12-11-2024, 01:18 AM
Seven’s gaze flickered from face to face as introductions tumbled forth, each name a passing melody in the symphony of voices around him. He nodded warmly at every stranger, his golden smile unshaken, offering the kind of easy charm that made strangers feel like old friends. For Seven, a friend of a friend was a friend, too—a philosophy that had always served him well.
But it wasn’t the people that held his attention, not entirely. No, it was the illusion. It floated there, suspended like a dream plucked from the ether, its colors shifting and shimmering in a way that made it almost painful to look away. Seven leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as though trying to peel back the layers and reveal its secrets. A mechanism, surely, had to exist. But even as he studied it—its edges fluid, its form both tangible and impossible—he couldn’t find one.
The second demonstration provided even more detail: sharper edges, richer hues, a kind of impossible depth. Seven’s head tilted to one side, his expression softening into an awed grin. “Incredible,” he murmured, his humility free of pretense. “I don’t think I could ever dream of pulling that off.” The words might have been self-effacing, but his tone carried genuine admiration, and the golden warmth of his smile made them sincere.
The AI assistant—Sky, as Sage called it—was a revelation. Nox’s party had already been full of surprises, but this? Seven let out a low whistle as Sage explained the system. “You built this yourself?” he asked, eyebrows arching. “That’s… well, that’s seriously impressive.”
The hum of conversation shifted again, and Seven caught the tail end of a question aimed his way. He smiled, turning back to the group with ease. “The party? It was fantastic,” he said, his voice carrying just the right amount of lingering enthusiasm. Then, with a slight turn of his head, he shot Hayden a sly look, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Not sure what happened to my mask, though,” he added, the memory playing across his face like a secret he was willing to share with just a glance.
Before he could linger too long in the moment, two more women joined the group. Seven’s brows lifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “More roommates?” he asked, half-joking but genuinely curious. The party-goers seemed to swell with new arrivals at every turn, and for a moment, he wondered just how far Nox’s orbit extended.
But it wasn’t the people that held his attention, not entirely. No, it was the illusion. It floated there, suspended like a dream plucked from the ether, its colors shifting and shimmering in a way that made it almost painful to look away. Seven leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing as though trying to peel back the layers and reveal its secrets. A mechanism, surely, had to exist. But even as he studied it—its edges fluid, its form both tangible and impossible—he couldn’t find one.
The second demonstration provided even more detail: sharper edges, richer hues, a kind of impossible depth. Seven’s head tilted to one side, his expression softening into an awed grin. “Incredible,” he murmured, his humility free of pretense. “I don’t think I could ever dream of pulling that off.” The words might have been self-effacing, but his tone carried genuine admiration, and the golden warmth of his smile made them sincere.
The AI assistant—Sky, as Sage called it—was a revelation. Nox’s party had already been full of surprises, but this? Seven let out a low whistle as Sage explained the system. “You built this yourself?” he asked, eyebrows arching. “That’s… well, that’s seriously impressive.”
The hum of conversation shifted again, and Seven caught the tail end of a question aimed his way. He smiled, turning back to the group with ease. “The party? It was fantastic,” he said, his voice carrying just the right amount of lingering enthusiasm. Then, with a slight turn of his head, he shot Hayden a sly look, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Not sure what happened to my mask, though,” he added, the memory playing across his face like a secret he was willing to share with just a glance.
Before he could linger too long in the moment, two more women joined the group. Seven’s brows lifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “More roommates?” he asked, half-joking but genuinely curious. The party-goers seemed to swell with new arrivals at every turn, and for a moment, he wondered just how far Nox’s orbit extended.