Andar Noval, dressed in a crisp white suit with a black tie and black pants, did not often enjoy standing out. He was fine with attention - he had been uplifted from a very good boy, after all - but people staring at him was different than people he could interact with. He had been looking forward to arriving on Yamatai for this reason. He was a minor celebrity where he came from, but here he would be just another face in the crowd. Even his retinue, two maids with clear combat training and a towering woman who somehow mixed the professionalism of a butler with the lethality of - well, a certain kind of butler.
No, it was the gold and silver helmet on his head that made him attract attention. It had been a gift from his mother, an "eccentric fashion piece for an eccentric, worldly young man". It obscured his face from onlookers, which would have been
perfect if it didn't draw plenty of attention on its own. He sighed, his breath curling around his face for a moment before the helmet swept it away and replaced it with good, clean air.
It was a handsome helmet, admittedly, but he'd have set it aside if it hadn't been a gift. He'd devoted his entire sapient life to being the perfect heir to Noval's growing holdings, spending countless hours in tutelage and getting practical experience. The only thing he was more devoted to was his "mother", Nevarra Noval. She wanted him to wear it, so on his head it sat.
The two maids were dressed for the occasion in nice white-and-black dresses, also with their own gold flourishes. It was mostly their manner that gave away their role. Somehow they, and the taller woman, had managed to get out of wearing matching helmets, even though they'd been provided with them.
"Did you just sigh, sir?" asked one of the maids, looking at him from the corner of her eye. She was tall, prim, and perfectly officious.
"Of course not," he lied.
She muttered something about serving the least dignified master in the sector.
"What was that?" Andar asked, looking her way.
"I didn't say anything," she lied in return. "You must be imagining things, sir."
Andar looked back to the tall woman, Kirameku Enki, with a pleading look. As his face was covered by a helmet, no one could see it.
Still, Enki gave him a light, reassuring nod. She wore a suit as well, of a similar style to Andar's yet not quite as eye-catching.
"The petals are lovely," remarked the other maid. She was shorter, with long bangs that nearly covered her eyes. She didn't look at the others, but her tone had a light sort of impish delight that suggested she was enjoying Andar's troubles.
"I agree!" said Andar, pleased for an opportunity to move the conversation along.
"I'm so glad we could attend the festival. I've heard of it for years, but seeing it in person is something else entirely."
The shorter maid nodded enthusiastically. "I wonder what kinds of food they have? Maybe games? Oh! We could buy one of those fancy robes-"
"A yukata," interjected the taller maid, whose carefully schooled expression did little to hide her disapproval of the other maid's lack of vocabulary.
"- Yeah, one of those yukatas!" finished the shorted maid, her enthusiasm not dampened at all by being corrected.
Andar nodded his agreement.
"We should enjoy the festival and its culture as much as we can. We're hoping to trade more officially with Yamatai, after all."
Enki tapped his shoulder lightly before drawing his attention to some of the festival's noteworthy guests. There was more than a few people he'd heard or read about. If the opportunity to talk with them came up, he would, but he was savvy enough to not go pursuing people just to meet his business goals.
"mmf yef thuud shry vomf," said the shorter maid, a bit of meat on a stick in her mouth accompanied by a look of pure happiness. Her eyes were concealed, but her cheeks were rosy with the emotion.
Andar accepted a stick, giving the taller maid an apologetic head tuck, before bringing it to his mouth. The helmet parted automatically, allowing him to take a bite.
"Oh, that is good."
