The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Purple Skies, A Realm Unlike Our Own

Read chapter 28 of The Distinguished Mr. Rose by QuiteTheSlacker on NovelPedia.

Chapter 28: Purple Skies, A Realm Unlike Our Own Lucius’s routine was ever the same. There he laid on a soft, pleasant mattress, body dapper for to be otherwise would be quite scandalous, when his eyes fluttered open, and thus he said looking most gorgeous: “Good morning. My, what a pleasant day!” It was six-o-clock somewhere, and the gentleman quickly arose from his bedside. Compared to the dark and cramped corners of the maze, the hospitality in Francia had been just darling! There were an abundance of undergarments and gowns to choose from in the cabinets, and various amenities for grooming were already provided by the castle attendants. Lucius was going to buy them from the Starlit Shop in the case of an emergency, so this worked out pleasantly - saved some coins for his other soon-to-be schemes. After perusing the selection for a bit, Lucius chose to keep his violet suit but replaced the old red dress shirt with a golden one tailored to this nation’s culture. It was a bit more flamboyant, more regal, but he rather liked it—made him blend in more with the natives. Besides, changing one’s image was one of the pleasures of having free will. So many differing styles existed in the world: It wouldn’t do to stick to only one. With that out of the way, Lucius boldly stepped out of his room. He had made arrangements with his fellows to get breakfast the day before; now was the time to wake them. It wouldn’t do to skip the most important meal of the day! Sadly, not many seemed to share that sentiment. Most of the players were slumbering away in their beds, and the only ones awake roamed the halls still half-asleep and drowsy - stumbling about to explore their newfound accommodations. To his pleasant surprise, though, Marco was already outside waiting for him. The affable old mobster had slightly changed his wardrobe as well, choosing to wear lighter colors of white and blue along with his black fedora. He greeted Lucius with a smile and waved over. “Morning, Lucius. Guess we’re both earlier risers, huh?” “Indeed we are, Mister Bernardi. There are only so many hours in a day - why not make the most out of it?” “I feel that: used to wake up at the crack of dawn in my earlier days. Was the only time I could get things done before it started gettin’ noisy. The boys would be making a mess, the girls fought over each other for who’d get the shower first… I stepped outta that life as I got older, had better caretakers look after them, but the routine—the routine never left my bones.” Lucius laughed. “Oh, I am a man who understands routine very well. Trust me when I say that.” A moment later, the door next to Marco’s room opened, and out wobbled a haggard Mili - eyes half-closed and seemingly moments away from collapsing on the spot. She slouched over and mumbled a quiet hello unlike her usual self. “Mm… morning, guys. Sorry if I look like a mess. My body’s pretty much wired to not work until after ten. Is it ten? I dunno, there ain't a dang window anywhere in this castle.” Mili’s drowsy appearance clashed quite distinctly with her spunky outfit. It was a little less showy compared to before, but the musician seemed to have custom tailored it to incorporate bits of black in the design - more balanced, less striking, but still showed off her punk-rock personality. “Ya don’t have to worry about keepin’ us two company,” Marco said, fussing over with the energy of an experienced father. “Get some rest if you’re tired. I don’t know how you even managed to style your hair all frizzy-like when ya can barely manage to keep your eyes open.” “Nah, it’s okay. I need some food in my belly anyways,” she said, yawning. “Nice thing about going on shows all the time is that I can spruce myself up lickety-split. Give me a minute and I’ll be alive again.” With their group reunited, they climbed up a stairwell and made their way to the upper levels. The food hall was farther out, so along the way they passed by a couple of recreational facilities provided b