‘That is just a fringe benefit. What I really need is a better excuse for the aerobatics festival. My excuse for the war games is, I believe, quite valid.’ Mitsuko stared at Nava, narrowing her eyes. ‘Okay, so being at this symposium will mean I can’t do flight practice for a week and give me a somewhat better excuse to avoid both competitions. My point still stands. I believe I can contribute to many discussions on the place of sorcery in society having grown up with a different view of society.’
With a sigh, Mitsuko gave up. ‘Yes, well, I did say it might be useful. You have some connection to the ASF as well and that will be useful. I’m going to formulate some ideas based on the documents the administration sent us. Next week, after the dance, we’ll move to Alliance City and spend the week coming up with strategies and speeches.’
‘Where will we stay in Alliance City?’ Melissa asked. ‘And can Chess come?’
‘If he wants to, I see no issue in him coming. I think we can swing a pass for him to attend the symposium too. The more of us who are there, the more ground we can cover.’
‘Well, I’d be happy to,’ Rochester said. ‘Especially if they’re discussing metaphysics in some of those panels.’
‘There’s one I noticed on applying metaphysics to “real-world” problems,’ Melissa said. ‘I didn’t make the title up, so don’t blame me that they don’t seem to think sorcery is the real world.’
‘As for where we’ll be staying,’ Mitsuko went on, ‘I’ll see if the townhouse is available.’
‘Townhouse?’
‘We, the Trentons, have a place in Alliance City for when we have to spend more than a day there. It doesn’t get an enormous amount of use, but–’
‘Your family is rich and can afford an unused property in Alliance City,’ Nava said.
‘That’s… more or less valid. I’ll check, but we can probably block book it for those two weeks. It’s usually Father who uses it the most. He has business in the assembly every so often, but I doubt he’s involved in this symposium.’
‘That sounds nice,’ Melissa said.
‘Also convenient. It’s about a kilometre from the assembly building.’
‘Sounds perfect,’ Nava said. ‘I assume it has enough rooms for all of us?’
‘Oh, it has plenty of space. It’s not the mansion, of course, but…’
‘Yeah,’ Nava said, patting Mitsuko’s arm. ‘I get it. Rich family.’
235/7/31.
The club was busier than it had been the night Mitsuko and Nava had been there hunting for a Harbinger. There was only one week left of school before the month-long summer holiday and the students were cutting loose a little.
Coming had been a joint proposal from Mitsuko and Melissa. That Melissa had backed Mitsuko up was the amazing part, but she was showing signs of stress herself with only a week to go before the dance. She had suggested that a night out with her boyfriend and her two girlfriends might relieve some of that stress. She was not a natural clubgoer. Neither was Rochester, but he had agreed to go.
Part of his reason might have been because he had seen Melissa’s outfit and had decided he had to keep an eye on her. There was a danger she might get picked up by someone better looking than he was. It was an unjustified worry, but Melissa had plucked up the courage to wear a floral skirt and top combo which left her midriff bare and showed off her bust quite spectacularly, so without a man, she was going to get invitations. Rochester had put on the jeans he had been forced to buy in Alliance City and a dark shirt which was unlike him but did look good on him.
Nava and Mitsuko were in the same outfits they had worn last time. Rochester had no idea where to look. Especially since his two friends were hardly the only women there in brief outfits.
‘Is the dance next week going to be like this?’ Rochester asked as they found a free table to sit down, drink, and chat around.
‘Yes,’ Mitsuko replied. ‘The winter one will be different. It’s a little more formal so we should expect to see gowns on the women and suits on the men.’
‘I don’t own a suit.’
‘And I don’t own a gown,’ Melissa added.
‘Ditto,’ Nava said. ‘However, I recall some of the gowns at that party at your mansion, and I think Chess is still going to be wondering where to put his eyes.’
‘That’s a valid point,’ Mitsuko agreed. ‘We must endeavour to find a gown for Mel which will ensure that Chess is unable to take his eyes off her.’
‘Now I’m scared of the winter ball,’ Melissa said.
Mitsuko smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I know of several designs which will suit our purpose and won’t embarrass you. Much.’
‘Not helping.’
‘To be honest,’ Nava said, ‘I’m more scared of what she’ll find for me. Then again, both dances are scary anyway.’
‘You’re not afraid of anything,’ Melissa countered. ‘You weren’t afraid to use an untested spell to follow a monster serial killer into another dimension. If you’re not afraid of that, what could possibly be scary about a dance?’
‘The dancing.’
‘Huh?’
‘I can’t dance. I’ve never learned. I have no idea how to do that… wiggling that seems to be going on out there.’ Nava waved a hand vaguely at the club’s dance floor where people were, as she put it, wiggling to the music.
‘Well, I’ve never learned. You just sort of… do it.’
‘I disagree,’ Rochester said. ‘I’m with Nava on this one. Dancing scares me silly. I have big, heavy feet and you are going to be bruised by bedtime.’
‘At least you’re about the right size for your partner,’ Nava said. ‘Anyway, didn’t I hear that you’re going to have to get people dancing who don’t have a partner, Mel?’
‘Oh, yes, I hadn’t thought of that,’ Melissa said, going a little pale. ‘You’re right, dancing is scary. Uh, b-but it’s the ball I really don’t know about. I mean, the
