When Ablam exits the bakery door, she is followed by soft jazz and the scent of freshly made pastries behind her. Carrying a large paper bag in both hands, she lightly taps the door behind her with the back of the foot, and it closes with a soft jingle.
"Mmm, who knew the bakery opened up so late!"
Reaching a hand into the paper bag, she fishes out a supremely glazed doughnut, strawberry flavored with extra colorful sprinkles on top. Warmth passes through the white wrapping paper to Ablam's fingers; and she takes a big bite out of it, turning to admire her handiwork in the bakery window.
In the top left corner of the wide window beside the bakery's logo is a hand-drawn poster; the coloring is brashful and cute, like someone had colored it in with over-enthusiastic crayons! In the center is a roughly drawn image of Lumi, distinguishable by her bright teal eyes and crayon-shaded one-tone teal twintails. She holds a book while facing the side, just out of the oval gold frame, and just beneath the book reads:
YOU'RE INVITED!
THE ECHOES READ
A BOOK-READING EVENT AT THEATRE HOUSE DELAROUX
Location: Our Theatre House On The Lake
Date: 23rd of May, 7 O'Clock In The Evening Vespana Time
It was a short, simple, heart-felt poster. Lumi had drawn up a basic template, and the rest of the Echoes spent some time filling in the poster with their own flair. When it was done, all the posters felt different, even though they were all the same!
This one was obviously drawn by our lovable Piaccta; Hikari's version had an impressionist-like water painting of her looking wistfully towards the location of our home. Ablam remembers Eclair holding the paper and telling Hikari that 'she didn't have to go so hard on a promo poster!'
But Hikari did anyway.
How could they not?
The little reading room, 'The Echoes Chamber' was now ready.
It has always been Lumi's dream to be a storyteller, a small wish that was finally granted through an accident.
The idea of telling stories had always been on the tip of Lumi's tongue; she would often tell little stories of her plush toy fox and his little forest friends.
Up until now, those remained small, private stories shared around a dinner table.
For Lumi, she has taken a large first step into becoming a real actress.
Opening Day was Lumi's idea of testing the waters.
For Opening Day, there would be a different kind of livestream; a book-reading, hosted by the Echoes! The very first of its kind, and something very Lumi-like. The other girls would join in, and our house chef was already working overtime to prepare some treats for the big day!
A limited opening of the house, to test what works, and what doesn't!
With hope in their hearts, the Echoes spread out their separate ways to "sell the theatre" across Bitsborough.
"Still, the poster looks pretty good from this angle."
Cleaning the crumbs off her mouth, Ablam stuffs the used pastry paper in her jacket and starts heading in the direction of home, when she sees a familiar figure standing beneath a roadside lantern.
"Mistrál...? Is that you?"
Hang on, Ablam logics. Her blue-haired genmate set off in the direction of Bitsborough Farm not too long ago. So the only person this could be...
"Miss Minara, why are you standing at the side of the road...?"
Standing was an incorrect way to describe the blue-haired girl's posture. She is clutching the sides of the lamp-pole, poking her head out of one side, the rest of her body stretched across the other.
As if that thin piece of metal would help hide her at all!
In her hand, she grips a rolled-up copy of an Opening Day poster with shaky hands, the middle of the paper wrinkly with the sweat from her palm! She stares intensely at a windowed storefront, neither able to move forward or backwards from the spot!
"Oi! Miss Minara, are you there?!"
The poor girl practically jumped out of her hairband, still clutching both sides of the pole behind her! Endless undecipherable gibberish trickles out of the blue-haired gremlin's mouth, gesticulating to the storefront across the street, gripping the poster a little tighter with each passing sentence!
"Hey look, I'm sorry for startling you, alright?" Ablam pulls out a choco-flavored peace offering from the large bag she was holding. Seeing the blue-haired girl shake her swirly eyes around, both hands practically wringing the poster like a washing cloth, Ablam seems to have understood something.
"... ... Are you afraid of people, Miss Minara?"
"No... ...! ... ... Maybe, just a bit! But I don't go into places like that!"
Once again, Minara makes rapid hand gestures towards the store with the large windowfront.
Ablam could see why. There are no pastries or plush toys being sold inside.
This is Bitsborough's one and only fitness gym.
Inside, it seems like the day's training had already begun, with people doing warmups in one of the practice rings.
Ablam lets out a single breath of air, looking to Minara in half-understanding.
The other girl just nods her head rapidly up and down! Ablam puts a hand on one hip, not sure if Minara understood. Then, she crosses the road.
Her dull auric eyes follow from across the street, only fully snapping back into focus when Ablam reaches the storefront and taps a single loafer against the pavement.
But just before the door entrance, she stops;
Then, clears her throat to declare, "I'm thinking that maybe the place isn't such a good fit for what teal-hair wants to do, so I can just skip hanging up the poster here and..."
It was clear as the morning sky what Minara was trying to do!
"Hang on, I happen to think it is perfect place to hang up a poster." Ablam tugs at the back of Minara's skirt belt, the gremlin already half-scampering away. "The people here in Bitsborough are nice people Miss Minara, how would you know if you never gave it a try?"
"... ... the vibes?"
However, before Minara had a chance to protest further, she found that her shaky hands which press against the glass doorframe give way; the door opening inwards and causing her to trip!
She balances herself on high heel tip, one leg behind her in the air, both wrists waving outstretched in the air like a duckling who just learned flight!
Minara had stepped right over the air-conditioned threshold!
Recall
[HtH62] Lumi expressed this sentiment all the way back in Hell's Theatre chapter 62 to Eclair during a midnight romp!
