Chlorine Halos

Instincts

Shift.

The marble surface leveled. I glanced over at the hostess who smiled as she read the amazement on my face. Breaking from the moment of awe, I quickly joined Maestro at the bartop. I sat on the plush, padded stool next to him while he drew the attention of the blonde, short-haired bartender. He donned the same necktie and cumberbund as the hostess, but his long torso stretched the fabric of his white collared shirt. In complete disproportion, his black pants gathered at the ankles of his short legs.

"Bigby! The usual, please," Maestro called, scooting his stool closer to the dining ledge. The bartender grinned and nodded as he placed a large glass mug on a steel grate.

"Tapminder! One tall Calasam!" he shouted. Immediately after his instruction, a thin stream of amber ale poured down from a chrome spigot at the bar above. His fellow bartender timed the flow perfectly, leaving a full mug of frothy beverage. Bigby slid the order across the polished, wooden bartop to Maestro's open hand, then looked to me as he juggled two tin tumblers and a lime. "What can we do you for?"

"I'm not really a beer drinker," I answered honestly.

"You don't have to drink," Maestro said, wiping the foam from his lips. "You can get something to eat if you want."

"You know, I can't remember the last time I ate something, but I haven't felt hungry."

"Because you've been living off the aperas. Elements and arbiters feed off of that energy, but that doesn't mean we don't have cravings. The Crescendo is one of the places in Cartesia where we can indulge ourselves."

"Some more than others," Bigby slyly remarked, staring at Maestro. I stifled a laugh as Maestro cleared his throat, unamused.

"Anyways, back to what I was saying—You can order anything here. Their specialty is comfort food."

"Okay," I said, biting my bottom lip. "Could I have spaghetti with meatballs, please?"

"Of course," Bigby replied. As he hummed a merry melody, his finger glided over the ovate glass shard behind the bar. "Coming right up." While he arranged a place setting in front of me, I turned to Maestro.

"I'm glad you're talking to me again."

He sighed, rubbing his thumb against the handle of the mug. "I apologize for the cold shoulder. You didn't do anything wrong. I just... I don't know." He swigged a mouthful of ale, tightening his neck as he swallowed. "For the longest time, all I wanted was justice for my sister. I always thought that I would be the one to capture Jake. And when I did, I would finally taste that satisfaction. But, that's not possible anymore. I feel like I'm floating away. I've never been as lost as I am now."

"Do you really believe you're only here for one reason?" I asked, gazing into his defeated almond eyes. "You can be certain your sister would want you to keep moving forward, never giving up on yourself. So, keep moving. Your feet will find the ground." A smile snuck over his face. "What did you tell me when I first came to Cartesia?"

"Beliefs, certainties, ground," we said in unison, lightly chuckling through the mantra.

"Thanks, Avian. I knew I was right about you."

"What do you mean?"

"You're an answer."

"And here we are," Bigby said, pushing a silver platter of my tailored order in front of me.

"Thank you so much," I replied, grabbing my utensils as my mouth salivated from the sheer sight of steam.

"My pleasure," he responded with a bow of his head.