Welcome to Gaia! ::

Glimmering stars were everywhere tonight, in the sky and on the busy streets of the Four Fronds shopping district. A perfect, breezy night. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the two moons shone down on one of the grandest lanes in the city. Fairy lights and strings of lanterns were strung over the roads, ushering foot traffic to each carefully decorated store in the quaint little area. The glimmering decorations at the HWG Schwar Toy Facility loomed in immense glass displays, tinkling magical mechanical whirs. Connecting to that, an immense sweets store presented a taffy-puller in its front window, and troll children stood transfixed watching the gooey pink material be created in real time. High-end clothing stores and a hivestem entirely filled to the brim with a massive department store peppered the lane, enticing customers with bright signage and classy racks. Grey mannequins posed with deadly weapons and sporting the hottest Alternian fashions stood in every storefront.

As the blocks wore on, a greater influence from pop culture sprung up on the streets. Four Fronds’ ancient Treeblush theatre stood tall. It still provided stage performances of great Alternian successes and high-culture interpretive dances from the most prestigious of acting companies of Alternia. A real, prehistoric Four Fronds tree made up its backbone, having been carved intricately over the sweeps for troll use. While the tree itself was immense and the building spanned out from it, the interior space was elegant and intimate, lit carefully through bioluminescent fluids tapped into carefully created channels by artisans many sweeps ago. Its beautiful pink foliage was the centerpiece of many of Four Fronds’ festival palettes – a deep royal blush. Tonight, it was the focus of hundreds of passerbys. The theatre, normally hard to miss, was now a striking sight to behold.

Sharp tuxedos, glittering dresses and fully sleek battle armor were donned by the most acclaimed of media stars on Alternia. A full night of wining, dining, and fashionable discourse was in front of them – this space had been converted specifically for the most deadly of haute couture to ever set frond on Alternia. A bright new star, and the reunion of two partner designers – in one fashion show! The reveal of a collection by the late Xander McQuin, never before seen and completed by his many assistants for exclusive eyes only.

Any self-respecting fashion enthusiast would have culled to get into that theatre on this very night. To get a sleek little black ticket and rub horns with the most famous of Alternian social darlings was an opportunity that couldn't be missed. So here Aandes was, doing everything but killing his own lusus to get in. He'd networked - a dead end. He'd tried to set up some business deal to get in - nope; only private connections this time. Without anyone of particular merit to blackmail or tap, Aandes had nothing. But, being the sly opportunist that he was, he wouldn't give up just yet.

Aandes loitered around the entrance of the fashion event, looking dapper as ever in a fitted suit with shoes so sharp they could be considered deadly weapons. His hair had been recently cut, styled and coiffed to an art, his minty streak twisting and twirling down the back of his mohawk. The first step of infiltrating somewhere you weren't invited was fitting in. Now all he had to do was find an opening. Aandes pretended to be waiting for someone. He didn't want any of the other riff raff to assume he was some fan or paparazzi or something, oh no. As Aandes watched the celebrities pass coolly (hiding his inner screaming fangirl as Shriva <********> Tekter strode by in a stunning cobalt gown laced with pearls and deep seadweller purple fringe), he was casing the joint. He hadn't made his presence known to the bouncers just yet, but he figured he may only have one shot.

He scanned faces in the grey mass of trolls. Newcomers were wandering by and checking out the scene, but as visibility grew the crowd grew thicker and harder to penetrate. Aandes hung out at the outskirts. He certainly looked like a guest just taking a breather. Still, it was impossible for Aandes to resist his fingers tapping anxiously on some of the red velvet rope that was barricading him from his most desired goal.

Aandes looked down, back up and did a double take. Oh, the little tealblooded girl was talking to him. Preoccupied with his thoughts, he had nearly missed her question. He could only assume, however, that she was wondering what all the hubbub was. He looked past her to see if her lusus was anywhere, but the crowd was incredibly dense and the occasional white Alternian fauna made it impossible to tell who was who and which was which (except for the celebrities, of course. Anybody who was anybody knew who they were).

“It’s the biggest haute couture fashion show that Alternia has seen in sweeps!” Aandes exclaimed, plain and simple. “It’s huge. Xander McQuin, the anonymous diva Moirae Nonymi… There’s even an undisclosed line for next season from one of the designers. It’s to die for.”

He could have sighed with the heavy weight of his discontent, but Aandes kept his expression level and explanatory. He hadn’t cased this kid yet (but she was likely a nobody, so he let a huff slip out anyway). Suddenly, Aandes had an idea flash through his thinkpan. It was a silly one, but their general anonymity might come in handy yet. This might have been the only opportunity Aandes would have to use his mere seedling of fame to his advantage. He crouched slightly to make his eye level more even with Hemera’s. “You a big fashion fan, kid?” He put his hand out. “Name’s Aandes LaMode. I’m a producer of the stars. My designer hasn’t hit it big enough to get into the main show, so he ripped up his RSVPs for us to get in like a loon”, He lied. Aandes put on a winning smile.

“If you’re interested, I think I might be able to get us in with my influence, though.” When an opportunity presented itself he had to take it. Hemera could very well become his ticket.

Aandes smiled a winning smile. Perfect. There was about a… 25% chance that this would work, he figured. Maaaaybe less. He was a nobody, after all, but this could be his chance to get noticed. He hadn’t brought 100 business cards for nothing. “You’re a sweetheart. Give me one moment!” He said, holding up a finger for her to stay put. Then, he swooped away. Aandes breathed quickly with excitement. Earlier he’d practically cased the joint. As he locked onto his target – the dimmest and least qualified bouncer of the bunch (he assumed, but hey he was of course correct), Aandes’ face slipped into despair. With every step he increased his breath rate and furrowed his brow until his round brows were pitiable puppy brows at the peak of his hairline.

“E-excuse me!” Aandes pleaded. He pretended to calm himself and opened up his body position to gesture to Hemera through the crowd. “Terribly sorry to interrupt, but I just came from inside and there’s a tealblooded lusus loose in the dining preparation block. We’ve got it trapped, thank gog, but we have to keep appearances and its charge simply can’t get in as she does not have an invite. If I slip her through the chef entrance we’ll be in and out with her lusus with no problem at all.”

“Uhhh…” The bouncer paused. “Let me, uh… Check that.”

Aandes froze. His eyes darted to a small radio receiver that he had somehow missed before. Had someone handed that to him recently? s**t! As soon as the bouncer unclipped it from his belt, Aandes acted. He put his hands on the drone’s hand in false gratitude. “Oh!! Thank you so much… You have no idea how much this will affect the party if we don’t get in soon…” Aandes sputtered. He batted his eyelashes as his fingers fumbled subtly with the radio dial. Click.

“Yeah, sure, guy.” Mumbled the bouncer. He pressed the call button on his radio and received a shriek of radio feedback. The troll reeled back and Aandes put his hands to his lips. “Oh no…! That’s him! That’s the lusus!” As the bouncer bopped the radio, emitting more squeaks, the crowd began to take notice. Other security members and celebrities stopped to glare, and Aandes put on his best pleading look – now with the addition of a fistful of beetles that had found their way into the bodyguard’s pocket.

“…Go on in.”

Aandes rushed back to Hemera with a thin smile. “They were kind enough to let us in, but to fit in I believe we should find you something to wear.” He looked her up and down. “Mm hmm. Come with me!” He held out his hand for her and skirted back through the crowd. Aandes passed a sly wink to the bouncer and slipped through the chef entrance, bobbing around service professionals and silver carts lined with countless hors d’oeuvres. He tried not to let himself become distracted by glittering possibility as the two entered a back room that was already becoming filled with noted fashion icons.

“Ah! Here we are…” Aandes mumbled. He pulled back a curtain and ushered Hemera in. The new small room was something of an enormous closet – tagged clothes on racks arranged by size and color lined the curtained, velvety walls. Shoes and accessories were under and above on shelves, and three angled mirrors stood at the end of the hall to check the final look. It was a last-minute changing room – decked to the nines and perfect for the quick-change occasion.

Poking his head in, Aandes whispered. “This is the coat check slash wardrobe change room. Don’t worry about stealing someone’s look, darling, they go through so many outfits and have so many standbys they won’t even miss it. I’m sure there’s something in your size – doll up however you’d like and then fetch me; you’re lucky I’m stacked with emergency make-up.” And with that, the mint-blood slipped out of the small changing room and casually waited outside, blending into the background flawlessly.

“Ah!” Aandes looked at Hemera’s outfit from bottom to top. He thought for a moment with his finger tapping his chin. “Mm! Fair choice. Was worried you’d pick something that wouldn’t compliment your glasses. Your hair is… Hmm. It’s not… Here’s what we’ll do…”

He sidestepped into the room, pulling her inside, and toyed with her hair for a moment before reaching into a bag he produced from his jacket pocket. It was a flawless and expensive brand of foundation. “Do you know how to put on make-up? Take this and this; I’ll braid.”

Aandes slipped Hemera the make-up and a brush. Her hair was an interesting consistency, just enough curl to make some quick decisions seem like an effortless “shabby chic”. And not too coarse and untameable like more typical Alternian ‘do’s. Hmm… A simple braided updo or a classic loose braid? Aandes cooed to himself as he polished off the look, and turned walked around Hemera to look at her. “Yes, flawless! Now… We don’t have time for your eyes, but the glasses give them a very unique look on their own so we’ll settle for lips, shall we? Translucent or black gloss, your choice. You look darling.”

Maybe she wasn’t on his list of potential trolls to produce, but in a snap Aandes was impressed with his work! And hey, he couldn’t give himself all of the credit. Antsy to get into the social fray (but bubbly from the adrenaline and his newest makeover victim regardless), Aandes stepped back outside to keep watch. His timing was perfect, it seemed. A quiet “Sorry, occupied! We’ll be done in a minute,” Filtered from outside of the curtain.