Reversed

xxiii. twenty-three

To say Sophie was shocked when she saw the scene that appeared when she, Ruy, Gisela, Vespera, and Gethen leaped away from the hideout would be an understatement.

"We're in the Forbidden Cities?" Sophie asked. She suddenly felt nostalgic. Years ago, even after she had been living in the Lost Cities for months, it had still been hard for her to call her old home the Forbidden Cities, but after joining the Neverseen, she had grown accustomed to saying it without even realizing.

She couldn't quite tell where they had leaped, but it was a crowded city. Some kind of festival must have been going on, because there were colorful flower garlands draped in between buildings, across windows, on the signs, and even on people. Petals littered the street, and the sound of laughter carried through the air.

She was glad they had took the time to change before they left the hideout, because their usual black cloaks would've made them stick out like a sore thumb among all the bright, pastel colours. She hadn't changed out of her black leggings, but she had swapped her black tunic for a yellowish one. It felt weird to put on after the dark colors she was used to.

Vespera had stayed in her usual getup, but it wasn't that out of place; people just cast excited glances at her, probably thinking that she was some kind of performer. Ruy and Gethen were both wearing black pants she had never seen before with white shirts, and Gisela was wearing a black dress.

While the Neverseen had adapted their style to fit into the human world, they clearly hadn't exerted enough effort to break a sweat. 

The buildings weren't extravagant, like in Atlantis, but she could tell that each one had been built skillfully with years of care. The sun-faded colors blended perfectly together. Even the cars sparkling along the streets were alluring. 

The humans weaving around each other were constantly smiling or stopping by street vendors and shops. They chatted with twinkling eyes as they prepared for whatever was happening. Even their clothes resembled the town. The scene was almost like something from a fairytale. 

Gethen wrinkled his nose. "This is grossly happy. We should start a fire somewhere."

Lady Gisela rolled her eyes. "That's unnecessary destruction. Besides, we're not here to burn anything or leave a message." Her eyes twinkled like the townspeople's, but a thousand times chillier. "Yet."

Vespera was wearing long sleeves, despite the warm, sunny weather. She tugged on the lacy hems as she cast snobbish looks to the humans around her. "You should've told me more than you'll see when we get there. We're supposed to be working together."

Gisela sighed. "Vespera. I admire your Nightfall genius, and it turned out to be extremely useful. But you and I both know that you have your own agenda."

Vespera sniffed.

Gethen was too busy glaring at the poor townspeople who tried to wave at them and offer greetings to notice, but Ruy was been silently listening, even if his eyes wandered. She could tell he was taking in every word. He was probably just as curious as Vespera to figure out what Lady Gisela was up to. 

He met Sophie's eyes, and they both grinned. They sound like bickering old ladies, Sophie transmitted.

Exactly, he thought back, laughing. 

Sophie turned her attention to the townspeople. They really were interesting to look at. She spotted a girl that looked about her age tugging her grandfather towards a chocolate stand. The grandfather was wearing bright neon yellow pants, a teal jacket, and a magenta vest. They were speaking in Korean, but Sophie could understand perfectly.