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When the front doors of the Spacetime Hotel open, there’s an air of extravagance as she walks inside. The sound of the wheels on the woman’s blush-colored suitcase ring throughout the grand hallway, followed by the click of her heels. Patrons are sitting on the couches and chairs scattered throughout the area; each one looks up to watch her. Some gasp, some whisper, some scream her name, hoping to get her attention, but she simply parades forward.
The woman is used to the stares by now. Sure, it was scary at first, but now, she has thousands of eyes on her every night. This isn’t new for her. Any other night, she would be happy to turn a head, throw a wave, pop the cap off a marker. Tonight, though? The jet lag from Sun Horizon finally caught up to her, and she just wanted to rest. Still, the woman refused to make her tired mood known, hiding dying eyes behind a pair of white cat eye sunglasses.
When waiting for the people in front of her to finish checking in, she glances around the lobby. Pristine, golden accents touch every railing, and the black tile under her feet glistens and shines. She had heard of this place before and was well aware of the powerful family that owned it. And now, she would be one of many stars who rested there.
The couple in front of her walks off, and she struts to the front of the desk. “Good evening, miss! Welcome to the Spacetime Hotel, what can I get started for you?” asks the man behind the counter, who wears a golden vest.
“I have a reservation,” the woman nods. “Under Sway.”
“Sway? Alright, let’s see…” He opens the book in front of him, flipping through pages until he stops, his finger trailing down the paper as he mutters under his breath. He stops. His eyebrows shoot up. He brings his finger back to the top of the page, drags it back down, then brings it back to the top again.
“Is something wrong?” The woman tilts her head to the side.
“It’s- well…” the man stammers, looking up at her. “I don’t see your name on the reservation list.”
“What?” Her heart skips a beat. This is not what she needs right now.
“I- I’m not sure, did you make a mistake while making the reservation?”
“I didn’t make the reservation; it was done for me.”
“Would it be under their name?”
“No, it would be under mine.” She shakes her head.
“What’s your first name?” the man asks, his finger anxiously tapping against the paper.
“It’s-”
“Talia?”
Her name is carried out in the form of a whisper. She looks up, noticing another pair of eyes on her. There’s a young man standing behind the desk, possibly around her age, maybe a couple years older. His gaze is transfixed on her, almost as if he’s trying to confirm something. A set of regal, purple robes and a golden crown tell her exactly who this is.
His eyes widen, and he quickly turns away, disappearing around a corner. Odd.
“Ma’am?”
She blinks, reminding herself to focus on the task at hand. “Talia,” she nods. “It’s Talia.”
“Talia, Talia, Talia Sway…” the man mutters. As she holds her breath, the regal man returns, standing by his side.
“I believe she would be under the Golden Suite residents.” He reaches over with an azure-colored hand, flipping through the pages until stopping.
The man in the vest looks closely, nodding. “Ah, there we go! Sorry about that, your majesty.” He lets out a sigh of relief, looking at Talia. “Apologies to you as well.” He turns around, grabbing a small chain off the wall of keys and placing it on the counter. “You’ll be in Golden Suite Thirteen,” he tells her, pointing down the hall. “You can take the elevator to the tenth floor, then make a turn at-”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” The regal man shakes his head, rounding the counter and standing in front of Talia. She can get a better look at his face now; it’s bright and youthful. He throws his hand out, and Talia flinches as a gateway opens behind her. On the other side, she sees a luxurious, glistening door, the same shade as butterscotch, with a small plaque next to the doorknob, addressed with the number thirteen.
“I know a shortcut.” He winks, then steps aside, almost shrinkingly. “Uh, after you.”
Talia pauses apprehensively. This seemed quite charming, but she hadn’t exactly been through a portal before. Would there be consequences? She could ask, but with the prince of the Danceverses standing right there, the normally confident Talia Sway was at a wordless loss. She couldn’t tell if she was stunned, scared, tired, or a mix of the three.
Well, there was only one way to find out. She advances, pulling her suitcase behind her, and suddenly, she’s someplace new. Talia grips onto the key, eyeing the other side. The prince follows her, stepping through the portal, turning around, and closing it with a swift flick of his wrist. He turns to her, tilting his head.
“Everything okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” he asks.
Talia nodded, attempting to remain formal. “Well, it’s not every day I step through a portal, you know? I usually travel by plane.” She says, looking at the space where the portal used to stand.
“Most people have that reaction.” He chuckled, bringing his hands together. “Alright, well, this is your suite. Ta-da!” He showed off the front door, making a light motion of jazz hands, clearing his throat before continuing. “Uh, I’m Wanderlust, if you need anything. We have a tablet inside where you can access room services, and I, uh… I can give you a tour? Well, no- not right now, it’s late, but, in the morning, if you’re staying that long. You’re only staying for one night, right?”
Talia examined his behavior, noticing his faulty smile and clasped hands. As he waited for an answer, he stood in front of her, stiff as a board. He was a good number of inches taller than her, and with the addition of the crown, it felt like he was nearly towering over her.
“Well, yes, I am… everything okay, your majesty?” she asked, mirroring his question.
Wanderlust let out a sigh, his rigid stance loosening. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be so uptight. It’s just, well… it’s not every day that a global pop star comes in here.”
Talia smiles, letting out a small chuckle. It looked like she wasn’t the only nervous one.
“I mean, it’s crazy. The first time I heard your name, you were opening for Dahlia, and now, you’re leading a sold-out tour across the Danceverses. It’s funny how life works like that, isn’t it?” He beams, easing into a more comfortable front. “You do great stuff, by the way. Like, this is your most successful year yet, and it’s only bound to go up. Congratulations.”
“Oh, well thank you,” she says bashfully. “That means a lot coming from you, your majesty.”
“It’s a pleasure to have you here. I don’t want to keep you for much longer, but I figured I’d bring you to your room, at least.” He nods. As he speaks, Wanderlust starts to fidget with a necklace he’s wearing, twirling a turquoise bead in between two fingers.
Talia’s eyes trail from his face to his neck. Her smile drops. “Where did you get that?”
“Oh, this?” Wanderlust holds up the string of beads with his hand. “It was a gift from someone who stayed here recently. He gave it to me right before he left. I think his name was…”
“Hunter,” she mutters.
“Hm?”
“...It’s nothing.” Talia shakes her head, inserting the key into the lock. She twists the doorknob, opens the door, and her breath is taken away from her when she sees what’s on the other side. A lush bed with a golden frame is against the wall, covered in soft-looking blankets. There’s a full-length mirror to the left of the dresser, a glowing light fixture hangs from the ceiling, and a large window on the farthest wall shows a perfect view of the beautiful, vast galaxy.
“I’ll let you get some rest.” Wanderlust smiles, waving his hand and opening a portal back to the main lobby. “And let me know if you’re interested in that tour!”
With a swift step and a wave, the prince is gone. Talia closes the door behind her, soaking in the glamour of the suite. She had stayed in many hotels over the years, but this? This was exquisite. The Spacetime Hotel really had anything a girl could ask for. She sighs, placing the suitcase next to her bed. She takes off her jacket, throwing the camouflage coat onto the bedding, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror out of the corner of her eye. Underneath, she has on a pink and purple crop top, patterned with zigzags.
This was the same shirt Talia had worn for her and Hunter’s second date.
She tries not to think of him. The breakup had been rough, and fans and interviewers alike often attempted to pry into her business. Hell, they still do. Still, she tries not to think about him much, keeping herself distracted with the tour, but that fabric brings back memories. She thinks of when they got to the drive-in early, and they watched the sunset from his car’s trunk. She thinks of when they lit sparklers in the parking lot. She thinks of the two of them sitting on top of his car, watching her all-time favorite movie on the projector.
She thinks of when her lips eventually find his, and the movie is quickly forgotten about.
It’s not something she should ponder, she tells herself. That’s in the past. In one talk show interview, she laughed at the mention of his name, and joked that she had one less thing to worry about. A bit harsh, and she had gotten a bit of backlash for the comment, but she couldn’t deny the truth of it. She tried hard to make it work between the two of them, but he never wanted to listen.
Talia takes a deep breath, continuing to unpack. It was best to focus on the present, so that’s what she does. She changes into some comfy pajamas, brushes her teeth, does her skincare, and takes the much-needed rest that she’s been wanting to.
She’s normally an early bird, but she wakes up just past noon the next day. Talia wakes up to a couple of missed calls from her tour manager, which she spends the first few moments of her day responding to. She’s told that there’s a bit of time before she and her crew have to leave for Cyberfunk, and that she should be ready to go at 5pm. The pop star picks out a chic outfit for the day; a denim skirt, a black tank top, a pink sheer jacket, black heeled boots, and a set of bracelets on her wright wrist. She styles her hair in a half-up, half-down look, takes a couple of selfies in the mirror, and heads out of her hotel room.
“Isn’t there a buffet room somewhere?” Talia asks herself, recalling seeing it on a map of the hotel the previous night. As she heads down the stairs, she marvels at the beauty of where she currently resides. The golden art deco aesthetic cascades throughout every wall and corner. Gorgeous chandeliers were placed throughout the halls, and the red carpet that went down each stairwell added not only a pop of dark color, but an elegant touch. She finds herself back in the lobby, but no map is in sight. Clueless, she walks up to a trio of people in front of her, tapping one of them on the shoulder.
“Excuse me?” she asks. The person turns around, along with their friends, and all of them look at her with dropped jaws. “Do you guys know where the buffet room is?”
The person in the middle, wearing a black suit with blue ruffles, stares at her in shock. “Talia Sway?!” they exclaim.
“Can we get a photo with you? We’re such big fans!” says the girl behind them with a pink ponytail.
“Oh, yes, of course!” Talia nods, smiling.
The third person, a girl with a short purple pixie cut, points in the opposite direction as she pulls her phone out. “The buffet room is just down that hall,” she tells Talia.
“Thank you!” she nods, moving next to them to pose in the photo. Meeting fans was something she could never get tired of. No matter how exhausted she was from touring sometimes, it didn’t cost a penny for her to brighten someone’s day by taking a photo with them, signing their t-shirt, or just by waving to them if she was in a rush.
Talia waves goodbye to the fans before heading in the direction she’s told. It doesn’t take long for her to find the buffet room, and as she opens the doors, she finds another marvelous sight. She walks into a large room with white and gold wallpaper, old English tile, and more stunning light fixtures. The room is packed with patrons getting lunch, sitting at circular tables with pale yellow tablecloths draped on top. At the back of the room is the buffet table, which contains a long train of delicious morsels. Just when she thought that the Spacetime Hotel was the ultimate peak of glamor, she was proven wrong once more.
The closer she gets to the table as she makes her way through the room, the more her stomach grumbles. She piles her first plate with creamy chicken alfredo, carefully plating some hashbrown casserole and a chocolate chip cookie on the side, and grabs a glass of water. Talia turns around, looking for a place to sit. If she had to guess, there had to be at least two or three hundred people in this room, so finding someplace to sit may be a challenge. She scans her eyes across each table as she walks around, finding each one to be occupied. She huffs, walking forward, and stops in front of a mostly-empty table, the first one she’s found.
The only person sitting there is a young man with short red hair who’s currently eating a salad and looking at his phone. He’s wearing a bright red suit, and a pink boa is elegantly draped over his left shoulder. He doesn’t take any notice of Talia, who stands in front of him at the other end of the table.
“Excuse me?” she asks, her voice instantly lost to the crowded, chattery room. She tries again. “Excuse me?”
The man jolts, his back straightening up as he slams the phone onto the table, face-down. Talia jumps a bit as well, not expecting such a reaction. As she looks at him, something about his face strikes her as familiar, but she can’t quite tell from where.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She shakes her head. “Um, is it okay if I sit here? I can’t find an empty table.”
The man looks at her, his eyes wide, and looks at the empty table. “Y-Yeah, no, it’s fine, sorry. Go ahead,” he mutters out, nodding as he motions to an unoccupied chair.
Talia sits two seats to his right, setting her plate and glass down in front of her. She tries not to stare, but something about his carmine lips and purple and gold gloves tells her that she’s seen him before. They may have even crossed paths.
She takes the shot. “Do I know you?”
The man looks up, glossing over her appearance as a quizzical look appears on his face. “I… don’t believe so?” he says, his voice uncertain. “Are you from Eternyx?”
Talia shakes her head. “Wasterra.”
“Then I guess not.” He shrugs, digging a fork into his salad and taking a bite.
Eternyx, a land of darkness and eternal night where the parties go all night long. She had been there on the tour already, performing at venues such as the Theatre of the Enigma and the Disco Necropolis. On her final night, she performed at Swan Tower, the most famous venue in Eternyx, owned by the fierce Night Swan herself. She remembered seeing her face plastered everywhere in the city, on banners, posters, and of course, towering behind her as she performed. And that’s when it hits her.
“Wait a minute… you’re Night Swan’s son!” she realizes, the other looking up. “Jack Rose, right? I was in Eternyx recently, I saw a poster for one of your shows.”
“...Yep. Uh, that’s me.” Jack puts down his fork, wringing his hands together. It was easy for Talia to pick up on his nervousness, which surprises her. She doesn’t know much about Jack, but based on the poster she had caught a glimpse of, he appeared to be someone confident. He looked like a man who knew how to take control of the venue.
“So, what brings you here?” she asks, leaning forward. “Are you on tour?”
“Nope.” Jack shakes his head. “A… friend… invited me to the hotel.”
“Oh, so you two are on vacation?”
“No, we’re not-”
“You’re not?” Talia doesn’t realize she’s asking so many questions. “Then why are you here?”
“There’s some sort of gathering going on today, he wants me to tag along.” Jack nods.
“A gathering? I haven’t seen that advertised anywhere.” She shakes her head.
“I think it’s invite only,” he adds.
It catches Talia off guard that Jack hasn’t pointed out her celebrity status, as she had done with him. Maybe he didn’t know who she was. She didn’t want to sound vain, but it was pretty rare for that to happen. Still, it was a bit nice. All of the cameras and articles often make her forget that she wasn’t only a celebrity, but a person, so she would welcome a conversation where her stardom was the main focus. Jack takes another bite of his food, reminding her that she hadn’t tried hers yet. She twirls her fork in the chicken alfredo, lifts it to her lips, and takes a bite. The thick, creamy pasta hits her tongue, and the first bite is just as heavenly as she imagined.
“Oh my Selios, this is good,” she mumbles, digging in for another bite.
“I heard the royal family only hires the best chefs to work here,” Jack tells her. “The quality of what I’ve had here so far is pristine, so it would check out.”
“Have you met them?” she asks out of curiosity.
“No,” Jack says, his answer quick and blunt. She had picked up on his uneasiness, but something, maybe a gut feeling, tells her that he responded too quickly.
“I just met the prince last night,” Talia continues. “He seems like a great person to chat with.”
“You can say that again.” Jack takes another bite.
She tilts her head. “What do you mean?”
The singer freezes, looking at Talia with uneasy eyes. Suddenly, he pushes his chair back, picks up his plate, and puts his phone in his pocket. “I should get going.”
“Wait, what?” Talia’s fork drops nearly as fast as her heart. Did she offend him somehow? Did she make him uncomfortable? She turns, and before she gets a chance to apologize, he’s already slipped into the crowd.
Talia sits down, defeated. At least she has a table to herself now.
After a scrumptious meal, Talia disposes of her dishes and heads back into the hallway. The thought of Jack leaving so suddenly has been plaguing her mind for the past half hour. She doesn’t recall saying anything wrong in front of him, and that’s what makes it trickier. Her heels click as she walks down the hall, anxiety flooding in her head. The lobby is as busy as ever, filled with people rushing to get to their hotel rooms. There’s only one face that’s familiar to her, and she picks him out immediately.
The prince takes a stack of boxes off the counter, making eye contact with her from across the room. “Talia!” His face brightens as she walks over to him. “If this is about the tour, I’m a bit busy right now, sorry. I gotta carry these boxes up to the observatory. Actually, you can come with, if you’d like!”
“Are you sure?” she asks. She does have some spare time to kill until she has to leave, but doesn’t know how to feel about cramping the prince’s space.
“It’ll be the closest I’ll be able to get you for now.” Wanderlust chuckles, walking past her.
“Lead the way, then,” says Talia, following close behind. “What are the boxes for?”
“There’s some plates and silverware and stuff in here, my dad wants me to bring these up,” he says, rounding a corner. “My parents host some exclusive parties in the hotel sometimes, and there’s one later today. That’s what I’ve been running around all day for.”
“Oh, it’s for a party?” Talia raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah! It’s nothing crazy, but there’s gonna be food and music. It’s also kind of a networking thing, the party’s gonna have a lot of A-listers…” Wanderlust pauses, turning around and starting to walk backwards. “Which you are! Meaning I could put in a word and get you on the guest list if you wanted! I don’t know if you’re busy, though.”
“What time does it start?”
“Four, but it goes until midnight.” Wanderlust steps through the doors of an elevator, holding his back against the door to let Talia inside.
Her lips purse. “That’ll be a tight squeeze. I must leave at five… but I’ll try to make it if I can!”
“Awesome!” The prince puts the boxes on the floor, pressing a button on the wall, one for one of the very top floors, as the door closes. “It would be great to have another person I know there. I don’t really do well at these kinds of things.”
“You don’t?” Talia’s eyes widen. “You seem so social; I would’ve thought the opposite.”
“I am! I don’t mind parties; I think they’re great. It’s just… celebrities, big stars… I feel awkward being surrounded by so many people.” Wanderlust crosses his arms, leaning against the elevator wall.
“I think I get what you mean.” Talia nods. She wasn’t bothered as much anymore, but the anxiety of being surrounded by famous figures at parties like this one was something she also once dealt with.
“It’s so intimidating, I always panic and freeze up. Did you know that DeerStan and PandaFan stayed here last week? PandaFan came up to me and asked where the bathroom was, and I just stood there, gobsmacked, looking at him like an idiot.” He chuckles weakly. “But, hey, if you’re there, maybe I’ll be less nervous.”
“If I help to ease your nerves, then I’ll do my best to be there.” Talia nods. “Do you personally know anyone else going?”
“I guess… my parents? They’ll probably be busy hosting, though.” He sighs. “That would leave you and… one other person…”
“Oh, who is it? Luke Cypher? Eva Chase?” Talia asks, throwing out guesses.
Wanderlust smiles, wringing his hands together nervously. “Talia… can I tell you something that stays between us? Some, I dunno, “celebrity gossip,” if you will?” he asks as he turns to the pop star, making air quotes.
Talia couldn’t describe it, but at that moment, a tensity filled the elevator air. She knew that whatever the prince was about to tell her would be important, and she would have to keep quiet about it. “Of course, Wanderlust.” She nods, her tone turning softer. “What is it?”
“Well, the truth is…” He nods, taking a deep breath. “I’m seeing someone. And he’s going to be at this party.”
Silence fills the air after the prince reveals his secret. She takes notice in the way he stands. Uptight, his back straight, his hands together, his eyes wandering around the elevator so that he doesn’t have to look Talia in the eye.
“Aw… that’s sweet,” says Talia, doing her best to make him comfortable. “If I may, can I ask who it is?”
“He wants to keep our relationship private until he’s comfortable sharing the news.” Wanderlust nods. “Which I, of course, will respect… but he’s such a great guy, so it’s really hard. It’s so hard, Talia,” he whines.
“Well, if you want to talk about it, I won’t say anything,” says Talia. “By all means, only if you want to.”
“Oh, of course I want to.” Wanderlust grins. “I’m always so busy with the hotel and such, I never thought I would find time for a relationship, but the perfect person just… landed in front of me one day. Or- more so, I went to him, it’s a long story. We didn’t really get off on the right foot, either. He was not fond of me, but I definitely was interested in him. We gave it time, he slowly opened up, and things ended up working out in the long run. It hasn’t been a smooth road… but he’s made me happier than I’ve ever been.”
She can’t help but smile as she listens to the prince talk. “That’s great to hear. I assume you two spend a lot of time together?”
“Of course we do! Usually, I see him whenever I’m not working here, and I take him to all of the cool spots around the Danceverses. He was a bit of a homebody growing up, so he hasn’t seen the world like I have.” He explains. “I took him to the Danceroll Meetup the other day.”
“That must’ve been fun!”
“Well, that’s what I thought.” Wanderlust grimaces. “I planned to teach him how to skate, because I knew he didn’t know how, and I, well… didn’t really consider the fact that I don’t know how to skate either.”
Talia lets out a small snicker before she can stop herself.
“It was a mess…” His cheeks flush. “But it was also a learning curve. And, at the end of the day, we still both had fun.”
Ding!
The elevator door finally opens, and Talia catches a glimpse of the observatory at the end of the hall. A few people in golden vests are walking around, making sure everything is ready for the party. She can catch a glimpse of the intricately-patterned glass floor of the circular room.
“Thanks for letting me talk for a bit, I’ve been itching to tell someone, anyone, about this.” Wanderlust bends over, picking up the boxes. “I’ll get you on that guest list, and if I don’t see you, thanks for stopping by.”
“It was really nice talking to you.” Talia nods. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Have fun on the rest of your tour!” he says, stepping out of the elevator. Talia watches him head down the hallway, a memory of earlier that day lingering in the back of her head.
“Wanderlust! Wait!” She holds the elevator door open.
He turns around. “What is it?”
“Is there any chance Jack Rose will be at the party?”
“Yes! He’s going to be here, he’s on the guest list!” Wanderlust nods eagerly. “Why are you asking?”
Gotcha.
“...Just curious!”
Talia steps back, letting go of the door. She presses the button for the tenth floor and waits until the door closes entirely to pull her phone out of her pocket. The prince’s reaction to her question tells her all she needs to know to confirm her theory, but she knows that doing some extra digging won’t hurt.
She starts by opening Dancegram, immediately searching for the prince’s name and finding his account in mere seconds. Wanderlust didn’t seem to be a huge social media user, mostly posting things in relevance to his family and the hotel. One of his highlights, titled with a city emoji, was where his personality seemed to shine more. There were various stories of him and his friends at various spots in the Danceverse. There’s a video from the audience at a Scarlet’s Palace show, a photo of a plate of food from Aserejé, one of Sun Horizon’s most popular restaurants, a photo of Neon Central… all great places, but not what she’s looking for. She finds a video with the Danceroll Meetup tagged as a location. Bingo.
It’s nothing extravagant, just a video taken by Wanderlust as he holds the phone in his hands, filming his waist down as he glides on the skates. At the end, the video staggers as he nearly crashes into a wall, and he can be heard laughing to himself before the video stops. Talia replays the video, noticing a small, pink object on the ground on her third watch. She takes a screenshot, zooming in to get a closer look, and her heart races with adrenaline when she realizes exactly what it is: a pink feather.
No one is tagged in the video, so she goes to Wanderlust’s following list, typing Jack’s name in. He pops up after a few letters, she goes to his account, then his following list, and does the same for Wanderlust this time. They’re both following each other, good to know. Jack’s account is also professional, but his personality shines through photos of himself on stage, which seems to be mostly what he posts. Other than that, there’s modeling photos and some scarce photos of Eternyx. No photos with other people, and no highlights, she’s hit a wall. Still, she has enough to fuel that suspicion of hers, so she grins and puts her phone back in her pocket.
She reaches the tenth floor, heading back to her room. As she waits for the party to start, she touches up her makeup, scrolls through social media, and packs up her stuff. She folds her clothes from yesterday, packing them neatly inside her suitcase. The first thing to go inside is Talia’s zig zag shirt, so she can put other things on top of it. The time passes, and eventually, it’s ten before four. She plans to stay until four-thirty and puts her suitcase next to the door so that she can grab it and go straight to meeting with her team afterwards. With that, she heads out, closing the door behind her and once again heading to the elevator.
This time, the ride has a couple of stops, and it goes from being just her to feeling crowded and cramped. The elevator reaches one of the top floors, and she gets a chance to breathe as people pour out. At the end of the hall, the bouncer checks her name off the list and opens the door for her.
The observatory is even more magnificent than she pictured. There’s lively music playing, and stars walk across the room to talk to each other. She can even point out a couple of faces in the crowd that she recognizes. Savelina Fuego, Daddy Rus, Kaa’rik and Masi’el, just to name a few.
Even through the crowded room, it doesn’t take long for her to find the blue-skinned prince.
He’s leaning over the banister on the second floor, looking down at the crowd, and to his left is Jack Rose, the one and only.
The two of them are talking, spectating over everyone else. Wanderlust has the bright energy he’s had all throughout the day, but he seems a bit drained, maybe even bored. Jack has the same apathetic look on his face she had seen before, but this time, he seemed more content and less jumpy. He says something, and she can see Wanderlust laugh, his shoulders shaking as he holds onto the rail. Jack has a half-smile on his face, looking away.
She’s not sure if they can see her, so Talia tries to move through the sea of people to make it not look like she’s spying, but she still keeps a watchful eye on the two of them. She sees Wanderlust smile and take Jack’s hand, to which the other looks at him with surprise. The prince smirks, dragging Jack by the arm, and the singer nearly stumbles as the two disappear behind a wall.
“I knew it,” Talia whispers to herself with a confident smile. She’s ecstatic to be in the right, but also to see the two happy with each other. It was safe to assume that their statuses kept them occupied, which could only lead to stress, pressure, and not enough time for oneself. To be able to find someone through that chaos of having every eye on you was not only a delight, but a luxury.
The pop star finds a stairwell and heads up to the second floor, where it’s much more spacious. Like every corner of the hotel that she’s explored so far, it’s grand and opulent. The banister is made of fine brass, bookshelves line the walls, and the ceiling infrastructure is laid out in a star-like pattern with glass in-between, giving guests a beautiful view of the stars and constellations. It’s more quiet in this part of the observatory, with guests chatting amongst each other. She scans the area for Wanderlust or Jack, curious to know where they wandered off to, then spots Jack returning, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, likely making sure he looks polished before stepping back into public eye. He steps forward, making eye contact with Talia.
“Didn’t think I would see you here,” he exclaims, walking past her to get a cup from the snack table near them. “My apologies for running off earlier. I was… frazzled.”
“It’s no big deal.” Talia shakes her head, resting an arm on the banister as Jack fills his cup at a water dispenser. “Are you enjoying the party?”
“I suppose so.” Jack turns back around, joining Talia by the banister, drink in hand. The conversation ends when he takes a sip, but Talia plans her next move, eager to continue. She’s heard one side of the story, and now she’s ready to hear the other.
“So, you and the prince, huh?”
Jack chokes on his drink, coughing into his elbow. He sets the cup back down on the table, grabbing a napkin to wipe the water off his chin, cursing under his breath when he smudges his lipstick in the process.
Talia watches uncomfortably. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to start the conversation.
He takes a compact mirror out of his pocket, cleaning the smudge and inhaling deeply as he eyes Talia. “What are you talking about?” he asks.
“Well, I saw you two from downstairs, and I put two and two together.” Talia shrugs. “Where is he, by the way?”
“Restroom,” says Jack, his voice strained with uneasiness.
“You guys caught my eye when I first got here,” she says. “You seemed so much calmer a few minutes ago.”
“Calmer?” He closes the mirror and puts it in his pocket. “How so?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I don’t know much about you, Jack, but when I saw you with Wanderlust, you seemed different. It wasn’t the person I saw on that poster back in Eternyx, or who I saw in the buffet hall. It was you, but another part of you.” Talia sighs. “Believe me, I know exactly what it’s like to show a different side to someone you trust.”
Jack exhales, crossing his arms and leaning against the balcony. “I see. And to answer your question… we’re doing alright.”
“Talia!” a familiar voice exclaims. “You made it!”
The prince approaches the two of them from the same direction that Jack came from, joining them on the balcony. He beams as he looks at his two friends, who both notice the same thing.
Talia turns to Jack with a small smirk. “Just alright, huh?”
“Wander…” Jack lowers his voice. “On your…”
The prince seems to catch onto other’s unspoken words instantly. “Oh- oh my Selios.” He blushes, pulling his braid over his left shoulder to cover his neck. “...Anyway, I’m glad you were able to stop by, Talia!”
“Of course!” she says, her eyes flicking between the two men before her.
Jack huffs. “Well, I guess there’s no point in hiding it anymore.”
“Really?” Wanderlust’s face lights up.
“Not to her, at least.” The redhead walks over, standing next to the prince.
“Talia, meet the exquisite Jack Rose. My rose.” Wanderlust introduces his partner, putting an arm around his shoulder. Talia sees Jack’s face flush at the nickname, but he can’t hide a smile.
“I had a feeling.” Talia grins. “Well, congratulations to you both. You both seem very happy together.”
“Believe me, we are!” Wanderlust leans his head into the other's neck.
“Getting clingy now, are we?” asks Jack.
“Oh, I’m clingy?” He turns to Talia. “You should’ve seen him when I took him to the Christmas Bonbon last week. Clung onto me the whole time.”
“Because I was cold.” Jack grumbles, lightly shoving the other off of him. “Uh, you don’t plan on telling anyone this, right?”
“I wouldn’t even imagine it,” Talia vows. Her eyes wander as she notices the time on a nearby clock, high on the wall. 4:24pm. “Oh shoot, I have to get going.”
“Well, it was nice to see you one last time,” says the prince. “Hopefully, you’ll be a returning patron?”
“I’d love to if I get the chance!” she says, eager for the opportunity to be able to talk to them in the future. “Actually, one second, I have an idea. Do either of you have a pen?”
Jack shakes his head, and Wanderlust pats down his pockets. “Don’t have one, sorry.”
“One second.” Talia turns around, walking over to the nearest person. She taps the shoulder of the blonde woman sitting down. “Hi, excuse me?”
The woman turns around, resting her arm on the chair in a classy manner. She eyes Talia as she takes a sip of her drink, rose-shaded eyelids blinking with intrigue. It’s a face that Talia recognizes instantly, and she freezes. “…Do you have a pen?”
“Of course I do.” She responds, turning around and opening her purse, pulling out a hot pink pen with the initials E.C. etched into the side. “Take it. You never know when you’ll have to sign an autograph, Talia.”
“You… you know who I am?” asked Talia in a stunned whisper.
“In this day and age, who doesn’t?” She drops the pen in Talia’s hand. “Keep it close to you, darling.”
The woman turns back around, leaving Talia stunned. She picks up two napkins from the snack table, leaning over and starting to write.
“Was that Eva Chase?” asks Wanderlust.
“Yeah.” Talia nods, the awe in her voice shining through.
“See, Wander?” Jack smirks. “You’re not the only A-lister around here who gets starstruck.”
“Oh, shut up.” Wanderlust rolls his eyes as the other snickers.
Talia stands up, handing each of them a napkin. “Here, it’s my phone number, so we’ll be able to stay in touch.”
“Really?” The prince takes the napkin, closely examining her handwriting.
“Well, if I’m the only one who knows about you two, then I want updates,” she tells them. “Neither of you are obligated to, but if you want to gush about each other to someone, or let me know about surprises you have planned for each other, or anything else like that, I’ll always be here.”
“I suppose that’s fair,” Jack says with a subtle smile, nearly folding the napkin and putting it in his pocket.
“You’ll definitely be hearing from me.” Wanderlust nods. “It was nice seeing you! I know you have a plane to catch, so I won’t keep you any longer.”
“Great to meet you, Talia.” Jack reached out for a quick handshake, which she returns.
“See you guys!” She waves before rushing off, going down the stairs, navigating the main floor, then heading out. She walks down the hallway, pressing the button on the wall, moves forward, and finds herself alone in the elevator one last time. Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and she pulls it out.
MAYBE: Wanderlust: Good luck on the rest of the tour! Where are you headed next?
Me: Cyberfunk!
MAYBE: Wanderlust: I’ll see if we can stop by on a future date!
Talia smiles, sending one last text before putting her phone away.
Me: You got me on a VIP list, I’ll make sure to pay you back and do the same. 😉