ATEE: Partners in Crime *Me (That Guy) and Alex64*

[Alex64]

"Yes... We shall be expected at the palace relatively soon."
"You're referring to the large palace we passed by coming here, yes?"
"The very same. Would you like to come into my home, first? I am sure you must be getting warm in those clothes."

 

[That Guy]

"Aw, that's nice of you. And, uh, if we're wanted at the palace, I suppose we should be doing what we can to fit in." Midnight nodded. "Do all visitors get this kind of treatment?"

 

[Alex64]

"All visitors get more appropriate clothing for the weather, but being summoned to the palace is abnormal... especially with me being summoned, as well."
Raku stepped into his house, reaching inside a bin in what Ellie assumed was a closet, and producing two separate stacks of clothing.
"Here we are. You are free to change clothes in another room, if you wish."

 

[That Guy]

"That's, ah...thanks."
Stepping inside, Midnight accepted one of the stacks, and disappeared into the back room, emerging swiftly thereafter in the outfit he had taken.

 

[Alex64]

The outfit was primarily colored green and cyan, with copious amounts of gold trim. A veil and keffiyeh complimented the detached sleeves and midriff-exposing top, with short blue pants, a single anklet, and green slippers.
"Oh my..." Ellie smiled.
"Ah... that is the female outfit," Raku sweatdropped. "I apologize; I should have told you before you changed."

 

[That Guy]

"Eh, I thought it might be. Still..." He twirled on the spot, looking down at himself. "...I think it suits me."

"...Okay, Father, seriously, what the f*ck?"
"What? It made me feel pretty. Anyway, didn't you just say we're supposed to be past caring about that sort of thing by now?"

 

[Alex64]

Cal begins to snigger at this.
"Sorry, I need a moment..."

"It'd be an effective disguise, anyway," Ellie remarked, her smile widening. "No one would question your femininity."
"Er, yes. But anyways..." Raku offered the other stack of clothing to him.

 

[That Guy]

"Alright, alright, hint taken..."

Almost as quickly as he had changed the first time-- albeit, almost with an air of reluctance to this one-- he went back into the back room and changed into the other outfit, and returned, offering the previous outfit in nearly as neat a stack as he had received it in to begin with.
"...Better?"

 

[Alex64]

This outfit was primarily red and white, and was much simpler in composition, consisting of a keffiyeh, open vest, long pants, and pointed shoes.
"Much," Raku nodded.
"And with that done..." Ellie took the other outfit, retreating to the back room, and, after a few moments, emerged wearing it, choosing to wear her ponytail lower under the keffiyeh.

 

[That Guy]

Midnight offered her a polite thumbs-up.
"I don't suppose we can keep these when we're done here, can we?"

 

[Alex64]

"As much as I would like to let you keep them, there are other people that come here. Now..." Raku started out of the house. "Let us go to the palace."

 

[That Guy]

"D'aaww..."

And so, as per their summons, the group descended upon the palace. In any other tale, it would seem like an allegory for the follies of materialism that there was such a juxtaposition between the sand and stone of the town, and the lush greens of the palace gardens, separated by nothing more than a tall fence and its accompanying gate. Simply passing through it was enough for the air to feel immediately cooler, less oppressive, and more, in some way, luxurious. In this tale, though, the people of the town-- at least, from what Midnight and Ellie had seen so far-- bore no ill will to this palace's owner, or its presence. In fact, they barely seemed entirely aware that it was there at all.

 

[Alex64]

Approaching the front doors, Raku knocked on them, apparently unsure if this was the correct procedure.

 

[That Guy]

There followed what would feel like a perfectly-measured pause, as if the world itself came to a stop to wait for a response, after which the doors were opened by what would appear, at first glance, to be a pink-haired human woman, too small of frame to have opened both doors so quickly, and so effortlessly. A second look would reveal her to be slightly more ethereal than just a human; on the contrary, she bore all the hallmarks of a benevolent djinn. She bowed.
"Mr. Rakuryu, and company...Please, come in. Master is expecting you."

 

[Alex64]

"Ah, Shahra, was it?" Raku smiled. "Would you happen to know why your master has summoned us?"

 

[That Guy]

"He has a...request, of the three of you, that he wishes you to oversee. I'm sure he will explain in more detail when he--"
"Rakuuuuuu, my good friend, you arrive at last!~" The djinn stifled herself immediately as the master of the palace made himself known: almost a mirror image of Midnight, but slightly shorter in stature and softer in countenance, sporting a slightly longer muzzle, and with eyes more the colour of dull rubies, rather than the fierce red of his counterpart. Moreover, he appeared to dress more like a thief typical of the Arabian Nights, than like the owner of a grand palace-- knee-length white shorts, a pair of black gloves, almost gaudy yellow sandals, a leather vest-jacket, and a turban-like headpiece, crowned with a turquoise jewel between his ears. "And, Shahra, you've really outdone yourself..!"

He stepped further forwards, his posture almost like that of a curious wild chicken, inspecting Midnight and Ellie.
"Such good taste in heroes, indeed..!" He grinned broadly and openly, with the same nauseating civility as the stallholders outside, and offered them both a hand. "Badr al-Tawabul, at your service. ...Or, rather, I'm hoping you'll be at mine."

 

[Alex64]

"Greetings, Mr. al-Tawabul," Ellie said as she removed her veil and took his hand, curtsying slightly. "I am Princess Elliana Tsukiko Blaze, though you may refer to me as Ellie. And this is Midnight Prower. What service is it that you seek of us?"

 

[That Guy]

Midnight also shook his hand, leaving Ellie to do the introductions on his behalf. Badr-- he seemed casual enough that it would cause minimal offence to refer to him as such in writing-- clapped with glee.
"You certainly don't mess around, do you!~" He waved them through the door and towards an overfurnished living-space across the foyer. "Make yourselves comfortable, and I shall expound in full! And any other need you may have, I don't doubt Shahra, here, will be able to take care of."

"...And, no, he didn't mean it like that. Nor did I interpret it that way, I hasten to add. Just, uh, throwing that one in there because I remember what it's like to be your age."

 

[Alex64]

As they followed Badr, Raku whispered to them, "Though he may seem somewhat, erm... eccentric... Badr and I have spoken several times before, and so I can vouch for his trustworthiness."

 

[That Guy]

"That's...reassuring. Otherworldly counterparts of me do tend to be extremely hit-or-miss, I've found."

"Now, then!" Badr spoke up as he took a seat on some kind of chaise-longue, offering them a seat, each, of their own, to his company. "I've summoned you three, you particular three, because I have found myself in need of heroes, and by my dear Shahra's estimations, you make the cut! You see, I am currently in pursuit of a collection of treasures known as the World Rings. There are seven of them, each a different, resplendent colour, and each with divine powers beyond any mortal comprehension. The problem is, they are simply too spread out across this world for a simple spell of summoning to draw them together, and...well, I can't say I fully trust some of the more colourful characters of these Arabian Nights not to claim them for their own and cause untold chaos with them. Think of this as...a generous pre-emptive strike."

"Hold up; I've heard this before." Rex wears an admirable pout. "Do you seriously mean to tell me that Ellie got the whole idea of stealing my friends and me from this world to go travelling around some other universe and collecting powerful MacGuffins as a 'preventative measure' from some random shared literary drug-trip?!"
"Please. I'm sure that was just a coincidence."