Tuesday came and Paris left for the bar in the early afternoon, hoping Phantasma had replied to him. He was there by 2:00 and Tim let him in when he knocked. Business hours didn't start until 5:00, but since he and Tim had been pals since high school, and he'd arranged things beforehand, he was able to check the safe when there was no one around.
"So did anyone look like they were leaving something in it?" Paris asked. Tim shrugged.
"Not sure. Weekends get pretty busy so I can't keep an eye on it all the time. And yesterday I had to have Chaya take over since I was feeling pretty sick."
"Dang. You feeling better today?"
"Yeah. I think I just ate something bad. Luckily yesterday was slow, but Chaya said there was some brute trying to intimidate her." Tim heaved a sigh. "I need a regular bouncer in here. I hate making Chaya do stuff on her own since she's so little, but Aldo's been busier and I don't feel good about leaving Kendall here either. She and Chaya are both so small."
"Maybe you shouldn't keep hiring little girls," Paris joked.
"I can't help it if they're the most qualified applicants, and it's usually not a big deal since I work almost everyday anyway. Anyone gets aggressive, Aldo or I can handle it. It's the days when one of us gets sick and the other's unavailable that things get bad. You wouldn't want to help out now and then would you?"
"Nah. I don't work for near-minimum wage. I went to school for four years to avoid that."
"Figures," Tim sighed.
"But hey if I find someone who would fit the bill, I'll send 'em your way, how's that?"
"Thanks." With a weary smile on his face Tim headed back to the bar, while Paris headed for Booth 13. The safe was right under the seat, obscured by a curtain.
At first glance the safe seemed untouched. Paris leaned down and keyed in the code - 091002. The safe swung open easily. A piece of paper sat on the bottom, but when Paris opened it up, he found the letter he'd left there last time he was here.
Phantasma,
It is good to meet you, or rather good to finally contact you. I've been looking for people like you for a while now, and your talent (and Miracle) makes me want you as my first. I'm assembling a team of Miracle holders to take down Achilles.
If Achilles is forming Achilles' Legion, I'd call us Paris' Phalanx.
We'll oppose those heroes at every turn, plunging the city into turmoil. We will win victories, and see Achilles and his sidekicks pushed to the edge. I've been keeping an eye out for other Miracle bearers sympathetic to our cause. Throughout everything, we'll need to be cautious. Some of us (like you) might be able to take on an entire military squad, but I don't think everyone can. I might be able to, but I would rather not have to take such measures just yet.
I hope to meet you in person soon. If you have a time you want to meet, leave the details here and I'll be there.
Thank you so much for considering this,
Paris
No reply. He shoved the paper back in the safe and resealed it, letting his head sink onto the seat.
"You okay, Dustin? Nothing after all?" When he heard Tim's voice, Paris sat back up as if nothing was wrong.
"Nah, nothing yet. But it's still early. I'll keep leaving notes and hope she finds one." Tim chuckled.
"Based on how you've been up until now, I never figured you'd be going this far for one woman. They always flocked to you, and your biggest concern was which one was the prettiest or most something. Setting up this whole game to get a date is just totally opposite of what I would expect."
Tim didn't know everything. He didn't know that Dustin had become Paris. He didn't know that he was trying to get ahold of Phantasma. When he mentioned hoping a lady would come in and check the safe, Tim had assumed it was some sort of new game in the dating scene, and Paris hadn't bothered to correct him.
It was easier this way.
"You need help with anything, Tim?" Paris wandered over to the counter, where Tim was scribbling on a piece of paper.
"If you don't mind sweeping and mopping, I don't think Chaya had time for that at the end of last night."
"No problem," Paris said, heading for the cleaning closet.
He'd just need to be patient and wait another week for Phantasma.
The day before the meeting with Achilles, Joey headed back to Little Fancy since he'd gotten a message from Louise that his suit was ready. A mixture of terror and excitement made his stomach feel like it was going to leap out of his torso.
The bell rang when he walked in and once again there was no one in the store. A familiar frizzy head popped out of the back room before she nodded and ducked back in.
"Just a second, kiddo. I've got some final checks to make, but I hope everything fits properly. You've got a thing tomorrow, don't you?"
Joey shrunk a bit at the comment.
"I'm...not sure about going actually."
"Good. If you don't want to, no one can make you. I just figured when I saw that stupid ad that I should make sure this thing's done in time for the meeting." Louise popped back out with a nice looking blue-grey outfit in her hands. She tossed it to him and jerked a thumb at a small stall in the corner.
Joey examined the suit slowly. The top was hooded, to hide his hair and face a bit, and sleeveless. Another piece was made to go overtop of it, complete with gloves. The pants looked like they'd be form-fitting. Everything was the same colour, with some light blue accents embroidered on.
The shoes were simple black laceless runners. The mask looked like it would be heavier than it was, with a dark blue elastic around the back to keep it in place. The face was carefully hand-painted, a pale blue with blue-grey shading beneath the eyes and mouth.
"So?" Louise asked when Joey was done examining everything. "Does it look good to you?" Joey nodded.
"I think so. The accents look really good on it." She grinned.
"Yes! Louise does it again. Now go try 'em all on. I wanna see. Mostly to make sure everything fits properly, but also because I like admiring my handiwork." Joey couldn't help but laugh as she headed for the door to lock it and flip the sign to "ON BREAK". He ducked into the little stall and started changing.
When he had everything on, it felt more comfortable than he'd expected. The shoes were somehow just right - not too tight, but securely on his feet. The pants didn't feel tight when they were on, though they did definitely cling to his legs. Probably so they'd fit easily under a pair of pants. The sleeveless version of the shirt felt weird, but it would be perfect for hiding under one of his T-shirts. The hood also disappeared fairly easily when he tried putting his T-shirt over it.
The sleeved coat thing did up securely with a few snaps, and the slightly lighter colour made everything look better. There was even a few wisps of white, like clouds, scattered across the fabric. Finally, the mask felt weird at first, but stayed securely on his face even when he shook his head as hard as he could. There was a nose hole to breath through, and two eye holes, though the mouth was solid. If he spoke, he'd have to speak a bit louder to be heard through it, which wouldn't be a problem.
He slowly walked out so Louise could see and her mouth split into the widest grin he'd ever seen.
"That looks great, kid. I shouldn't toot my own horn too much, but MAN am I good! Does it feel too loose or too tight anywhere?" She headed over and started prodding at the outfit, probably making sure everything fit the way it was supposed to. It didn't make Joey any less self-conscious though.
"I think it's good," he said slowly. "I don't know how you got it so perfect with just taking my measurements once."
"Well, it helps that the fabric is fairly elastic. Little trickier to work with sometimes, but I like projects like this. Anyway, even if you grow or change body shape a bit the costume should be able to adjust for it. I think I'll just put another stitch in there," she said, grabbing a needle and thread. Joey froze as she lifted his arm and sewed a little spot for a second before tying the thread off and snipping it with the scissors sheathed on her waist.
"Thanks," he said.
"No worries. Even if you never wear this again, I'll be proud knowing I made such a fantastic piece of work. Seriously, I like this way better than the other one I made." Joey nodded.
"I like it too. I'm surprised with how comfortable it is."
"I mean, if you're going to be doing stupid things in it I can't have it restrict you, right? Had the same thing with Achilles. Everything's paid for, so you can change back and walk out with it whenever you're ready." Louise grinned. "And if you come back, I wouldn't mind. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, Mr. Nineteen." Joey nodded.
"If I ever need anything else, I'll be sure to come back here." As he was heading to change back, he heard Louise call behind him.
"Come by for anything. Even if you just need someone to talk to about this whole mess my pal's getting you into. I doubt you have too many people you can confide in, and I know how to keep my mouth shut."
Joey nodded, relief settling in him. Louise really was a good sort.
