Evi's Invitation

"Don't let your boss smoke your day. Instead, let us smoke up some delights! With locations all over Gohwood, 'Nanna's Cabin' is able to provide all manner of smoked meats, with side dishes and enough mead to let you feel like the warrior we know you are. Nanna's: It's worth the war to get here!"

Evi grimaced at hearing her voice coming from the televisions at the store window. She really needed the money, but if she knew giving it her all was going to plaster these commercials everywhere? She would have just done it for something like an insurance company or helped out with another film shoot. At least with the latter, she got to dress up in weird monster costumes and pretend to be some otherworldly bad guy with a mook army like those ancient Sentai shows.

But nooooooo. She just had to go for the low-hanging fruit.

"Relax, boss. They got your good side!" The static-tinged voice rung from next to her, as if belonging to a radio announcer, as Giku's TV head smiled at her before projecting a still image of her in the commercial. "Besides, you got free meals from Nanna's for a few years thanks to that deal. Think of all the seafood you can eat with that!" The image changing to a cartoonish version of her standing next to a mountain of fish.

"I'm certain if she ate that much seafood, she'd actually turn into a cat. She scurries away enough to almost count as one anyway, that would push her off the edge." Shaku's voice, while still containing that static tinge, was a little bit deeper as the large eye on the screen looked inquisitive. Pixels wafted off them, a sign their telepathic powers were active.

"Nonsense! The boss eats those garlic biscuits like they're tic-tacs! She didn't turn into a vampire!"
"Giku, garlic wards away vampires. Besides, you're thinking of her being overdoughsed."
"Oooooooh... maybe we should put her in the sun to see if she rises?"
"Isis does that every day for us, it's clear that will never happen."

"I swear I'm going to turn you two into seafood crackers with how much you two like to crack jokes." Evi's comment was only met with mechanical snickering from the two robots as she turned to walk down the street. Still, she couldn't refute Giku's logic: It put food on the table, and it had helped with funding her tuition. Turns out scholarships for the Eglaesaria were pretty scarce when your methods of combat and the concept of 'honor' didn't mix so well, and no amount of magical power or skill can cut through centuries of culture.

It was why she never really bragged about it. Why do so when all it would do is paint a bigger target on your back? She gets in enough trouble for using the 'Evil Monologue' schtick when Shaku's peeling someone's mind like an onion while Giku was busy converting their blood into poison. Yeah it lacked their idea of 'honor', but she could never hold her own in a straight fight... so why stick to their standards? It only helped boost their egos anyway whenever she did end up losing, and it helped make people more paranoid to others who would play dirty. It was practically a win-win.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself. Maybe it'll be true, one day.

It was only when a small group of people nearly bumped into her that she got snapped out of her reminiscing. But before she could apologize, the group just gave a bunch of rapid apologies before hurrying off. Why would... "Shaku, what do we look like right now."

"I made us look like mafioso members."

Evi just paused at that, replaying it in her head to make sure she wasn't hearing them wrong. "...you WHAT?!"

Shaku shrugged, looking nonplussed. "You didn't want to be bothered with that commercial going around. I figured a proper disguise to have people leave us alone."

"BY LOOKING LIKE THE MAFIA?!"

"THEY'RE CLASSY, YOUNG LADY! WE ALL LIKE BEING CLASSY!"

---

It was an hour and a half later that they finally made it back to their apartment dorm on campus. Evi had to convince Shaku to make them look like delinquents instead until they got to the property, upon which they were just made invisible instead. It didn't matter since campus security measures flagged them anyway, it was just to avoid all the other students. The less interactions with them, the better.

Her mailbox was full. Again. She would need to have Isis sort through some of the letters just in case someone sent a nasty surprise again, but there was a smile at one of the deliveries being a box. Yessssss, ingredients and seeds came in. She could magic up clothing and tools whenever she wanted, along with transmutation allowing for household chemicals being made from any refuse or garbage. But food? That was still something that was difficult, since even replicating it exactly didn't mean it'd turn out the same like chemicals and metals do. She either had to grow them in her Verse or order them online, and more often than not meat fell into the latter category.

Having a Verse as large as hers didn't make for a good city. But it did make for a really nice garden area her robots could use. Helped save money on food bills, so meat and occasional seed replenishment were her main overhead costs. Well, that and the tuition. But when she graduated, she was going to need to find a way to get internet into her Verse. Who knew how expensive that was going to-

Hold up.

One envelope had the wax seal of the Red-Jade Council on it. THAT didn't look right. Those kinds of letters were normally sent in invitations, or more likely, their 'Cease and Desist' letter whenever someone started getting uppity and cutting into their profits. She had no idea what she did to deserve either of those. A falsehood...?

No. This was legitimate. There were horror stories told over how hard the Red-Jade Council landed on those who would besmirch their name with falsehoods. Nobody would dare pretend to be one of them for a prank, much less an actual attempt to harm.

"Oh! Oh, maybe they noticed your commercial!" Giku had reached over to snag the letter from Evi's hands. "Imagine it, boss! Riches on top of the meat mountain you've advertised!"

"Doubtful. It's something we likely not considered." Shaku shook their head. "It's best we simply opened it and saw what is inside."

"Ugh, I really don't want to do it though... I'll get my hopes up or I'll get paranoid, then it's just anxiety, and... uuuuuuuuuugh." Alas, she knew she had to do so. Things like these, only the intended recipient could really open it. Evi held out her hand as Giku placed the envelope in her hand, before a finger detached from their hand so she could use it like a makeshift pocket knife. As she sat down to start opening the letter, Shaku placed a glass of water nearby for her convenience. Genuinely one of the best inventions she ever made, these two.

The lettering looked pretty regal. Red paper, gold lettering, there was even a scent of perfume that was wafting from the inside of the envelope. The whole thing reeked of money. She'd love to have that kind of money one day, but it was pretty difficult if you weren't a part of the Red-Jade Council.

Dear Miss Weber, We at the Red-Jade Council, blah blah blah, always on the lookout for exceptional talent, blah blah, noticed your grades and record, blah bl-

Holy shit.

"Guys. Guys shut up, it says I'm getting transferred to a new school overseen by the Red-Jade Council. Full tuition."

"What?" Both Giku and Shaku replied in unison and quickly hurried behind her to read the letter along with her. It was all there. They had contacted Eglaesaria and made the arrangements. Paid for everything. Some sort of deal involving exceptional students they felt were being stunted in environments that weren't a good fit for them. Political correctness aside, that wasn't wrong. But this changed everything! A place to receive good lessons! Even a chance to climb the economic ladder and live a life of luxury!

Maybe even make some frie-

Fri͝e̕nds? Yo͟u t̨hi̢nk you͟'͜ll ͏find҉ anyone ̡who͢ wan͢ts̡ to bé f̡r̵ie͠nds̛ ̸th̸ere?̸

A shudder ran down her spine. These not-thoughts that popped up whenever she thought like this. The thoughts that occurred ever since... well, that day. A warmness spread across her skin, but there was also pressure like she was being submerged. The glass of water was pitch black now; she knew she was the only one who could see it. That, or the two robots feigned ignorance.

Thi̸s̀ is n̶o͢ in͞v̴i̛t͡ation.͞ It's a̷n ̢invest͜me͟n̕t.̛ Th̴ey̴ ҉se͝e̵ p͝rof̴i͞t ̧in you͏, tha͢t͏'̷s ̶t̀h̛e o͜nly r͘e̛aso̕n̨ yo͟u̧ h͟a͟ve tha̸t ̨lette͢r.͘ ̕Ther̨e'͠s ̶n͝o re͏a͜so̧n ̴for͡ ̧them tơ car̛e ͜o̷t̀h͜er͞wis̸e.

The pressure increased. It was getting hard to breathe. That's right. It was a familiar pressure. The kind you felt when you were getting yelled at by someone you cared for, or had emotions towards. When you stepped out of line from what THEY wanted. When they made it clear they only liked you as far as you were useful.

The pressure lessened, as if in response.

I̷t is gơod̨ t͜hat͞ y̶ou reme̢mber. ̨Th͢at you under͏st̷anḑ. ͢Th̛e͜y͘ j̴us҉t wan̢t̡ t́o u̵s͠e y͜ou. J̸u̧sţ ͏like anyone w̨h͏o ͘clai͘ms ͡to want ̀frie͝ńdśhi̡p͏ jus͠t l͢ook f̛o͏r ̨ways to use̢ ͏t͡heir̴ n͡ew to̧ol̨s. Th̨èy͟'ll ͡dŕa̸g̀ you do̶wn̵ to t͝h͘e͠i̷r̢ ̧le̡v͜el, ̧t͜h̛e̵n th̛row ̛you awa̷y̡. All͜ th͠o͞s̕e̶ pe͢ople i̕n thi͘ś p͞l͏ace o̢nly p͢rǫv̸e it.

For the briefest of moments, it almost looked like a figure swam past the glass. Like it was a window to an ocean of darkness. She had to force herself to take deep breaths just to keep a steady breathing. Yes, that... she didn't forget. All the looks of disgust in the eyes of others. How the only times people were courteous to her was when they wanted something from her. Weapons, robots, even the occasional potion or contract to get more studying in for cram sessions.

The only good relationship was a business-centric one. Rules were defined. It was distant. Nothing more. No way to be hurt.

My ͞g̛r̵ȩate͟s͞t les̡s̨on. S̴o ҉l͝ong̸ ͠as͞ ͟ỳo̡u̕ ͟ho͠l̨d to ̷it,̴ I w̛ill ne͘ver abándon y̨ou.̴ Yo̷ù ̴werè dis͢gusted͟ at ̕the ͠d̷èpţḩs peop̕le ͞s͞ínk͞ ̕to, so ͘I̢ ͝a̢l͝lo͟wed̢ y͜ou̵ to̷ ͞sin҉k so f͠ar͝ n͡obod͠y c̵ould e̴ver m͞atch ͟you̶. ̨I͏n t̛his ̵da͠rkness, we̶ ͜a̧r͏e al̡l͢ t͏ha̛t we̛ need͞.

She nodded again, as the sensation of claws felt like they gently brushed against her arm. The creature in the glass was visible again, as if it had been swimming around her room. It was warmer now, like she was wrapped in a soft blanket.

Tak͜e͢ th͟e͞i͜ŕ offèr͡. Usę ͏ţhem, as th̢e̵y w͢oul͡d ͟u͏se ̷you͘.̀ ̡Gro͢w s͘t̛rong̡er͟, ͞bey̡ond̨ th͡e͏ir̸ ̨expec̛tatio͠ns͝. We̛ ̕wi̵ĺl ̕sh̢ow th͡em ̀alļ wh͏at ͘k̀i̷n̢d̨ ̀of mǫnsţer they'̶re ̧co͞u҉rting. T̶h͏at ͘you ͠w̡ill ͞ne̶ve͠r ̢be ̛he͘ld d͠ow͘n.

Yes... that's right. It was right. They wanted to profit off of her, so she just had to do the same. Play them at their own game and make herself rich while at it. Become such a name that nobody would look down on her. That could work, right... right?

No, she just had to remember the most important thing.

"I͘.͟.. am ̨on ͡yòur͡ s̴ide."̸

At first, she was never sure if it was the entity using her voice, or if somehow she was using its power to make herself known. But each meeting always ended with saying that to each other. A reminder that it was the only one she needed. Giku and Shaku... useful friends, but she made them. She knew them, and they would never betray her. Nor would she betray them. That seemed to fly under the entity's radar, as though their existence was simply seen as a symbol of her own power and talent.

"Ma'am? Can I assist you?"

That made Evi jump as she turned around. Isis was there, in all her pale glory. Dark robes of scarlet and onyx adorned her figure, in a way which made it impossible to tell what was normal and what was her own flesh. It was akin to staring at an otherworldly entity doing its best to mimic a human, and only getting it mostly right. Well, at least in the face and general proportions, Isis had succeeded. But she was always too graceful. It was like the old stories of the Fair Folk.

Wait, when did Isis get summ-no. This always happened after the entity popped up. Just another quirk. Bear with it.

"You can, actually. Help Giku and Shaku make an inventory check." Evi held up the crimson paper with a bit of a sardonic smile. "And maybe make one of my favorites tonight. Turns out we're moving."