Rosalina had peered behind her cloak, as she walked beside Calum and Michael. It seemed like the street way outside was empty, but the sound of people laughing and singing along to a song playing from inside meant liveliness.
"What is this place?" Rosalina asked, quite innocently.
"A safe haven for the people of the Alliance, if you'd ask me." Michael said.
"Also a place for trouble if you're a trader." Calum chuckled.
"A trader?" She inquired, wondering what that could have been, more like who.
"Traders are well, people like us. People who trade jewelry from the kingdom, perhaps gold, or even valued necessities for an auctioned bargain in exchange for lounas of course. If it isn't money being bargained, it sure as hell better be something of equal value being given like loaf bread or gin juice." Michael chuckled.
"So you two have stolen from the kingdom before. Haven't you?"
"What are you gonna do about that, princess?" Calum defensively puffed up his chest, tilting his head at an aloof Rosalina who frowned.
"Jewels, in exchange for what price?" She retaliated instead.
"A six month supply of potatoes. Sacks of it." Michael admitted, Rosalina sighing as she looked down.
"Reasonable." She agreed simply.
"Money is hard to come by, across the walls." Calum admitted.
"I wasn't going to turn you two in, any of you part of the Alliance at that. Trust it's far from what I'd want, it simply isn't my pursuit." Rosalina shook her head. She hoped they trusted her word.
"I'd believe there's some people way more deserving to be locked up than traders, the Alliance. Cold blooded killers live among these parts as well believe it or not, and they're all roaming free. But then again, I believe a trooper wouldn't second guess having that same blood on their hands if someone were to put up a fight either." Calum sighed, sadly glooming. He had looked over at Michael who just stared out into space at that. His parents were gone, for a fight still fought to this day actually. Though he didn't want pity, never really did so he decided not to mention it.
Rosalina shuddered at the thought. "Troopers? They couldn't."
"Let's go inside, have a round of sparkly gin juice, how's about that?" Calum chuckled, the cynical aura within him no longer being held back. He also wasn't sure if his best friend was comfortable to share the fact that his parents died fighting for a peace that couldn't be met.
Years later, and the last galaxy to be standing, was still in the same rut.
Calum had advanced forward, leaving Michael and Rosalina behind, yet underneath the comfort of a neon glowing sign that had traced letters on its own, floating far above their heads.
Rosalina watched the glowing sign of blue letters that read 'CONTROL, ESCAPE' feeling remorseful, and queasy to her stomach at the thought that troopers, guards from the kingdom could even call that anything close to justice. More so a threat to keep the division set in place. All Rosalina knew was that precautions had to be taken, who knew how drastic they truly could be. She was afraid she'd find out sooner than later.
"Come on, let's go. Look, you don't have to be afraid to show your face around here, these people are good. Known some of the regulars here all my life, actually." Michael smiled warmly. She had felt safe with a friendly face.
Rosalina nods, abiding and taking her cloak slowly down as she had weaved her way through the people gathered around, and followed Michael to where Calum had sat at the silver table where rows of drinks and fountains of gin juice in different colors had levitated behind the bartenders.
She sighs, suddenly feeling more self-conscious than she's ever had when she could quite literally feel people staring right through her.
"Michael." Rosalina spoke in a whisper, completely feeling herself getting highly distracted by the sound of soft yet protruding conversation scattering near them like cicadas that chirped slowly and then collectively all at once.
"Is that the princess?"
"What in the world is Princess Rosalina doing here?"
"She's insane."
"I'd head back if I could."
"Didn't she come here for a pair of sneakers?"
"That couldn't be true."
"That was televised, you idiot."
"Who even keeps up with the royal family?"
Those were just some of the things she could make out from all the subtle conversations happening as she just forced a smile, exhaling in hopes that it'd calm the oncoming anxiety laced within her vessel.
She gets slightly surprised and her attention is averted to the glass of gin juice being slid onto the table in front of her.
"Hey, don't worry about this one it's on me, alright." Calum smiled lopsidedly.
Abruptly, Rosalina's eyes widened at the next thing to happen as Michael cleared his throat loudly, taking a fork from the table and tapping it against his glass repeatedly. He then climbed up onto the table, the bartender frowning at him.
"Attention everybody! Hey! Knuckleheads, listen up." Michael laughed to himself, taking a sip of the glittery crimson pigmented gin juice. "Yes, I'm utterly aware some of you have seen the princess of this galaxy walk through these doors— no a double take is not necessary, it's really her, and she doesn't mean anyone harm. Anyone who's got anything else to say has to get through me first, so cool it. She's here for a drink just like anyone else is right now." Michael motioned his hands, slightly spilling the drink in his right hand.
Rosalina's head was low, but she looks up over her shoulder to send a smile to people who had gathered around at Michael's cue. She then takes a few big gulps from her gin juice tinted sparkly purple, before she felt the burn of the liquid give her the quick fix of a confidence she needed to say what she had to say.
She holds her hand out to Michael, silently nodding for him to heave her up as he rose his eyebrows. "So I guess the princess has something to say."
"Yes, heads of the knuckle." She said, laughing slightly at her own joke, but nobody had found the humor within it before she sighed, setting a hand on her hip at the elevated place she stood on. "I come in peace, that's a promise. And I know everything that has been happening, the isolation of the middle and lower class, but I believe it's safe to say bullshit." Rosalina stated, a few laughs erupting from the crowd of people. "I intend to go on a pursuit, here. One that'll matter for all, and not just the beloved royal kingdom of Neptune's Eastside."
"Is this girl serious?" A girl with short blonde hair had said loudly from a corner table through cherry red lips where she leaned her seat against the wall. "Now, Calum Hood. I see you sitting across the fucking bar, what is it do you think you're doing standing by this?"
"Bradley Tilly, the last thing we need is another brawl to go down at this bar." Calum remarked. "I'm not standing by anything, as a matter of fact you'd know what it's exactly like to not want to end up in prison for what cost? Scavenging for survival?"
"So how many lounas for the princess's head?" Bradley absolutely exaggerated, angered that royal blood could even have the decency to go past those borders with a dazzled excuse in hand, which was typically what the royal family always came up with in front of the cameras and the critics.
Rosalina's jaw dropped, before she frowned at the blonde girl who boldly carried herself over to the other side of the bar.
Michael cleared his throat. "Carry on." He announced, before everyone had returned to their own business. He helped her off the silver table as she slid off, and back into her seat.
"I thought you said no traders would—"
"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't know Bradley'd be here. That's Bradley Tilly for ya." Michael chuckled halfway nervous.
"Excuse me, my head isn't up for a bargain here—" The princess was quick to defend herself, though she was interrupted.
"I know that, princess. I was totally joking, by the way. But I am quite baffled at such a sore thumb sticking out in a traders' bar like CONTROL, ESCAPE." Bradley pointed, her hand then leading to her shoulder where she pets a purple hedgehog sat comfortably holding his tiny paws out.
"Her humor is a bit... Crude. But she means well. Just puts up a tough front is all." Calum smirked at the girl who showed her pearly whites with a grin.
"My ass, Hood." She scoffed.
"Does anyone else see the hedgehog? Or is it the gin juice?" Rosalina looked back and forth between Michael and Calum, and then back to Bradley.
"Oh you see him, alright. This is Glitter-bug— my partner in crime." Bradley looked over at the hedgehog, scrunching her nose.
"Glitter-bug! Punch it in my boy," Michael excitedly perked, holding his fist out to the purple prickly hedgehog.
Rosalina gaped in surprise when Glitter-bug had held his paw out in a tiny fist meeting Michael's knuckles. "Oh that's the coolest thing ever." She laughed, holding a hand to her mouth.