After the interview ended and we were walking out of the building, I demanded of Nora, “Why weren’t you saying anything in there?”

Nora smiled brightly. “I didn’t see any real problems with what she was asking of us. We need to build some rapport with her before we can push back on the important things later!”

“Push back? She’s already too pushy! If we’re not careful, we’ll end up on the ground,” I grumbled, feeling the tension from the interview still lingering as we made our way onto the bustling New York City street.

“She’s probably just lonely. From writing to her, I got the sense that she doesn’t have anyone to talk to.”

“Well, you don’t make friends by controlling them!” I huffed.

“Do you think your boss is your friend?” Nora tilted her head as she pulled out her phone to order our rideshare back home.

“W-well…” Isn’t she technically our client? Is there a difference?

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to get along or anything. I’m so proud of you for standing up for yourself and setting boundaries with others!”

I looked at her with a scowl. “You’re next, you know.”

“Nah. You’ll need a lot more practice before you can take me on.”

“Why did she practically ignore you?” I asked. “You’re her biggest fan.”

“That’s probably exactly why.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m her biggest fan, but that’s it. I have nothing else in common with her, so what else is there to discuss? Better to keep quiet and observe.” I counted myself very lucky Nora didn’t feel that way about me.

“And what’s your analysis?” I asked curiously.

“Mmm. We have our work cut out for us. She’s very stubborn. She likes you, though, so we can leverage that. We’ll wrap this contract up quickly and secure us some permanent, full-time work with CUP as a reward.”

“Like normal adults?”

“Like normal adults,” Nora confirmed, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “Ride will be here in ten.”

Mother was sitting on the loveseat in the living room with Chester in her lap. They both glanced at me as soon as I came inside.

“You had an eventful day, I take it,” she remarked, probably noticing the defeated slouch in my posture.

“You could say that,” I murmured, still trying to figure out how to tell her about everything.

“Did you accept the job?”

“How did you know I had an interview?”

Rather than answer me directly for once, she instead picked up a plate from the end table and took a bite of Mama Perez’s signature cotton cheesecake.

“Oh.” Sure, you’ll talk to Nora’s mom over me.

“Well?” She waited for my answer.

“Yes, I accepted the job.”

“Nora, too?” For the first time in my life, I noted she looked anxious. Chester perked his ears forward as if he were anticipating my answer. Why was she so worried about what Nora was doing? Didn’t she trust me to make crucial decisions on my own?

“Yeah. We both signed a contract.”

She leaned back into her chair, and Chester relaxed luxuriously across her lap. “Well, as long as Nora is going with you, I think it will be okay. When do you start?”

The week flew by, punctuated here and there by a flurry of texts from Eura and Nora about logistics for our upcoming first day of employment. By Monday morning, Nora and I found ourselves at the gates of the North Catskill Winery and Renaissance Fair. The wrought-iron fence was open, but it was eerily quiet inside.

We walked down a cobblestone path to the main ticket booth, where the attendant waved us through without so much as a glance. We found Eura waiting in the center of a small grove, wearing an ivory dress that crossed the line between an off-shoulder toga and a floor-length ball gown. A gold sash encircled her midriff. Her usual sunglasses were absent, and I could see her eyes were the same merry blue as her grandfather’s. Her handbag looked out of place, but at least she had it zippered shut this time.

We exchanged pleasantries, being sure to comment positively on her gown. It was much better than the red skirt suit she wore during our interview.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” She turned and sprinted down the path. As she ran, I could see she had donned gold sandals that laced up to her knees. We both followed her as she made her way to the marketplace.

As we followed, I couldn’t help but notice that there was literally nobody else around. I figured we were just a bit early, but I didn’t even see any workers getting things ready. “Where’s everyone else?” I wondered aloud, feeling a bit uneasy once again.

“Oh, the Faire is closed to the public. I rented it out for the day,” Eura explained as if that were totally normal.

“Isn’t that expensive?”

“I don’t think so?” She shrugged and turned into a clothing shop.

I was starting to wonder just how rich they were. Was her grandfather involved in other businesses than just web novels? I get that he owned a pretty big platform, but I didn’t think there was that much money in it.

“Here.” My thoughts were interrupted as she handed me a blue tunic adorned with gold clasps and white pants. “Try these! They’ll go great with your complexion!”

Taking one look, I knew there was no way I would put it on. “I need long sleeves. Absolutely no short sleeves,” I fussed, handing the tunic back.

“Are you… mad at me?” she asked with a pout, and I cringed.

It was too early for a full confrontation.

“Well, no, but look. I just don’t like showing my forearms, okay? Or my midriff, so…”

“I had no idea you’re so modest! It’s so cute!” She took the tunic up to the attendant at the counter.

Didn’t I just say I wasn’t going to wear that? I took a deep breath; I didn’t want a big confrontation, but it was time to draw a line.

As I followed her to the counter to interrupt the sale, I heard Eura ask the attendant, “I want this, but I need you to add long sleeves, okay?”

Oh, so she was just asking for alterations. I may have jumped to conclusions a little bit… but still!

“Of course, my lady.” The attendant bowed.

“Oh, and she’s going to need a white cloak. With a hood. And lots of hidden pockets. Gold trim. Tasteful. And leather boots.” Eura turned to me “What size?”

“Uh, twelve.” My feet were big, sure, but they were in reasonable proportion to my overall height. Otherwise, I’d fall over a lot more.

“Oh! White gloves to match, too. Large, right?”

I nodded lamely in reply. She was hard to keep up with.

“It will be my pleasure to fulfill your request.” The attendant bowed again before going into the back of the shop. Eura then squinted at Nora. “You’re going to need an outfit too.”

“Dark mage,” Nora answered immediately.

“What?” Eura blinked several times. “I was thinking… like, a pirate or something.” That ‘or something’ made me think she hadn’t thought about her at all.

Nora winked and snapped. “Fifth circle dark mage!”

“Fifth circle?!” Eura folded her arms. “You might as well just ask to be the next head of the mage tower!”

I watched the exchange, dumbfounded, once again feeling slightly out of the loop. “Wait, are we just dressing up like characters from the story?” I blinked.

Nora seemed surprised as she asked, “Well, what else should we be doing?”

“Uh, okay then, who am I dressing up as?”

“Why, Rae, of course!” Eura interjected happily.

“Why does Nora get to choose who she dresses up as, and I don’t?” It’s because of my nickname, isn’t it? Raelynn’s great and all, but I could have wanted to be someone else, you know.

“Who do you want to dress up as, then?” Eura asked with a tinge of amusement in her voice. Somehow, it felt like a challenge.

“Laverna!” I answered thoughtlessly. Oh, wait…

“Did you forget about her halter top?” Nora reminded me.

“Grah! Fine!” I supposed Raelynn did make the most sense for me after all. I at least knew when to pick my battles.

“Too bad the armor pieces are only cheap replicas, so we’ll skip them,” Eura said. “You’re dressing up as Rae did when she met with the chief of the tiger clan.”

I looked at Nora. “Remind me what happened?”

“Rae wasn’t allowed to bring her weapons or armor into the sacred bamboo forest when she sought Iron Tiger Tetora’s help, as it would signify suspicion and distrust. It seemed a little unfair to me because that rule didn’t apply to the tiger clan themselves.”

“Got it. Well, at least let me pick the cloth headband.”

“Hachimaki,” Nora and Eura clarified in unison.

Only a blue one was available, so I didn’t get to choose after all. Although I could tie it around my head without help, I had trouble keeping it in place with the knot behind my ear. I finally gave up and put the knot down in the back.

“That’s not how Raelynn wears it,” Eura commented disapprovingly.

“It keeps popping off.”

“You’d look better with longer hair,” Eura opined. “Short hair doesn’t suit you.”

I glanced at Nora, hoping she’d stick up for me, but she nodded in agreement with Eura. I silently marked her as a traitor. “I’ll consider it.” That was my usual way of saying no.

“The glasses won’t work with your ensemble either,” Eura noted.

“Unfortunately, I need them to see, so they stay on my face.”

“I thought they were just a fashion statement!”

I blinked. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Uh. Well… couldn’t you just… Well, no, that wouldn’t work. I don’t know, get surgery or something to fix them?”

I was so perplexed by her suggestion that I couldn’t even get mad at the audacity. Maybe I was just getting used to it. “Surgery can’t fix them, as far as I know.”

“How tragic…”

Welcome to the real world, princess.

Nora and Eura spent much time arguing over which dark mage robes Nora should wear. Nora preferred darker colors, while Eura kept steering her to lighter fabrics. I had to agree with Nora. Who ever heard of a dark mage wearing white unless they were the villain in disguise? Eventually, I got bored with their bickering over color schemes and ended up looking at other sundries. Ultimately, Eura and Nora settled on a fancy, dark silver cloak embroidered with runes. I wasn’t sure what Nora was wearing underneath the cloak, but knowing her, it would be outrageous, and she was waiting for the right time to debut it.

However, my eye caught the polished wooden staff they had selected. It was a fantastic work of art. It was as tall as I was, culminating in a twisted wooden cage enclosing a purple glass orb bigger than my fist.

“Can I see it?” I asked curiously.

“Sure.” Nora tossed me the staff, and I took a few practice swings with it.

“It’s not one of your softball bats! Hold it aloft!”

I held it up high and shouted, “Haa!” I waited for a moment, but nothing happened.

“It’s defective.” I tossed it back to Nora.

“You always say that. How many times do I have to tell you it’s not the magic weapon, it’s you!”

Eura watched our playful exchange somewhat wistfully but did not comment. Then, the clothing attendant flagged me down. “My lady, your garments are ready.” He handed me the ensemble and then pointed me to a stall where I could get changed.

Once inside, I got to work, changing into everything Eura had picked out for me. Amazingly, it all fit perfectly. Even the pants, which had been blessed with full-sized pockets, were long enough! I took a moment to admire the outfit in the mirror, thinking that despite Eura’s excentricities, she certainly did have an eye for this kind of thing.

Stepping out of the stall, I presented myself to Eura and Nora. “Well? What do you think?”

“Oh, my!” Eura had tears in her eyes.

“You look amazing!” Nora cheered.

I chuckled, feeling embarrassed, but I had to admit this was kind of fun. I figured maybe I should just go with the flow a little more.

Then, my stomach growled loudly, interrupting our fashion show. It was time to eat.