted and intricate with embroidered amethyst and sapphire sigils softly glowing. It will hug my torso, ending at my midriff. The sleeves are designed in a way that they will shift from dark to sheer as they flare down to my wrists.
The skirt fell in asymmetric layers—part open, part flowing—panels of sheer amethyst and sapphire drifting over tailored silver beneath. When I moved, the fabric would shift like a veil between planes. Nimra even included revealing strapped thigh-highs etched with sigils and reinforced boots built for dominance and elegance.
The wide-brimmed witch's hat accessory will sweep low over my brow. Its translucent amethyst edge caught the light like stained glass, threaded with charms and dried blossoms that whispered of essencecrafting rather than decoration. I could feel the amplification of my astral essence primarily and my other affinities secondary from all the charms and talismans Nimra must have included.
Everything about this outfit spoke of controlled power—ceremonial without being ornamental, seductive without being soft. I will look like someone who understands the rules well enough to bend them. I had to give my Nimra some snaps—Líma amusedly followed my motions—for this beautiful, priceless gift. At this rate, I'll have a whole wardrobe of public battle attire and I'm here for it.
I quickly finished my morning lessons so I could hurry back to let Líma engage her wardrobe stylist function she was personally excited to try out. This will be my first official public outing. Breakfast with the parents was highly controlled. The Solace Veil is still a controlled environment, since it's Lux's restaurant but they will be open for business with the general public. I'm not even going to pretend I'm not a little nervous.
"This outfit looks amazing on you, mistress. The Matriarch appears to be dusting off her old tools for you. Maybe she will make a fashion equipment line with you in mind." I was enjoying the way I looked in the outfit with my hair braided over my shoulder and the neck pieces from my fathers. Nimra instructed me to not wear any other pieces of jewelry for this outing. She didn't tell me the reason, but I suspected there would be a surprise in store for me.
It was while I was following Líma to the teleport pad that my mind processed what Líma said about Nimra creating our outfits. "Líma, are you telling me that this outfit is a new creation of Nimra's? A never-before-seen new creation?" I had to pause and let the thought sink in because this was big news. Líma looked thoughtful before she nodded in affirmation.
"It would appear so, Mistress. There are no records of your attire being sold or given out in any form or fashion. There is a note that the Matriarch may have previously drawn up your outfit's predecessor, but you tended to give any items the Matriarch gave you to Minette, so she stopped giving you any limited-edition items."
I motioned to Líma that we should continue on our way. Absently, I considered this additional aspect to the puzzle of Grey. I do not understand why Grey was so subservient to Minette. Was she like me, blind to Minette's faults and inconsistencies? My instincts lead me to believe this is not the whole case. Even I wasn't so blind that if my mom had given me something that she personally made, I would just give it away without thought.
Now that I'm working with essence more, I can't help wondering if Grey's actions weren't in part not under her own control. It would explain a lot if Grey was somehow influenced by outside sources. But if that was the case, how come no one in the family ever noticed?
We arrived in the garage where Nimra stood in the same outfit and accessories as me except in red, gold, and black."Yes, the outfit turned out marvelous on you. I think it looks pretty good on me as well. Your fathers certainly thought so. I had to block them into the suite to just leave." We both laughed at how silly Korran and Azrail can be when it comes to Nimra.
Nimra let me slide into the third section of the vehicle first, then she got in beside me. Líma closed the car door then bowed as the vehicle took off. I couldn't see the driver, but Líma had told me that it would most likely be an android driver programmed with the double duty of driving and protecting us while we are out. The driver will stay with the car unless needed. In the second section are our two personal bodyguards assigned to us from Rhazin. I haven't met either of them, but Líma told me they would stay out of sight unless Nimra and I are in a situation we can't handle ourselves.
The glass between our sections is dark enough that I can't sense anything about the two guards other than one appears to be a man and the other a woman. Nimra taps my hand to get my attention. "It pleases me to see you in something I created for you again. Your growth and drive have inspired me lately, so I'm thinking of making a few superior and fine-tiered pieces for the enclave, then mass produce lesser versions to sell to the general public."
The light in Nimra's eyes as she speaks of creating essence apparel was almost blinding. I think essence apparel is Nimra's passion. I can see the excitement in her eyes and the joy of seeing us in her finished product.
"That sounds like a great idea, Nimra. Will you have anything ready in time for the twins' birthday celebration?"
"No, but I should have everything prepared by your birthday celebration, so we will use the mass-produced items as party favors That way, you can establish yourself with the auxiliary enclave members. I will privately give our family theirs before the party." I nodded happily in agreement. Nimra and I talked about various topics during the ride to the restaurant. Soon, we came to a stop under the restaurant's canopy. When I reached to open the door, Nimra held me back, instructing me that we waited until one of our guards knocked on the window in code to let us know whether we can get out of the car or if we are in a situation and should wait.
"Even though this is a lunch and shopping outing, I will be observing your behavior and etiquette for a private lunch date with a matriarch. So when you step out of this vehicle, I expect you to act accordingly." Nimra winked at me, so I knew this would be a half-serious, half-relaxed observation. I inhaled, exhaled, then gave a nod just as the window was knocked on in a knock-then-pause pattern. When Nimra knocked back, whoever was outside instantly opened the door.
Nimra stepped out, then placed her witch's hat back on. When she gave me the space to do so, I slid out of the vehicle and put my own hat back on in one continuous motion. The vehicle drove away, leaving three women standing before a set of very posh glass doors. The unfamiliar woman gave me a small smile and a nod before she opened one of the doors, allowing Nimra and me to step through. She followed, eyes quietly scanning our surroundings.
While Nimra checked us in with the maître'd, I watched the woman fade into the background. She was never far from us.
I don't recognize her, but her battle robes remind me of the kind I've seen Nimra wear, so I feel it wouldn't be a wrong assumption to assume she is Nimra's guard. Which makes me wonder where mine is right now. I follow Nimra and the maître'd to a private section that only had one other table occupied. After being seated and our drink orders taken, Nimra gave me a curious look.
"What are you looking around for? Are you that surprised that your brother could have designed such a wonderful restaurant?" Nimra chuckled, sipping her water. Now that she pointed out the interior decorations, I did think it was a bit beyond Lux's capabilities. I could see him designing the general look and vibe, but the specific details just don't seem like they would be in his wheelhouse without help.
"I was looking around for my personal guard since I assume the female…shifter—Nimra nodded pleased at my deduction—is your guard. However, I do think Lux did not design this decor on his own. It has certain details that Lux would probably over look unless instructed to include them." Nimra's pleased expression transitioned to one of impressed.
"You are correct on that. Lōppi is my personal guard. Yours is keeping an eye on the external surroundings, so he is outside. You are also correct about Lux not designing this place on his own. He has a business partner with whom he jointly owns all his personal businesses. That person is very much a person who cares about the details. Always has, which makes Lux and that person well matched." A server came, set down our blood-orange and star seed salad and drinks, checked our water glasses, then left without another word.
My first bite of the salad proved whoever was in the kitchen knew what they were doing. I loved the bitter-sweet taste mixed with the freshness of the greens. "Mmmm, this is very good. So we won't be ordering from a menu? Is there a pre-arranged menu for the day?" I dabbed my mouth, then took a drink of my sublime raspberry gin lemonade.
"Yes, Solace Veil is very exclusive and doesn't generally have menus for people to choose from, but we as family members are allowed to choose from the VIP menu if we want something not on the regular menu. Covering all bases, the restaurant does take allergies into account, so no one is excluded if they can afford to eat here. Do you want to know what today's menu is, or do you wish to be surprised?" Nimra asked, sipping from a glass filled with black mist. I think it was called Blackhole Dream.
"Surprise me. I already love the first course." I dug into my salad but kept it classy since Nimra was testing me. We chatted while we ate. When that course was done, the waiter appeared, took our plates then left us with bread to eat until our main course arrived.
It was at this point that Nimra pulled a small box out of her pocket space. She slid the box across the table to me with a knowing smile. "This lunch and shopping trip is also in celebration of your Arceńe being completed. I'll help you put them on first. I'll explain their functions once you are bonded to them."
Nimra came around the table, bending down to set the obsidian and onyx blend ear clasp with two charms onto my left ear. Next she painlessly inserted one labradorite ring and four ember stone rings into my right ear. She kissed each ear, before speaking a word I couldn't hear. Instantly, I felt connected to the set of earrings. Like a part of my soul had bonded to them. Now that I was attuned to my essence system, I could feel it shift and become more stabilized.
I feel so powerful and energetic right now, like I could take down Keir and Lux together. The grin on my face probably looked a little maniacal, but I let myself revel in this wonderful feeling. I could certainly get accustomed to feeling more and more powerful if leveling up and ascending tiers feels like this. I never want to feel as weak as I have over these past couple of weeks again.
"There, I activated them, so you should be bonded to them. How do you feel now?" Nimra was seated again. She was probably observing my essence system and aura for any abnormal fluctuations. "I feel better than ever. More stabilized. Somehow more connected in the Tharym bond."
Nimra nodded—pleased—just as the waiter placed bowls of chicken and shrimp Cajun pasta in front of us. He exchanged our empty drink glasses with fresh drinks. Once he left, Nimra took a bite of her pasta, groaned in pleasure, then refocused on me.
"You'll begin to notice people paying more attention to you going forward," she said mildly, as if commenting on the weather. "Evaluating your worth and prestige. Assessing where you will fit in the hierarchy both in society and within the enclave."
I set my fork down to give her my full attention."Because of the Arceńe?"
She nodded once. "The Arceńe are proof of your social position. They are proof that you have backing strong enough that you can display your affiliation and cultivation for all to see. But before we talk about our personal enclave artifacts, let me refresh you on how the other court factions announce themselves."