The Floating Nation, Gonzagas

Decision - Reyza

As Reyza brought a soft towel to her face, she wiped the water away, looking up at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She now has wet white hair tangled downward from the right side of her head to her chest, of which she had a sizable one. She detested her feminine sides but secretly was proud of them. Her skin, now dewy from her bath was tan, which contrasted her light hair in exotic ways. It sure felt nice to take deep breaths again, as much as she loved her plaster bra, which kept her ladies snug to her ribcage while she worked, she now had them flying free under a baggy tee. Her eyes were purple and lightened by her white lashes. Purple eyes were not totally uncommon, but quite unique, just like her naturally white hair. The left side of her head was shaved, leaving a soft downward-facing fuzz of white where her hair was growing out. "The perfect length," she thought. She grabbed her toothbrush and started cleaning her teeth. She was thinking about her paystub. "Stingy bastards," she thought. She understood why her pay was less, but that didn't make it any better. Most Gallowers managed five furnaces a day. She managed three. They tried to give her five when she started, but, just like any working stereotype works, there is truth to its core. She was weaker than most men in all honesty, she couldn't keep up, having two furnaces fail in her first week. She still felt the need to fight it, however. "It was the time spent... Right?" She had spent just as much time as the men did bellowing the Gallows, so shouldn't she get the same payout? "But..." she stood there like a stone statue thinking, "I am causing less output I guess...? NO! I can't think like that!' she thought. "I work just as hard!' She then proceeded to violently brush her teeth... "I'll show them," she thought. "I will become a knight and change things." Knights had pull in this world. They were regarded everywhere they went. They were helpers and carers, coming to the aid in any situation. They all seemed to follow good morals that she had assumed came from higher up in the hierarchy. Trained by the elites to be public servants, knights performed all kinds of duties, assisting with the monasteries, coordinating activist events, and even teaching classes here, in the Back City, to try and motivate young kids. This is why she wanted to become a knight. To change the things that she didn't like about this world.

A knock came at her door and not even allowing her time to respond, it swung open. "Damn Rey, how long you gonna take? I gotta piss." Said a short, curvy girl with dark brown skin and a head full of beautiful curls rushed past her. "Sheesh, gotta pee much?" Reyza stated as she heard her roommate let the rivers flow. "Well, it's not my fault you take hours in the shower when you get off work. I can't help it." She said as she grabbed her shorts and, with a quick little hop, pulled them up. Reyza loved her roomie, Joelle. She was one of her best friends as they had grown up together in the monastery. She always loved her bouncy hair and big smile. She was in college for nursing now, and when Rayza got her apartment that was granted from becoming a Gallower, she invited Joelle to live with her. It wasn't much, just a large studio space with a small kitchenette and bathroom. A bachelor's dream. This was assigned housing for Gallows workers at a discount. She took the opportunity when she was fifteen to move away from the monastery, and she knew she had to take Joelle with her. "Liz called for you earlier, by the way.” Joelle said as she walked past her. “She said she was going to come over later to talk to you." She said in a mechanical sort of way, walking into the bedroom with a sucker popping in and out of her mouth. Reyza was now brushing her unruly wet curls. "Did she say what she wanted?" Reyza asked. "I don't know, something about a live performance. I am not a voicemail recorder. She said with a glair. “She was talking really fast so I wasn't following too quickly... You know how she can be." She said as she plopped down on her bed on one side of the room. It wasn't very big for two people, but for Reyza and Joelle, it was amazing to be on their own. She brought Joelle with her; for one, not be so alone, and two, she wanted to keep Joelle safe. She was a great person with a wonderful personality, but was completely boy crazy and could get herself into some true trouble. Luckily though, Joelle was driven, just like Reyza was, so it wasn't too hard to make sure they both were not nightwalkers. (night-time lady workers, if you know what I mean). They continued to support and push each other. Just like real sisters, Rayza always thought. Now, Joelle had just got into her nursing program and managed to get a full ride. She will have to move into hospital housing at the beginning of next year. Things were changing for Joelle, which was great, but they didn't have any programs like that to get into the knighthood for Reyza, so, Reyza was still stuck trying to save for the entrance exams and the first year's cost of the Knights' Path, as it was called. She had to study, work out, and work. That is all her life has been, mostly.

Reyza walked over to her side of the room and sighed, "Did she say when?" She plopped down with her back onto the bed, feeling the softness of her pillow calling her, she slinked her legs across her delectable blankets. "I reeeaaly would like to just go to bed for the night." Joelle was now flat on her tummy on her bed, flipping through her screen, looking at videos and messaging her college friends. "I don't know, but boy, aren't you just a young spring bird over there, all partying on a weekend night," She said sarcastically. "Gurl, don't even. I am sore as hell. I just want to sleep... for two weeks straight," Reyza said as she yawned. "You'll never find yourself a man like that, being a granny before you even turn thirty." Joelle snickered. "What? Well, look at you!" Reyza cut back," "You're here on a weekend night too. You're not out getting a headache at the club either." she said accusingly, mustering her strength to toss a pillow at her. The pillow overshot and hit the wall behind Joelle's headboard. "Oooh, nice aim," Joelle bantered, "I bet the knights are just lining up to take you into their ranks! Haa!" Reyza shot up, "Besides, I don't want a guy!" she said flustered. "Can you toss me back my pillow?" Reyza muttered in defeat. Joelle smirked and continued to declare her pillow hostage when a knock came at the door. "Ahh, yes," Reyza muttered as she walked to the door. That must be Liz." she said as she opened it. In a flurry, a storm of people, people entered the room, loud and colorful.

It was Liza alright, and the three people who always seemed to follow her. One was her boyfriend, he always seemed to follow her around like a lost puppy dog. The other was her ex-boyfriend... who, for some reason, also followed her around. The last one was a woman named Brandy. Reyza didn't know much about her, but if she could guess, she had the hots for the ex-boyfriend. Liza had a reputation, and for a long time, was held up in some pretty interesting scandals and weird love triangles. She always had something crazy going on. "Rey! Gurl! there you are!" she said as she gave a huge embrace. Liza was another one of her childhood friends who grew up in the monastery. She was much more livelier than Joelle, and she had major ambitions. Ones that Reyza felt were a little too... ambitious. "Did you hear the news?" She said as she grabbed her screen out of her pocket. She flashed it in Reyza's face. Reyza squinted before she rubbed her eyes, something about "The Palace will hold auditions," and "the next Melodies" flashed in her face before she turned her eyes away from the brightness. She worked in the Gallows, a dark environment, so the brightness of these devices always drove her nuts. She also could never afford one like her friends, since she was saving for her knighthood. "Ahh, no, I haven't, but something tells me you're going to tell me all about it?" she said with a hint of a hope that she wouldn't. "Ohh my heavens, where have you been!?" Joelle piped in, "literally under a rock, numbscull, she works in the Gallows." She said, never looking up from her video, still sucking on her sucker. Was that the same sucker? Hey wait.. Was that an insult? Reyza thought as Liza interrupted. "Either way, Rey, we have a chance! We literally have a chance!" She squealed, hopping up and down. "A chance for what?" Reyza asked. "To become the Palace's new Melodies!"

Rey thought for a moment before it registered. "Ohh... wow... that's huge Liz, but, how?" Reyza said as she sat down with Liz on her bed while Liza's friends sat on chairs and a small couch near the kitchenette. I mean, Reyza knew that Liza dreamed of being a famous music star, but in reality, she was just a Back City group of Melodies. Not Upper City level for sure. "The old fogie who works at the Palace as the Palace's Public Relations Consult is retiring, taking that old waltz melody group with them, and the Palace is now holding auditions to find something new and fresh!" She spoke so fast and shrilly, Reyza didn't know how she understood any of it. The Palace Melodies were used to set the sound for the Palace back in the day. But with things being down for a while due to power shortages, no one really held concerts, that consumed too much energy. But I guess the Palace thought this would be a good way to boost morale? This didn't make sense, a strange way to dedicate precious resources. "Soooo... I know you're not in the performance part of our group, but will you please come to sing the stronger portions like you did for the recordings? We have a slot for next weekend!" She exclaimed. Reyza looked at her in mild shock before laughing. "Hell no!" she said between giggles. Reyza had a 'loud' voice if she really let loose. it was also a lower tone for a female. "You know our agreement on those recordings. You promised you would find an appropriate singer for those lines. I can't do all of this for you, Liz. You're the one who wants to be a famous singer. I only wanted to help you with your lyrics... " Liza started to squirm as Reyza was talking, "I know Rey, but you have to do this for us! It will be the last favor I ever ask you! I promise! I haven't found anyone who can help out the way you can, and there's so much to do. I need your help, and it has to be you because you know everything about the music since you were the one who wrote most of it!" she said. Rey was really starting to regret helping her out when she saw her struggling. She always had these grandiose ideas but never thought about the work that went into it. She always had helped her flush out her sounds. “I didn’t write most of it, just some.’ she said as she thought about all the help she actually gave.

"I just need to make a great first impression. Once that is established, we will win the contract, I can make it work from there, but we just need your help getting us there. Please?" Rey was tired and the last thing she wanted was to play dress-up and sing around a stage, especially in front of elites. "I don't think so, Liz, I'm sorry, but you're really going to have to find someone else. I really don't want to. Besides, I am always too tired at the end of my shifts. I need my weekends." She said as she got up for some water. "Rey, Please, I really need this, I swear I will not bug you for any more favors. OH, I will owe you.. How about that? If this all goes well, I will be working at the Palace, entertaining the knights regularly. That means I may, or may not... Be able to put in a good word or two for you?" She begged as she followed Reyza to the kitchenette. Reyza stopped and stared at her plastic cup of water. Well now... this little fiend has learned how to bargain it looks like. How annoying. "You already owe me for the writing of the music and songs I've written to help you before... I already put into this and it isn't even something I want. This group is just as much mine as it is yours. How could you say you would owe me more than you already do?" she said. "Exactly! That's exactly why you should be there! Common Reyyyy" She slithered behind Rey as she walked back to her bed. "We’re friends, we have each other's backs. Please help me out this last time? Please?? Will it really be that hard?" Reyza was getting too tired. She also knew Liza, if Liza was anything at all, it is not a quitter. "You won't leave me alone unless I agree to this, will you..." She said more as a statement than a question. "Nope, I am planning on bothering you every day when you get off work. Every night I will be here as you fall asleep, and every morning you wake up, I will be there to sing you sweet lullabies. My face will be the first and last thing you see!" She said in a rush, "I will even come to visit the Gallows, just to say hi." The idea of this poppy little girl in the stuffy testosterone-filled Gallows made Reyza queazy. "Fine Liz. But I swear, not another favor until we are at least in our fifties." She muttered as she fell back on her bed. "EEEEE" Liza squealed as she launched herself onto the bed. "Now get out of my room so I may retire for the weekend!" She said as they kicked at each other to try and best the other off of it. The idea of not having to contribute to Liza's shenanigans was worth it, she thought.

What could go wrong?