Venus in Real Life

6. Starry night over Paris

Before they knew, it was lunchtime. The group of art students was picked up again by the bus and took them to the park of the Eiffel tower. Ms. Marie had arranged a food delivery that was soon to arrive. Meanwhile, she was still explaining.

"The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 to celebrate the French Revolution's centennial year. This happened during the Exposition Universelle at the Champs de Mars to show the other nations the power and the industrial abilities of France. 

The tower is 1,063 feet tall, including the antenna at the top. Without it, it's 984 feet. It was the world's tallest structure until the Chrysler Building was built in New York in 1930." 

It puzzled the twins how the lady in front of the group was always happy and smiling. Ms. Marie was, they thought, the only non-magickal person they knew, that did what she really loved for a living, and that made her one of their favorite teachers. 

The food arrived. It was packed in four picnic baskets.

"Distribute yourselves into groups of five, please," she instructed them. 

There were nineteen people, counting her, and she sat with another group, so the four friends were given a full basket for themselves. Inside the basket, they had all that they needed, even a blanket to sit. 

They took out and arranged all the food. Cold cut meat sandwiches, fresh strawberries, small baguette buns, french marmalade cups in different flavors, and a cheese sampler was the content of the basked that now laid in front of the friends. 

It looked so amazing that their bellies roared. As they laughed at how hungry they were, they started to dig in. 

They still had a few minutes before moving to the last stop of the tour, so they rested their lunch lying down on the grass. 

Venus noticed it tickled her as she moved her arms to feel the textures. Its smell was something sweet and unknown to her. She stood there looking up to the sky, seeing how the clouds moved slowly and formed different figures she couldn't really make out. 

She figured that sensation she had, relaxing there, was somehow familiar. As one of the many broken pictures in her mind, she didn't make much effort to understand it. Not there, and not then. 

Life was amazing, and she was determined to make the most out of it for as long as she could. 

The Petit Palais was the last stop of the tour. Ms. Marie had scheduled it for the afternoon, so they didn't have to rush as much through it. 

The clock marked a little past two in the afternoon. 

They had spent the day walking in and around the cultural center of the city. After a fulfilling lunch, they were still sleepy. 

"The Petit Palais is officially known as the Paris Fine Arts Museum and was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, like its neighbor the Grand Palais. 

It became a museum in 1902. Charles Girault designed it based on a trapezium shape and is made up of four wings around a semi-circular garden bordered by a richly decorated row of columns, or peristyle.

Temporary exhibits that explore modern art, photography, and even fashion are regularly hosted here," Ms. Marie started telling them again. 

Venus was impressed, as the name of the place fitted it perfectly. She didn't think of royalty stories, as she was not the kid who grew up with those stories. She was not about princesses and knights in shining armor, even though she had one already, but the colors, shapes, the opulence, the high ceilings... 

The palace was a visual adventure for Venus's fresh eyes, and that was what kept her in awe. 

They walked for about two hours with their teacher, and then she let them stroll around on their own. 

As soon as they were let loose, they went to the museum's tea house. Ciel's passion for tea was what took them over there, where they enjoyed delicious crepes filled with Nutella and strawberries and tasty tea infusions. 

"Venus, don't get so close to the fountain!" Ciel said too late. 

They were relaxing, walking around the museum, and Venus went to have a closer look at the fountain. 

As she was busy playing with the water, she lost her balance and fell headfirst into the fountain. They ran to her and helped her out. She was now dripping and shivering, but still, she was smiling. 

The rest couldn't do anything but burst into laughter and run her to the closest ladies' room. Ciel took some paper towels and tried to clean Venus' face and dry her hair, while Mei asked Hugh, who was waiting by the door, for his jacket, so Venus could change into something dry. 

A few minutes later, they came out of the bathroom, and Venus was as dry and warm as possible. She shyly smiled at Hugh as a thank you for allowing her his jacket, to what he blushed, and looked away nodding. 

The visit had ended. 

The bus picked up the group around 5 pm. The ones who wanted to stay and have dinner near the Seine could do it, but the four had to go back to the hotel and get Venus clean after her small splash into the fountain, and before she got sick. 

Would she even get sick? They were not taking the risk. 

They treated her like a kid, even if her previous form was estimated to be more than two thousand years old, and her body was of a grown-up, there were many things she was still to learn. 

A while later, in their hotel room, Ciel explained to Venus how to take a shower. She included how to open all the bottles, use its contents, and moisturize her skin after she finished. 

Ciel left Venus in the shower and assured her that she would be by the door so she could call her if she needed help with anything. 

Ciel was still standing by the bathroom door when Venus came out, her body engulfed in a white, fluffy towel, with her long hair loose and wet running down her back.

"How was it?" Ciel asked.

"Relaxing," she smiled. "I feel very soft and warm." 

"Good! mission accomplished!" Ciel was happy and proud. Maybe she was a good teacher, after all. 

A knock on the door announced a visitor. The twins exchanged a quick questioning look, but they thought it was probably Hugh. Mei opened the door and, confirming it was him, she allowed him in. He was very excited. 

"Hey, who wants to go to a small catacomb tour? My roommates just decided to go, since it's still early. They invited me, and now I'm inviting you." 

The girls looked at each other doubtfully.

"Come on! It's gonna be fun!" It had been a long day, and they have walked plenty already, but since they were still considering dinner out, it was not a bad idea.

"We'll see you in the lobby in a few minutes, as soon as Venus is ready."

Just then, he noticed the pretty girl with green eyes, wet hair and covered by a towel that was standing in front of him, paying attention to what he was saying,

"I'll see you there, but hurry." He ran out as soon as he could, his heart jumping in his chest as a maniac as he breathed deeply. 

His sudden change, leaving the three girls wondering what had just happened to him, as they rushed to get ready, while outside their door, Hugh was losing it. 

That girl. It was going to be hard to take care of her and not get in trouble. 

Not long after that, they found themselves in the catacombs, sixty-five feet underneath the city of Paris, and surrounded by the remains of more than six million people. 

"Are you sure this was real people?" Venus asked.

"Yes, they were victims of a big plague a few centuries ago," Ciel answered. 

They were part of a larger group of tourists, from which the twins moved away momentarily to take some pictures by one of the signs.

"Hugh?" Venus approached him.

"Yes?" he answered distractedly.

"Is this a scary place?" 

He looked down and found her slightly blushed face and her big green eyes looking at him curiously.

"Why do you ask, are you scared?" He said seriously. 

"No, I heard some people say that this was a really scary place, and I wondered why. Can you tell me?" Her puppy eyes melted his heart. 

"Well, some people are afraid of death and the idea of dying. Other people are afraid of dark places and what could be hiding where they can't see, while others believe in ghosts and are afraid of them. 

All of those are fears related to places like this one. I think that's why you heard that. Are you afraid of anything like that?" 

She slowly nodded. She started to understand what those people meant, and she was thinking that maybe it was a scary place indeed. 

"Not of death, and I don't know ghosts... What are ghosts?" 

"It's part of the fear of dying. There is, supposedly, essence or spirit that moves out of the body when it stops working, and the person dies. 

When they can't get to what it's popularly known as "The afterlife," they stick around and scare people by showing themselves when and where they are less expected. Many are supposed to be angry and have ugly faces." 

"What? Are they real?" 

"I've never seen one, but then again, there are many things I didn't know forty eight hours ago," He said, looking in the twins' direction. 

"I've never known about ghosts, but I am scared of something. Spiders scare me," she said with a shiver. And it made sense. 

"For all her life, she was not able to move. Was it that she saw spiders around? Or even had them lurking over her body or face, without any possibility of throwing them away?" He said in his mind. 

He felt sad for a moment, and the thought of her being vulnerable, afraid, and prisoner of her own body made him want to protect her, to reassure her. 

He stepped closer, unexpectedly pulled her towards him, and hugged her. 

"Don't worry, I won't let any spiders close to you," he said while stroking her arm softly, resting his chin on her head, while she blushed and felt warm inside. 

The tour was over, and they had a lot of fun. The four of them found themselves again in the middle of the city and now wanted food, badly. Hugh's roommates left, and they were about to choose their meal. It had to be a special one. 

"I want something soaked in cheese!" Mei said, jumping.

"I totally agree. I'd love some fondue, and I know the perfect place to go," Ciel said, grinning as she started walking with the others close behind until she came to a halt. 

The restaurant was fantastic. The name was "Pain. Vin. Fromages." and, as its name hinted, it was specialized in bread, wine, and cheese. 

The facade was cozy. It had many small windows in a glass mosaic that let the bypassers have a peek of the interiors. The colors of two paintings, one near the door, and the other on the opposite side of the window attracted the looks that the dishes carried inside in appetizing presentations didn't. 

"Here?" Hugh asked, and Ciel nodded. He held the door for the three ladies to get in, then following and closed behind him. 

"Table for four, please?" They were guided inside to a delightfully decorated cave-like area, with an arched ceiling and creamy white walls where their table was. Ciel was going to take care of everything. This was one of her favorite dishes in the whole wide world, so she was the go-to for recommendations. 

The waitress came in with a warm smile, and Ciel started ordering what the other three saw close to the whole menu, then she smiled and handed the menu to the girl that was probably their age.

After not very long, in front of them rested several plates, two with cold cut meats and cheeses, a basket with slices of bread, and a basket of toasted bread cubes. 

They also had a medium-sized bowl with salad and an assortment of dressings on the side. Finishing the scene, right in the middle of the square wooden table, was a small burner with a pot on top. 

 It was full of a delicious mixture of cheeses and wine, melted to perfection and ready to combine with whatever they wanted to dip in it. 

To drink, they stuck to water. Same as with the coffee, Venus had never tried wine, and they were not taking the risk to try that night. 

"Come on, guys," Ciel invited. "Dinner is ready!" 

Mei was the first to get her fork and poke a piece of bread. She sunk it in the hot mixture as the others watched. She stirred and moved and swirled until there was almost as much cheese as it was bread on her fork. 

Taking her plate and pulling her bite out of the pot, a long thread of cheese made her friends' mouths water. She gave it the first bite and moaned loudly. A big smile drew in her sister's face as she was ready to dig in as well. 

"Venus, wanna give it a try?" Ciel wanted to make sure the experience was pleasant for her too. "Remember, it's hot, so you might not want to bite it too soon." 

Venus didn't hesitate after Mei's demonstration. She took a fork for herself and pinched a piece of bread, dipped it in and swirled as Mei did, and then pulled it. When the combined flavors touched her mouth, sparkles ran through her whole body as she started lightly bouncing on her seat.

"Wow" was the only thing she managed to say. Her friends, with a look of success on their faces, started to eat as well. Later, they recommended some mix-ups to dip with her bread, which took her to a level hard to reach for any other foods, the place of a favorite meal.

It was around ten at night when they finally came back out. They were slowly walking by the side of the Seine when Ciel remembered her mission and looked up. 

The night was clear. There was no full moon, but there was a crescent moon, which looked beautiful as well. It looked like heaven was smiling down at their new friend. 

"Venus," Ciel called her, "Look up!" She said with a bright smile as the girl looked. 

"Those are stars, and the big one, that is the moon," she said dreamily. 

They all stopped and looked up. The night was indeed beautiful, and this was the perfect end for an eventful and happy day. 

Venus remembered the painting that Ciel liked so much and felt electricity running in the back of her head and running down her spine. Her friend told her that every person had their own view of the stars. 

"Ciel," she called as the older twin looked back from the starred sky to her. "I know how I see them now. They are pure magic!" 

Ciel softly smiled at her. "They are," she said, knowing well how she felt. 

Many times the older twin had the weigh of being the perfect one, the strong, well learned, so she was not used to showing deep feelings to other people. 

But when she was under the starry sky, she was content, relaxed, and happy, feeling like she was understood and free. They were pure magic, indeed, the kind that sets you free. 

As Venus remained looking up, in the corner of her eyes, she felt something wet. She was deeply moved at how marvelous everything was and how great it was to have the chance to see it. 

"My eyes are dripping," she said in a shaky voice, as Ciel and Mei reached and embraced her.

"It's ok, you're just happy, and your body shows it," Mei said. 

Hugh just looked at them, and then back at the sky, wondering how, and wondering why, without finding any explanations. 

Finally, they arrived at the hotel, tired and satisfied. They separated into their rooms, saying their good nights in the hall. After all the girls were showered and changed to go to sleep, Venus wanted to know something. 

"I have a question," she started, hoping either of the girls could explain to her. 

"Can you tell me..." She paused and formed her question. "What did Hugh mean when he said I was what his heart was looking for?" 

Mei and Ciel looked at each other. How will they tell her that the words that called her out of her previous life were something Hugh used to say to every girl? And yet, they have noticed how he slowly started to look different around her. 

For starters, he was in front of a beautiful girl, and he didn't try anything with her so far, then there was that energy they felt on the catacombs when he hugged her. 

They noticed he wanted only to protect her. What was this that they were starting to see in him? But more than that, what was the answer to the girl's question? 

"Here's the thing, we could tell you what we think, but in reality, only Hugh knows why he said it or what he meant. You could even try asking him directly, but maybe even then, he wouldn't know how to answer you.

Only time can reveal what is hidden in a person's heart, and only time can answer your question." Ciel squeezed Venus' hand and smiled, reassuring her. 

The girl took the answer as part of all the many things she didn't know at the moment. Humans were definitely confusing, but for some reason, Venus felt close to the guy. 

She didn't understand what feelings were, or maybe she did, and it was another blur within her mind. The only thing she knew was that somewhere inside of her, he was too familiar to her.