Reuniting Gemini

An Ordinary Night...Sort Of

The bricks on the well-traveled back alley road have been covered in a layer of dirt and remnants of a glitter explosion for as long as Essie can remember. As the soles of her ballet flats find an even stride across the surface, clouds of sparkling dust rise up to pollute the bottom of mist around her. 

Sneaking down the Alley of Wonders is forbidden at such a late hour. Should she get caught, Essie would be in a great deal of trouble. She doesn't mind the danger. 

An old man sits against a nearby building, a large mug of craft ale dangling from his knobby fingers. Essie pays him no mind to the thinning heap of him as she passes by. He watches her as she goes, tipping the mug to his lips. 

He'd seen her each night for a week, sneaking around in the dark. She always moved with purpose and a spring in her step. He often wondered where she would be going so late and what her mother would think if she didn't reappear in the breaking hours of dawn. It's not every day that a young lady such as herself would be able to arrive, and leave, in one piece. The Alley is not a place for young girls to prance about. 

Tonight is the same as the others. Essie heads in the same direction. She holds the same amount of purpose in each of her footsteps. Stopping in her tracks, she turns to glance over her shoulder. There's a chill in the air tonight. She grips at the edges of her cloak, bringing the edges further over her bare arms. 

Approaching the round tower at the corner of Carphira and Lilleman, Essie slips inside the iron door on the side. All six latches click closed behind her. Having arrived in the familiar safe haven, Essie strips off her cloak and leaves it on the hook that appears beside the door frame. 

The room buzzes with electrical undercurrents. Each tapestry of royal purple, blue, and black harness all the energy stored in the round room. Essie regards each of the twelve tapestries with a firm nod. Although there isn't any other movement in the room, each of the fabrics seem to nod back in mutual respect. 

She seats herself on the floor in the center of the room. Criss cross applesauce has never been her preferred position to sit in, but she's slowly learning to find the comfort in the folding of her legs. The relaxation that spreads from her ankles and knees is a relief. As if her life could get much more relaxing. 

Some would say that Essie has it easy. Daughter of a high ranking demon and an equally important angel, she hasn't had to endure some of the hardships that her friends have. On the contrary, her life has been nothing short of boring and sheltered. 

When she stumbled upon Celestia's Palace, Essie expected to be told that her fortune revolved around taking on her mother's coveted position of Angelic Ambassador to another species. She expected to be told of the prince she'd be married off to next year. What she didn't expect is the lack of people inside the rounded room. 

There'd been nothing spectacular about the room then, and Essie had been pretty disappointed with the lack of furniture and functionality. If a crystal ball is all this "Celestia" had to offer in terms of shop decor, there'd be much more to be desired. 

Tonight though, the room sparks excitement and apprehension. Essie cradles the crystal ball in both of her palms, soaking up the trapped energy of the universe and allowing the crevices in the back of her mind to expand and reveal an untapped well of personal information. 

With her ears ringing from the absence of sound, Essie takes her cue to dive in.