"So uhhh we're going to the empire, right?" Rusev asked as everyone lined up behind Rachel.
"Yup," Elijah replied as he watched Rachel grab their bathroom door handle.
Rusev nodded, then scratched his head. "Okay, so why are we all going into the bathroom?"
Sarah chuckled. "Because Rachel of Augustine here can do what Emily can."
Rachel rolled her mulberry eyes. "Not exactly," she replied, then looked at Rusev. "Just don't freak out, alright."
Rusev shrugged. "Okay...it's just a bathroom."
"He's going to freak out," Alice laughed.
Rachel's eyes glowed as she gripped the doorknob. Oil and acrylic paintings hung on white painted sandstone walls as she opened the door. Marble floors glistened underneath the recessed ceiling lights. Golden-tinted wall scones and LED lights aligned designer vanity mirrors. Daffodils, lilacs, and forget-me-nots sat in silver flower vases. Baroque military music played on a music box sitting on a vanity counter.
"No smoking, don't know if my parents are home," Rachel muttered as she noticed Elijah putting a cigarette to his lips.
"We ain't in Clearwater anymore," Rusev said with wide eyes. "What...how...where!?" He yelled as he glanced around the bathroom.
"Keep your voice down....and I tried to warn you," Rachel grumbled as she rubbed her hands on a pair of bathtowels with her family insignia on them.
"Why does every bathroom look like this in the empire?" Sarah asked, her face turning sour. "No personality, just a uniform color palette that screams I am important."
"Says the woman whose whole identity is wrapped in pink," Rachel scoffed as she rolled her eyes.
"Different shades of pink," Sarah grumbled as she rolled her eyes at Rachel.
"And that's why you were fined for painting your vacation home pink," Elijah said as he looked at the paintings on the wall.
"Okay, guys, focus. We are here for waffles," Alice insisted as she looked at Rachel peeking out of the hallway. "So what's the plan?"
Rachel sighed. "Well, good news my parents are not home yet."
"So we're cooking some waffles in your kitchen?" Rusev asked.
Rachel shook her head. "No, my parents don't cook. We have everything cooked for us by hired chefs and butlers."
"Where is the nearest restaurant that has waffles on the menu?" Elijah asked.
"There is a place a couple of blocks from my home, but it's very public."
"Well, that's what a restaurant is designed to be, sweetheart," Sarah jested. "If they can't be seen, they wouldn't get any business."
"I know that...but we are trying to summon Emily, remember!?"
"Ohhh yeah....that is a problem," Sarah chuckled.
"Why is that a problem?" Rusev asked with a raised eyebrow.
Everyone paused as thin-lipped smiles formed on everyone's face while they avoided Rusev's question.
"Sarah, if Emily shows up hypothetically....perhaps you should not be there," Rachel suggested as she rubbed her neck.
Sarah's eyes widened as she looked down at the marble floor. "Yeah....you might be right on that. What do you suggest? I'm not staying cooped up in your bathroom."
"We should split up," Alice suggested, crossing her arms. "Rachel and Elijah handle the waffle situation, and we scope out the city. Maybe we can dig up some intel while you deal with Emily."
Rachel nodded. "That will work," she replied, then looked at Elijah.
"Where do we meet back up?" Sarah asked.
"Prime district," Rachel suggested, then looked at Alice. "You from here as well, does that work for you?"
Alice nodded. "Yup," she replied, then gestured at Rusev and Sarah. "Alright, time to get to work."
Rachel watched as Alice, Rusev, and Sarah left the bathroom. She then looked at Elijah and shrugged. "I hope this works."
"It will," Elijah replied as he gestured for Rachel to follow him out of the bathroom.
Rachel's shoes echoed down the hallway as they traversed her family's manor. Family portraits hung in the hallway, complemented by head busts and flower vases. Golden paintings of her ancestors who became PRIME aligned the dining hall. Bookshelves full of religious, scientific, and mystic teachings stretched endlessly in a grand library.
"So are your parents going to commission a painting of you as well if you become PRIME?" Elijah asked as they walked past the paintings of her ancestors.
"They already have one for me and my brother in storage," Rachel replied as they ventured into the garden. The scent of roses, honeydew, and lilacs lingered in the air as they walked past magnolia trees on a cobblestone path.
Elijah chuckled. "Could you imagine Emily sitting still for a portrait?"
Rachel smirked as they left the garden. "Could you imagine Sarah being the one painting the portrait of her?"
Elijah snorted as they walked down a flight of stairs.
Sandstone sidewalks aligned freshly paved roads as Rachel opened the front door of her estate and ventured into the city. The scent of croissants, steel, and old money lingered in the air. Statues of previous PRIME's competed with skyscrapers in the sky. State-of-the-art automobiles zoomed past while helicopters hummed through the clouds. Citizens in state-issued designer uniforms gossiped with newspapers in hand. Augustine propaganda displayed on monitors and nationalistic posters was plastered on businesses.
Cotton white Clouds drifted past the ENGINE as Rachel pushed a pedestrian crossing button at an intersection. Construction workers stood on scaffolding and steel beams as Rachel and Elijah walked past construction sites. Restaurants, designer boutiques, spas, music stores, and dojos were on every block.
"So what exactly is the plan here?" Rachel asked as they entered a coffee and breakfast shop. "Just order some waffles and sit down?"
"Yup," Elijah replied as he dug into his pockets for a cigarette.
"No smoking," Rachel said as she pointed at the no-smoking sign.
Elijah rolled his eyes and lit it anyway. "We are chosen, and you're from a noble family," he grumbled, then handed her a cigarette.
Rachel sighed and then lit the cigarette. She forced a thin lip smile on her face as citizens gazed at her mulberry eyes, then at her black mask, before glancing away.
"I will order the waffles, you find us a seat...ideally away from everyone," Elijah instructed as he walked towards the barista behind a cash register.
Rachel nodded, then rubbed her hands through her hair as she gazed around the restaurant. She bit her fingernails as she walked towards a booth at the far end of the shop. Her right leg shook as she stared out the window at pedestrians going about their day. Anxiety crept into her chest as she tapped her fingers on the table while she looked up at the ENGINE dwarfing the infrastructure of Augustine below. She looked down at the menu, then rubbed her hands through her hair as a hostess came over to her table.
"Can I get you anything chosen?" The hostess asked as she poured a cup of coffee.
"No, thank you," Rachel replied as she poured sugar and cream into her coffee. She smiled as Elijah sat across from her just as the hostess took her leave. "There are a lot of people here."
"You picked the spot," Elijah flatly replied as he smoked.
"If Emily does what she did in Corwood...people are going to get hurt," Rachel whispered with wide eyes.
"You both can fuck with time," Elijah replied, then glanced around the restaurant. "Besides, I doubt she will cause a scene."
"We don't know that," Rachel muttered as the hostess walked back with plates of nothing but waffles.
"Can I get you anything else?" The hostess asked as she placed syrup on the desk.
"No, thanks," Elijah replied as he stared at the waffles.
"Waffles," Rachel muttered as she looked at the multiple plates of nothing but waffles.
"Yup...just waffles," Elijah replied, then lit a cigarette.
Rachel crossed her arms as her leg shook. Her mulberry eyes scanned the environment for anything unusual. She looked at Elijah as he smoked while staring out the window.
"So now what...we just sit here and wait?" Rachel asked, glancing at the customers ordering at the cash register.
"Yup," Elijah replied as he scratched his salt and pepper beard.
Rachel sighed, then bit her fingernails as her eyes darted across the restaurant. She fiddled with her gloves and sipped her coffee as she looked out the window. Her eyes narrowed as she fixated on the pedestrians walking down the sidewalk. Cars zoomed down the road while pigeons perched on powerlines.
She sighed and looked down at her coffee, swirling it, then grabbed more sugar. Her heart raced, and her eyes widened when the sugar froze mid-pour. Rachel blinked heavily, then looked out the window at the frozen pedestrians and cars. Everything stopped moving like a game put on pause.
"Fucking waffles!" Emily squealed as Rachel slowly turned her head back around to see Emily sitting right in front of her with an eerie Cheshire smile that stretched ear to ear.
"Shit, when did you-" Elijah yelled as he dropped his cigarette and scooted away from Emily, who was sitting next to him.
Emily poured syrup on a plate of waffles. "Relax, sourpuss..it's just me," she replied then looked at Rachel, then pointed a fork at her. "Was this your idea? Luring me back with waffles?"
Rachel shook her head as she collected herself. "No, actually, it was Elijah. I didn't think it would work."
Emily nodded, then glanced at Elijah.
"Where have you been, Em?" Rachel asked.
Emily sighed, then her eyes glowed mulberry as she unfroze time. "Can't go into specifics, but ironically, I was trying to get some waffles," she cackled as the pedestrians and automobiles outside the window moved once more.
Rachel blinked slowly, then looked at Elijah, who had a smug expression on his face. She glanced at Emily, then rolled her eyes. Emily grabbed a waffle with her bare hands and then stuffed it into her mouth. A euphoric smile stretched on her face as she gorged herself on waffles.
Emily belched. "I am sorry, by the way...for leaving," she explained, then stuffed her face once more. "So what did I miss?"