"AAAAARGH! Public speaking is my only weakness but a weakness it is!" Valencia shouted. She slammed her fist on the podium she was rehearsing. With her other hand, she angrily threw the notebook with her notes against the wall which she was glad was soundproof and took a step away from the podium. The clock on the wall ticked closer to her showtime. She saw a glance of it which filled her with dread. Every movement on the clock was a reminder her of what she was up against that was looming closer.
"Why can't I just focus on my combat skills? You’ve seen them!" She started to rant and she turned towards her other teammates; along with the Developers who were helping her train, Piroska, Piper, and Olympia were in the backstage room with her, seated in chairs in front of the podium. Piper had her guitar on her lap, waiting for the next moment to start playing for the rehearsal.
"You evaluated them and said I could take on dangerous malware right now and that I caught up to my previous combat skills so quickly!" Valencia said to Olympia.
"Yes, that's true, but the rules are still the rules to complete your training." Olympia said; she sounded sympathetic while stating this rule as a matter of fact. She looked at her clipboard of notes again and scribbled a few more down. Olympia was also dressed for the event; she was wearing a Space Age-style two-toned green gown with dark gray gloves and dark gray dress shoes; the bodice and skirt of her gown were a pine green, and the straps, bows and trim were a brighter shade of green. Her hair was swept back in a partial up-do that had red flowers in it with green ribbons trying them and her up-do together.
"You're not my commanding officer..." Valencia snarked. "I'm looking for anything to help me feel better now..." She grumbled and looked down at the outfit she was wearing; she dreaded having to do public speaking, but was happy to have a concession in her favor; she was wearing the outfit she earned as the high-level Warrior in the guild she was in before she became an Operating Superstar.
The elaborate markings and jewels on her outfit might've been an indicator of a high rank. Her outfit had a dark gray striped turtleneck that peeked out from under a long red and gray armored longcoat; her longcoat was a deep shade of red with gray buttons, gray pieces of armor on the shoulders and on the sides. Each piece of armor on her outfit had red trim and most were encrusted with blue jewels.
Her overcoat also had a short blue cape, and a brighter red metallic belt. The belt had a holster that would've held the spear that she used to wield, but she didn’t have it with her to comply with the venue's policies.
She was also wearing red trousers with gray plate leg armor over them, and she wore gray armored boots. The sleeves of her overcoat were wide enough for her to wear a pair of gauntlets which matched her armor.
She sighed, took a deep breath and went to find her clipboard to try again. She didn't look pleased, but the clock was ticking...
I followed the group to the dining hall just past the conference room. There was an aisle down the middle upon entering; to our right were rows of tables which had gold and white floral patterned tablecloths.
The chairs had wood frames with red cushions that had visible diamond stitch patterns on them. On the middle of each table were plants in small metallic gold pots. Along the right side wall were lights and large potted plants.
Along the wall and just past the tables were also stone columns which also gave the room more of a natural look, which sharply contrasted with the red and dark gray floor tiles which looked like they were from a sci-fi movie.
If the floor had been made from wood, this could've reminded me of the fine dining places '’ve been to before. Yet those tiles didn't completely clash with the natural look of the wood chairs, the floral pattern of the tablecloths, nor the stone columns, nor the potted plants. The red matched the chairs, and the light yellow accents on the tiles matched the wall. This is a combination that worked better than I expected.
I needed to focus my attention back at the group. We were among the only guests here this early, so we easily had our pick of the tables. The Developers that came with us waved towards us. They were seated along two tables and left the tables next to them open for us. We waved back and joined them at the tables. I sat next to Juna and Polyxena.
"We're glad you could make it." One of the Developers said to me, acknowledging that my training had often left me exhausted.
"Thank you." I said. "I didn't want to miss this."
I glanced around the room to see who else was here and to take in the scale of it; across the middle aisle was another row of chairs, then along the wall were what looked to be a bar area and restaurant.
At one of the tables, a few people in hotel staff uniforms were seated. They might've been taking a break.
“What do you think of this place?” Etta asked me. I looked back at her. Her hair was not tied in a ponytail like it usually was; it was worn loose but with an orange headband, and she was wearing a Space Age-style gown that was white with orange round sleeves, orange trim and orange bows. She was wearing gold earrings and a necklace, and her earrings had blue and green gems on them. The bows on her dress also had blue and green gems on them, and she was wearing white gloves with orange trim.
"I think it looks nice." I said. This hotel looked to be upscale from the glimpses that I saw of it. Along one wall of the dining room, there was a polished wooden stage that had a red velvet curtain hiding the back of it. This seemed odd to me when the conference room surely had its own stage, but I assumed this stage in the dining hall was usually for live music.
The room didn't look extravagant, but it looked upscale enough that dressing in a gown or suit would be appropriate for an event hosted here. "Did all of you also have your debut parties here?" I asked, trying to break the ice with my new teammates while we waited for Valencia's presentation.
"We often host research conferences at this hotel because this is an easily accessible area, but Piper encouraged everyone to choose a place for their own debuts." Etta said.
"What about for the Developers and Engineers?" I asked.
"We don't all complete our apprenticeships at the same time, but when several of us on a team completed it, we arrange for a ceremony." One of the Developers said.
"We get our certificates and these coats with our team Developer insignia on them." Another of the Developers said.
"Doesn't something like that happen in the Human World too?" Etta asked me.
"Yeah, when graduating high school and college. I received diplomas for both, and in both ceremonies I also wore robes, but I also wore a square hat, and these were just for the ceremony." I explained.
"Interesting. It matches up with what Piroska said." Juna said.
The conversation continued in this direction for a few more minutes. They seemed to be the most fascinated by the square hats that I wore at graduation. It seems weird to me, but I wondered if there's some symbolism in it, or it's unlike what their equivalent is to completing training or schooling, so I nodded along with their fascination.
"Damien, I remembered something from earlier about your question!" Polyxena said. "When I was about to debut, Piper encouraged me to choose a different place than she did. She said if one place became a team-wide tradition, it'd feel stagnant."
"Stagnation? Isn't that what she accused that team that reminds me of Big Blue?" I thought to myself. "So, when Valencia chose this place, was it to shake up expectations because who'd expect a debut where you usually share research?" I asked.
"This was her second choice, but I think so!" She chuckled.
Her second choice? I wanted to ask about it, but I waited on it.
"This was one of her choices because she liked to gather here with her old guild when they had plenty of money to spend and wanted to go somewhere fancier than their usual taverns."
"A guild?" I asked.
"They're similar to our teams but based entirely around one skill." Piritta said. She was wearing a similar style of gown as our other teammates, but hers was gray with orange straps, orange bows and silver jewelry. Her very long hair was swept back and had a gray bow with orange edges.
"Hmm... That doesn't sound too different from what I learned about guilds in History class, for non-combat skills." I said, thinking back to the lessons that I learned about medieval times.
"Hosting at a tavern isn't entirely unheard of." Piritta chuckled and then glanced towards Etta. It was clear to Etta that she needed to explain something. "Alright..." She nonchalantly said.
"I chose to host my debut at one near where I used to work and hang out, but it certainly wasn't the Rowdy Shark Tank." She cheerfully told me.
I looked confused for a moment, but I assumed that the Rowdy Shark Tank isn't a tavern I'd want to visit.
"A notorious tavern for its brawls, for the toughest of the tough." She said to me in a foreboding tone. "I can handle it after the training I put myself through, but I'd rather hang out in places that are more inviting to people who aren't interested in brawls." She shrugged and chuckled. "That’s just not my style. I'd be glancing at someone else if she were here." She laughed.
"Just as I thought, but did anyone choose to debut there?" I asked in a half-joking tone.
"It was Valencia's first choice, but we said no because of what happened when Piroska chose to debut there." She said.
"Oh no... What happened?" I asked, shuddering but also being intrigued since I wasn't expecting a serious answer. In the few days I've known Piroska though, I got the impression she's boisterous enough to think going to a tavern for the toughest of the tough would be a fun idea. It’s no wonder she is Valencia's mentor...
