📚The curtain shall rise soon

Rosetta invites Dina to a special party.

For Coelune December prompt; Winter holiday

Characters: Rosetta, Dina

Warnings: N/A

Wordcount: 2,514

Vibe: warm fuzzy happy times (with surprise ending)

AN:

aaaaaaaaaaaa-explodes- my bones hurt so much (real flareup moments) but this is done anyways .. i feel a bit rusty writing for some reason orz

i had to get a lil creative because winter/seasons dont exist in their setting … hopefully it works >>;;

---

“It’s not safe.”

“For you, I’ll ensure it is.”

Dina sighed.

“I know… that you think you can do enough. But the bitter truth is they’ll know it’s me.”

“It’s been a little over a year, do you really think they’d still be-”

“Yes.”

Dina’s voice was unusually deadpan as she cut Rosetta off. Rosetta just groaned and twirled the phone’s cord in an impatient manner.

“You know, I’m pretty sure if you were still an enemy of the state, you’d be long dead by now,” Rosetta said.

“Worst comes to worst, we have to make a hasty escape.”

“We…?”

“If anything does happen, I’m not leaving you behind!”

“And just throw everything you know away?”

“That’s rich coming from you, Dina.”

The other end of the line fell quiet for a moment.

“I suppose you’ve got me in a corner again, Rosie,” Dina said with a stifled laugh.

“I just can’t help but be overly worrisome about things like this.”

“And I don’t blame you,” Rosetta replied.

“But with everything you and I have done… I feel like it just wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t come along to send off the year together.”

“Even if it’d cost you your life?”

“Even if it did.”

–

Rosetta wasn’t hopeful.

Every year, Rosetta would hold a famed New Year’s Eve party – an exclusive event that was the highlight of her yearly party schedule. And every year since meeting Dina, Rosetta would extend the scientist an invitation. 

It was the same excuse every year – Dina was simply too busy with work, which Rosetta could partially understand.

But ever since Dina rebelled, Rosetta had started forming the idea of sneaking her into the next party – despite the dangers of doing so.

Having kept a close eye on what Dina was doing and at the current calming of the general political state, Rosetta figured it’d finally be safe… which brought the next challenge, getting Dina to listen.

New year’s eve crept up slowly, and Dina’s answer remained mostly the same. That she’d ‘think about it’ and ‘weigh the risks’.

All the while, Rosetta was increasingly caught up in her planning – and it seemed that her indecisiveness over the ‘guest of honor’ for the year was garnering some media attention.

They thought her keeping the guest of honor a mystery was on purpose.

The evening before the party finally arrived, and though everything else was set up, Rosetta had given up on Dina and just left the guest of honor as ‘a surprise’, hoping she’d be able to figure something out.

Though it was hard to break the thought of her, Rosetta tried to not worry about Dina so much as she leaned back in her bath, trying to relax.

All of a sudden – her relaxation was completely interrupted. The intercom that substituted as a phone in the bathroom started ringing, with an automated voice intermittently stating the caller ID as from reception.

It took quite a bit of Rosetta’s willpower to press the button on the remote to answer – knowing it was from her hotel’s reception, it was probably a problem she needed to deal with, which was the last thing Rosetta wanted to deal with right now.

Still, she answered.

“Ms. Rosetta, are you busy?” asked the voice on the other side. They sounded a bit unnerved.

“It depends, what’s the problem?”

“There’s… someone in a cloak who’s just been standing outside the lobby for about an hour now… I would’ve asked them to leave, but you know how it is this late, I’m the only one here on staff, and…”

Rosetta huffed loudly, interrupting the receptionist’s rambling. It must’ve been one of the newer hires working tonight.

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll show you how it’s done.” Rosetta said with an annoyed tone, as she hung up before the receptionist on duty could respond.

She didn’t bother making herself presentable, just making sure that she had a robe on and her hair was dried.

Rosetta made her way out of her suite, and into the elevator.

Though her journey through halls was short, the peppy holiday music that was imported from the Outside World didn’t help Rosetta’s mood much. But, if the situation was as the receptionist truly explained – a weirdo in a cloak just standing there – Rosetta felt she could use the excuse to be a bit snappy. If only to just teach the new hire how to be harsh with suspicious figures.

Down in the lobby, which was cheerfully decorated with black and gold accents as well as fake snow and pine trees inspired by Outside World tradition, the receptionist looked towards Rosetta nervously.

They tried to start to speak, but Rosetta instead went directly to the strange figure.

It seemed Rosetta’s storming steps on the marble floor were loud enough to be heard through the doors – prompting the figure to turn around.

And suddenly, Rosetta was washed over with a sense of both frustration and relief.

“Couldn’t you just get the receptionist to call for me like a normal person?” Rosetta huffed, grabbing the figure by the arm.

“…I wanted to be extra careful.” Dina replied quietly with a sigh.

“Well…” Rosetta started, before leaning in to give Dina a hug.

“I’m glad you finally made up your mind.”

Dina smiled, as Rosetta grabbed her hand and led her inside.

The receptionist’s expression went from nervous to wholly confused, as Rosetta’s entire affect had visibly changed.

“It’s ok!” Rosetta said with a smile and a quick wave as she passed the receptionist.

“But for future reference, please try and take care of these things yourself next time!”

Hand in hand, Rosetta and Dina made their way back up to Rosetta’s suite. Once they arrived, Rosetta let go on Dina and flopped down on the nearest couch.

“My GOD, it took you long enough.” Rosetta said with a frustrated laugh – though she was smiling.

Dina took off her cloak and hung it up on a nearby coat hook, then made her way to sit on the end of the sofa Rosetta was occupying.

“It was a hard decision, Rosie! I know this is an important event for you, and I didn’t want my presence to ruin it, or worse…”

“Oh, please! I’ve been waiting for you to be able to make it to one of these since we’ve met!” Rosetta laughed.

“The fact that you made it in spite of your worries of greater things at stake just makes it all the more special.”

Dina stifled a bit of a laugh.

“I suppose. It’s nerve-wracking if I think about it for more than a second, but I’d rather be the one doing something for you for once.”

“Hey, just you existing is enough! It’s not a competition, I just like to be showy about things and you don’t!”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Dina said, smiling.

“Though, I had a question. About the party.”

“Hm?” Rosetta hummed.

“What is it?”

“The… theme. It seems… different than usual?”

“What do you mean? You’ve never been to one of these to have a frame for ‘usual’.”

“Well, I did watch the news broadcasts with the countdown to midnight before.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Rosetta said with a snicker, finally sitting up.

“…That aside.” Dina continued, unphased.

“The… strange trees, the outside world music, the white fluff everywhere? Did I really miss that much cultural shift while I was in hiding?”

Rosetta’s ears perked up a bit, before she gave a short chuckle.

“Ha, not really! In fact, I’d say I’m the one late to the party for once!” she said.

“Since Outside World stuff has been becoming more popular as of late, I figured I’d finally hop on the bandwagon this year to test the waters. People seem to be enjoying it!”

“Interesting… but what’s with the white fluff on the floors? Is that some sort of cultural tradition from the outside?” Dina asked, cocking her head.

“Oh, no! It’s a weather phenomena that occurs there that I don’t believe exists here… where water freezes and falls to the ground in fluffy white flakes instead of rain. It’s called snow!” Rosetta said confidently.

“Of course, it’s just cheaper and cleaner to use clumps of fluff.”

“I see!” Dina exclaimed, before quickly trailing off into thought.

“The party… is tomorrow night, right? I may be a biochemist, but I did quite a bit of studying on environmental chemistry in order to construct the aquariums Laura has lived in…”

“…What exactly are you thinking?” Rosetta asked, a look of curiosity and slight concern crossing her face.

“Well, in theory, it shouldn’t be that hard to set the right conditions for this ‘snow’ to occur… I feel it may be able to add some flair!”

“Well, don’t go too crazy and poison everyone.” Rosetta snickered in response.

“I can have someone take you to where all the ventilation and aircon maintenance is located, if that would help.”

“That would be wonderful!” Dina said with a smile.

“Though, it’s late – considering the staffing situation in the lobby, I can only assume it’d be best to wait until morning.”

Rosetta nodded in agreement.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I should actually get into proper pajamas.”

–

With the press lined up outside and the preparations complete, Rosetta confidently made her final checks that everything was in order.

“Is everything ready to go?” Rosetta asked Dina, who was emerging out of an elevator.

“It should be! The ‘snowfall’ should start in a few minutes, it has to warm up first.”

“Oh, amazing!” Rosetta said, smiling.

“You’re the best, Dina!”

Rosetta gently grabbed Dina’s hand, and started to lead the way to the lobby to open the doors – but Dina seemed surprised and didn’t move.

“Hm?” Rosetta hummed.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, I…” Dina mumbled a bit.

“I wasn’t sure if opening the doors with you would be… the best idea. I thought I’d moreso be here just in the background.”

“Well, if the public is going to freak out about you being here, getting it over with first thing is the best option, in my eyes.” Rosetta replied.

“Like ripping off a bandaid.”

“You have that much faith in me?” Dina asked with a sigh.

“Even if it’d cost you your life?”

Rosetta grinned warmly.

“Even if it did.”

And though she had anxieties on top of anxieties about appearing in public, and even more so about being seen around the Station… with the look on Rosetta’s face, Dina felt everything was going to be alright.

Together, Rosetta and Dina made their way to the front doors of the hotel, and with a deep breath, the two swung them open, hand in hand – to the uproarious cheers of the crowd, who began to flood in past the two.

And just as the floodgates opened, Dina’s quick work made itself known – as moisture from the air coalesced into clouds at the top of the ceilings. Attendees watched in awe, as slowly, small, fluffy white flakes of snow fell from the indoor clouds.

Though the night was young, the lobby and event spaces were transformed into a winter wonderland of food, drinks, song, and dance.

And though Dina gripped Rosetta’s hand tightly at first, fearing for the worst – the worst never came. She felt her anxieties ease, and by Rosetta’s side, was able to mingle and dance through the night.

Soon enough, the countdown to midnight was upon everyone. Rosetta and Dina took to the streets, taking the party to the nearby downtown plaza of the space station city.

Playfully, Rosetta tugged Dina up onto the stage in front of the large moon-shaped clock. Dina was a bit overwhelmed by all the activity and noise, but climbed onto the stage after Rosetta.

As the final countdown started, Rosetta raised Dina’s and her own hands up in the air.

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

“Happy new year!” the crowd roared, as the clock hit midnight.

With a huge smile on her face, Rosetta grabbed Dina and twirled her around. And though it was hard to hear over the roar of the crowd, Dina understood Rosetta’s words perfectly;

“Here’s to another year together!”

–

As the night went on, people started to head to their rooms or leave, and the party slowly died down.

Away from others, Rosetta was enjoying a quiet drink with Dina to wind down from the excitement earlier.

However, as the two would find it, they were soon approached by two looming, imposing figures in suits – who almost seemed to come out of nowhere.

Dina and Rosetta knew exactly who these were.

Instinctively, Rosetta moved to physically form a barrier between the officials and Dina – her calm smile quickly turning to that of a scowl.

Without a word, the suits shuffled to the side, making way for the nightmare Dina had imagined – the tall, unfeeling presence of one of the members of the empire’s council.

Though the pressure in the room was almost unbearable, Rosetta held her ground between the councilmember and Dina, before the councilmember finally spoke.

“It’s been a while, Dina.”

It wasn’t common for members of Dina’s species to formally refer to each other by chosen name, especially not from a councilmember. The way hearing them say her own name echoed in her mind certainly wasn’t pleasant, especially with her fears of what was about to come.

“You’re not getting to her unless you go through me.” Rosetta responded, her tone dead serious as she stood firm.

“Interesting.” The councilmember said.

“Friendship is such an odd thing. A thing that would make you directly defy the top of society not for one’s own sake…”

The councilmember gave off a sound that sounded like a laugh, but it was more grating than anything.

“Fortunately for you, your foolishness has no meaning today.”

“What?” Rosetta replied under her breath.

“I am not here for punishment. Despite the weight of the crimes committed, the weight of what they were committed to prevent weighs heavier.” The councilmember explained.

“We have been making good contact with the other empires and kingdoms now, and your name seems to come up frequently, Dina. It appears that one thing after another, you’ve gone out of your way to prevent what we can now realize was mutually assured destruction.”

“A… ah…” Dina whimpered, in a way uncharacteristic for her.

“So, I am here to issue a formal dismissal. While you will not be welcomed back at your former place of work due to violations, your status as a wanted criminal has been nullified. You may carry on as normal.” The councilmember continued with a nod.

“That is all. Good night.”

Before either Rosetta or Dina could respond, the suits moved in front of the councilmember once again, and in a flash, the three vanished.

The two friends were silent in complete and utter shock for a few moments, before Rosetta turned to Dina, grabbing her hands and jumping around in joy.

And though the fireworks died down for the night, it seems Dina’s spirit was lighting up once again.