23: How Most Impolite

"Why is she picking on me like that…?" I whine to Eir.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to be here?" Eir's head swivels around, first looking one way then the other like a frightened owl, her eyes constantly searching the area.

"Yeah? Why wouldn't it?"

"It's the Primordial Sovereign's LAIR. Why would it be okay?"

"I don't see the problem? Look, see? Plenty of high schoolers like us here… just hanging out."

"We're supposed to be heroes."

Currently, we are sitting at the bar in the Villain Association Headquarters, and I'm sampling various drinks off my menu.

"Bartender! Another round please! Make it something colorful!"

"Stop it! We're underage!"

"So? No one here is gonna do anything about it."

"No! Don't give her any more!" Eir tries to wrestle the drink away from the bartender, but the neon green mannequin, adorned with a black and white bow tie, simply pushes her away by her forehead, keeping her at bay like a child.

I calmly accept my rainbow colored drink and sip at it from a straw. No idea what it is, but apparently it's on the menu I created, and it's good… real good. I did a good job.

"Fine. Last one for now. Wanna go upstairs?"

"Upstairs? The reporters said there were only three floors, with this restaurant-bar-whatever one being the highest."

"Yeah? Well, there's a cafe now… many cafes actually. Coffee, tea, bubble tea, cats, owls… you name it."

"Since when?"

"Just now?" I say, literally, just now, thinking those up on the spot and simultaneously adding them to my HQ. I teleport about a third of the random folks just standing around, not eating or drinking, from this floor to the newly created floor. I can't have it be empty when Eir and I go up — that would be way too strange.

"There's also a library," I add, sipping my drink as I watch her.

"..."

Sluurp…

"Wow…" Eir leans her back against the bar counter, gazing out to the floor, and murmurs for the fifth time as I finish up my drink. She sits there, wide-eyed, taking in the glamorous sights.

The change in clothes and the addition of a fancy mask surprised her when I first brought us here, but since she read about it in the news, she wasn't too flustered. However, the news and artists' renditions didn't do justice to the grandeur of my HQ — it is simply something you have to see for yourself.

"You're still not gonna order anything?"

"No!"

"Alrighty then."

"I don't get how you feel safe consuming anything from here…"

I simply shrug in response and loudly slurp my drink some more. I can't really do anything to change her mind except show her how much I and everyone else is enjoying it here.

A commotion picks up from the restaurant area of the floor, quickly followed by yelling, cheering, laughing, and screaming.

"Well, that is most impolite…" I whisper to myself. A kidnapping on my own turf? And one of my mannequins, nonetheless? How rude!

Wait… wouldn't that be called stealing, not kidnapping? Hmm… Well, no, they're all alive and have near limitless power here, despite their appearances.

"What's going on over there?" Eir asks, looking towards the source with shock and concern written on her face.

"Eh, leave it be. Prolly just some villains duking it out," I say, nonchalantly.

"I… I can't. Even if they're villains, it's still my duty."

I roll my eyes as Eir rushes off, and slurp up the remainder of my drink. I give a quick nod of thanks to the green bartender and hurry after her, forcing my way through the gathered crowd.

I force my way through the crowd after Eir.

"What is… this?" she asks.

A group of high schoolers, surrounded by my disorganized rainbow of colorful mannequins, are getting a thorough beatdown. The fight is now broadcast live on nearly every screen of the HQ, with some betting taking place. Almost unanimously, the bets are on my mannequins winning — how could they not be, when they know who the creator is?

"See? It's fine."

"It's not fine!"

Eir tries to break the mannequin's encirclement, only to be stopped by a bright red one wearing a black bow tie. It holds out its arm and asks her to stay back, informing her they have everything handled.

Eir protests and tries to worm her way in, but a sky-blue mannequin wearing a white bow tie turns around from the group and holds her back as well.

"You better not push too hard, lest you incur the wrath of the Primordial Sovereign!" I say, slightly chuckling.

My friend looks flustered. She is torn between helping and letting things settle down as they are. I see her consider using her name as the Lightbringer, but she remembers where she is.