This is Proof

Lily-1

The glamour that covered her whole body felt like burning wax and old moldy peanut butter was smeared down her sides and arms. However, she refused to stop blending the drinks for customers as Lily knew her brother was always uncomfortable with being behind the bar with all the ingredients.

Lily wasn't to fond of being behind the bar either but the room was packed with intoxicated people and their parents were to busy with the multiple betting pools made around the newest coliseum match that was broadcasted from Vaksal.

Right now some blond dude who looked like he was forty was fighting a black haired girl who looked fourteen at most and she had the look of pure terror on her face as he attempted to get away from the man who was quickly gaining on her with a knife. Lily knew she couldn't do anything about what happened next but it still sickened her to the core. The black haired girl collapsed after the man tackled her and repeated stabbed her legs and arms not enough to kill her but definitely enough to make her pass out and then he stood up and waited for the vote.

Lily cringed our how loud the crowd was and how most of them actually enjoyed watching people be but into a situation were they don't have control over if they die or not. The vote was almost instant 41% life 59% death. The word death flashed across a red screen and the man leaned down and grabbed the girl by her hair before slitting her throat. Howls of delight were heard from both the crowd in the coliseum and the customers of The Peacock's Feather.

Lily watched as some handed money to others and her parents collected money off those who bet against them. Her parent always won bets. She didn't know if it luck or magic or maybe they were good analyzers of micro expressions and had long ago learned who was going to win before the match even began.

Lily mixed a few more orders and then zoned out and watched her brother walk silently through the overcrowded bar and swipe wallets from drunk people who were either about to be blackout drunk or already were. After collecting a few more he walked over to the bar and quickly went to stand next to Lily.

He went through each wallet taking exactly five dollars and then put them in the clear wallet holder they used to make sure drunk people don't spend all their money it costed exactly 5 dollars nothing more nothing less and was one of the reason why the business was so popular they kept their patrons safe both financially and physically.

The next numbers for the coliseum match were being announced and the fight would start in 5 minutes allowing time to gather the players thoughts and equipment to fight with. This time it was a heavyset man with a large gun probably twenty and a small boy probably fifteen if she was looking carefully she could she the worry that showed through only via his eyes and brow.

Lily checked the clock and to her surprise she only had around an hour left before Gina and Erik come in and take over for their shift until finally the sun rises and everyone was required to be out by 6 during the sober season and 8 during  the drinking season. She counted down the minutes til she could strip this stupid glamour off and feel like herself again.

"Time goes slower when you start to count down" The familiar voice of her brother, Adriel. He was obviously tired you could tell that when he talked and the way his s starts to blend to whatever letter he said after.

"I know, I'm just tired" Lily said.

"I'll mix and you go collect. get your body moving and don't fall asleep" Adriel said

"Fine" Lily and Her brother switched places and did their jobs.

Lily wandering around the bar and searching for the drunkest people and taking their wallets off them. Adriel taking orders and mixing drinks.

Lily checked the clock knowing it had probably only been ten minutes since she last checked to her surprise it had been 40 and she was now only 20 minutes away from the end of her shift. She now had 10 wallets collected and went back to the bar.

Adriel was chatting up this busty brunette who was clearly over 30 and looked like she had just walked out of a magazine with how skinny her waist was. Lily quickly went behind the table and listened to their conversation while taking five dollars out of each wallet.

"Clearly the man is going to win you can tell from his age he has more experience than that fifteen year old" the brunette said.

"The boy is fighting evenly against him and hasn't even used his weapon or his form and the man has a gun" Adriel replied and Lily had to agree with him the match was longer than the one from before but the boy was keeping up with the older man and if she was being generous winning.

"Then let's bet on it $20 the man wins and if I lose you get $40 that's how confident I am" Lily would have stepped in but they both needed lunch money and $40 would cover them both until the Ceremony.

"Deal, let's shake on it" Adriel said shook the woman's hand and then made her a peacock drink one of the drinks that the bar was known for. It was a mix of Apple Nectar, Syrup, and Vinegar with a Fake peacock feather as an ornament.

The woman drank it and continued watching the match and to her disappointment the boy managed to summon his weapon which was apparently a sword and hit the guy over the head with the butt of his sword and the man fell with a loud thud and there was silence,then cheering.

The vote was being casted 70% Life 30% Death and then the words Life on a blue screen were displayed and the boy nodded at the screen and walked off the field and medic were called on to take the man off the field and to the infirmary.

The woman made a horrified sound and looked at Adriel who had his hand out fully expecting her to pay up. She grudgingly pulled out 2 $20s and handed them to Adriel who put them in his back pocket.

Lily took a look at the clock and it was only five more minutes left. 'That clock must be broken it's all sorts of wonky I'll check it when I get back from school tomorrow' she decided and went back out to grab two or three more wallets and grab the five dollars from them before Adriel tapped her on the shoulder and said that Gina and Erik had made an appearance and that their shift was done.

So Lily and Adriel went into the back room and climbed the stairs that lead to a small apartment that their parents owned.

They took their glamours off and stretched. Going from looking and feeling 18 to looking and feeling 15 was a thing you could never get fully used to no matter how hard you try.

"Only 2 more weeks until the Ceremony, Only 2 more weeks in this hell hole" Lily sighed

"2 weeks of testing" Adriel replied

"Oh no, I forgot to study" Lily groaned.

Adriel laughed as he walked away leaving Lily to pull an All-Nighter to study for one of the many tests they had tomorrow.

"So much for a good nights rest" Lily murmured to herself before falling asleep.