Quoted By:
While you weren’t the biggest fan of bar food, you decided to give it a shot, if only for the legendary flair bartending that the Carnaval Court was rumored to have. And you weren’t disappointed.
The bartender was flipping bottles, juggling drinks, and balancing beverages with such impressive dexterity that you thought you might be able to learn a thing or two from him. It was the kind of performance that made you want to keep ordering drinks just to see how he would prepare them. You supposed that was the whole point of the entire gimmick, but you didn’t care. You had money to blow.
But the biggest surprise came when you and Ana finished the burgers you ordered. They were honestly not bad for bar food, but all thoughts of food critique went out of the window when you saw a very familiar performer walking onto the stage.
<span class="mu-r">“No fucking way…”</span> you gasped.
Ana had a similar expression on her face. <span class="mu-g">“Is that…?”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“They got Dazzler!? THE Dazzler!?”</span>
Sure enough, the blonde disco pop star stepped into the spotlight to a general roar of applause from everyone in the audience. This must have been a surprise performance, of sorts, because you have a feeling that the crowd would’ve been far more inflated if they knew who was here. You were sure that that would change soon.
<span class="mu-g">“That’s incredible! She must cost a fortune.”</span> Anastasia exclaimed.
<span class="mu-r">“I get the feeling that The Family isn’t hurting for cash.”</span> you replied. <span class="mu-r">“Wanna get closer to the stage?”</span>
She nodded eagerly.
—---
In hindsight, you were glad that you chose to eat at the bar. It allowed you to get closer to the stage before the rabid fans could push you further out. With all these people in place, you were starting to get hot and sweaty, but that didn’t stop you from dancing like there was no tomorrow when Dazzler’s performance was in full swing.
The party only got crazier as the sky got darker. Dazzler was able to make full use of her light-manipulating abilities, then.
Yeah, that’s right. Dazzler was secretly a mutant! A few of the Morlocks let it slip when you were around, and you originally thought that they were pulling your leg. But when Callisto casually confirmed this, it flipped your entire world on its ass. You were still reeling from the revelation, even now!
But you had to admit that it made a certain type of sense. Dazzler’s excuse that her stellar performances were the result of finely tuned technology had yet to be proven, and no one was able to replicate them. And while such a thing isn’t necessarily impossible in this crazy world, you doubted that most venues were properly equipped to install her complex lighting rig.
Your sister’s been following Dazzler ever since she debuted in dive bars. Actually…Va Nee probably made that up in order to craft a more elaborate illusion. That was sort of sad to think about.
(Cont.)
