Esterella stammered, then hurriedly smudged and retouched his makeup while fidgeting to fix Patricia's jacket and collar. Patricia huffed, finally satisfied with the minor corrections.
"Fine. Let's move before someone kills him and ruins my career."
Aedes was quickly steered toward the waiting armored vehicle, which was painted a shocking, blinding pinkish red.
"What a joke. This whole thing is rigged!"
Someone shouted from the diminishing mob.
"He doesn't even know what he's holding!"
"Move back. Clear a path," Bruno barked. "Keep your hands to yourselves. Step away."
Aedes was steered toward the red monstrosity, his mind reeling from the impossible weight of the one billion dollar goal.
"Head down. Don't look at them," Bruno muttered, nudging Aedes forward. "Just keep walking, boy."
Standing by the vehicle was a man with long, straight hair streaked with gray. A red rose pin was fastened to his chest, matching the raspberry colored suits worn by the guards and the makeup artist. He stared at Aedes, his expression one of undisguised horror.
"You're dumb as a rock, Bruno! Why is there a goblin near the Raspberry Rhino? Ugh— his stench! Throw him away! His filth could soak into the fabric. I repeat, it must not contaminate anything. I will not have Miss Patricia getting deathly sick because of him!"
Just then, Patricia swept up, flanked by the second guard, Billy, and the makeup artist, Esterella, who was anxiously making last minute adjustments to her already flawless face.
"I ordered it, Lumiere. And the crowds… still have their phones out."
Lumiere caught the signal instantly and, with forced enthusiasm, opened the door.
"Right away, Miss Perfeccion! Ahem, welcome aboard the Raspberry Rhino!"
"Come on, go inside, go inside! Or you'll be trampled by these beasts," Bruno barked, firmly shoving Aedes into the vehicle interior. "You are incredibly lucky today, boy; you not only secured the last key, but you get to ride with Miss Patricia herself!"
The remaining onlookers immediately began shouting praises, capturing Patricia's supposed compassion for the homeless boy on their phones.
"Miss Patricia is so kind! She's not even disgusted by the homeless boy!"
"What a kind girl! She let him ride her vehicle! Truly a heart of gold!"
Patricia, Billy, Lumiere, and Esterella all quickly climbed into the vehicle. As the doors slammed shut, cutting off the noise and the cameras, Patricia's public persona shattered completely. She ripped the absurd pink slime headdress off, shaking out her chic, short pinkish red hair, which immediately released a wave of expensive, cloying perfume.
"Finally, out of that horrible thing! That damn New Earth Company makes me wear such a bizarre piece of trash! I only took this gig because the visibility for me as a player would be huge!"
Lumiere was instantly at her side, presenting a delicate porcelain cup.
"Your chamomile tea, Miss Patricia. And do allow me to cleanse the air."
He said, spraying a mist of high proof alcohol near Aedes, making the homeless boy flinch. Esterella, the femboy, immediately followed with a cloud of heavy floral perfume. Patricia leaned back on the plush red leather, still watching the frustrated mobs outside the tinted window.
"Look at those filthy, pathetic barbarians," she sneered, her disgust evident. "They are worse than any low level monsters on Floor One. They're still trying to get that key off this street rat."
She whirled around, her eyes blazing with irritation as she glared at the windows, which were still being thumped by angry fists.
"They should be grateful they were even allowed to participate, and look at them acting like spoiled brats because their poverty wasn't magically solved!"
She turned her cold, assessing gaze onto Aedes. "And you! Good heavens, you reek," she stated, pinching the bridge of her nose dramatically. "Do you have any idea how much effort it takes to maintain that studio smile while standing next to a walking landfill?!"
Lumiere fanned her vigorously, his admiration obvious. "Miss Patricia, you are incredible! Only you could endure such… horrors and still keep your composure for your fans!"
Patricia lifted an imperious brow, turning her irritation back to Aedes. "And it makes me furious that the developers made keys so accessible. They should cancel this public giveaway and raise the cost; only those with true potential should enter." She shuddered delicately. "I cannot bear the idea of a criminal or a pest contaminating the Tower I joined!"
"Don't worry, Miss Patricia. I'm sure this filth will be eliminated early," Lumiere urged, fanning himself frantically. "We must drop him immediately! His… viruses could cling to the upholstery!"
Patricia nodded curtly. "We just need to deliver him away from the mobs. Around that corner, in that quiet area, will do."
"You are far too generous," Lumiere praised. "Thinking of his safety when he's already a walking corpse!"
Esterella added nervously, "You're a saint, Miss Patricia! If we left him to that crowd, he'd be torn apart for sure."
As the vehicle drove away from the venue, Aedes noted that all the members of Patricia's entourage— Billy, Bruno, Lumiere, and Esterella were conspicuously wearing their own Fantasy Keys. A few minutes later, the vehicle slowed, and Patricia addressed Aedes again.
"I've done my job; the key is delivered. You are on your own now."
The vehicle stopped just outside a brightly lit but quiet residential area, the hatch hissing open. Patricia pointed an immaculately manicured finger at the exit.
"Go on, get out of my sight!"
She ordered sharply, but as Aedes slowly stood up, she suddenly caught herself, a flicker of something calculating or perhaps pity crossing her face. Her voice lowered to a serious, almost urgent whisper.
"Listen to me, street trash, and listen well. That key is the only thing that separates you from that angry mob and from dying on the street. It's worth a billion dollars to the right person, so do not lose it, and do not let anyone take it from you. You understand?"
Bruno opened the door and shoved Aedes onto the curb. As he hit the pavement, the door began to slam shut, but Patricia caught a glimpse of his face in her side mirror. Something about his hollow stare made her pause.
The window whirred down instantly. Patricia leaned out, her expression shifting from disgust to a cold, calculating practicality.
"Wait," she commanded. "Looking at you, you probably don't even know the most basic instruction."