Dance of words

She placed one hand on her hip and gestured toward the bar. "First rule of a traveler—listen before you speak. The biggest fools in a place like this are the ones who talk too much, too soon."

She pointed toward the far end of the room, where a pair of gamblers were arguing over a card game. "Second rule—never bet what you can't afford to lose. And that doesn't just mean credits."

Then she leaned in slightly, voice lowering to a smooth, almost conspiratorial whisper. "And the third rule? The Cosmic Drift may seem ridiculous, but don't ever mistake ridiculous for harmless."

Sol caught the way her eyes sharpened just a fraction, the playfulness momentarily giving way to something more serious.

He nodded slowly. "Noted."

Candy grinned, the moment of weight passing as quickly as it had come. "Good. You're smart—you're too pretty to die out here."

Sol felt a faint heat rise to his cheeks, an involuntary reaction he hadn't quite expected. He wasn't used to being called pretty, and for a second, his usual composure slipped. He recovered quickly, but not quickly enough—Candy's golden eyes glinted with amusement, clearly noticing. She chuckled, tilting her head slightly. "How cute," she teased, her tail flicking playfully against his arm.

She flicked her tail once more before straightening. "Now, anything else you wanna pry out of me, traveler? Or are you gonna keep looking all broody and mysterious?"

Sol chuckled under his breath, a little helpless in front of Candy's relentless teasing. She was a good read of people, but so was he. And now, he had the distinct feeling Candy was someone worth keeping an eye on.

Sol leaned back slightly, tapping his glass in thought before meeting Candy's gaze again. "Alright, since you seem to know your way around, got any recommendations? Interesting places for a first-timer?"

Candy's ears twitched, and her grin turned intrigued. "Looking for sightseeing, trouble, or something in between?"

Sol exhaled through his nose, smirking. "Let's start with sightseeing. I'll find trouble on my own."

She chuckled, folding her arms as she thought for a moment. "Alright, traveler. Here's the crash course."

She lifted a hand, as if painting the map in the air as she spoke.

"First, you got the Apex Spire. That's where the real power sits—corporate lords, high-end traders, and the kind of people who can buy and sell entire planets. If you're looking for connections or long-term stability, that's where you want to be… but don't expect an easy in."

She flicked her tail, shifting gears. "Then, there's the Underworks. That's where all the fun happens—illegal mods, black-market tech, and deals made in the dark. You can find some of the best mechanics in the galaxy down there. Also, some of the deadliest."

Candy gestured vaguely toward the ceiling, as if referencing something far above them. "If you're into something a little more… unpredictable, there's the Zero-Gravity Bazaar. It floats in the upper sectors, shifting locations every few cycles. Full of wandering merchants, rare artifacts, and more than a few scams."

She leaned on the counter again, golden eyes glinting. "But if you want my personal favorite?"

Sol raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

She smirked. "There's a place called the Luminara District. Unlike most of the ship, it doesn't follow the usual rules—things bend there. Light bends into spirals, shadows move without a source, and sometimes you can hear whispers from people who aren't there. Sound warps unpredictably—someone can be standing right next to you, but their voice will sound like it's coming from across the district. And time?" She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, her golden eyes flickering with amusement. "Some people swear they've stepped into Luminara, spent a few hours wandering, and walked out years later—though no one's ever been able to prove it. Others say they've met themselves there. Some think it's a glitch in the ship's old systems. Others? They think the place is alive."

Sol frowned slightly. "Sounds… different."

Candy laughed, tail flicking. "That's an understatement. But you strike me as the kind who'd want to see it for yourself."

She then drummed her fingers on the counter, a casual but deliberate motion. "So, what'll it be, traveler? Where's your first stop?"

Sol's fingers idly traced the rim of his glass as he mulled over the options, but his thoughts kept circling back to one in particular. "The Luminara District," he murmured, eyes flicking back to Candy. "Tell me more about that one."

Candy's grin widened just a fraction, as if she had been expecting that answer. "Knew you'd bite," she teased, her ears twitching with excitement. She leaned in a little, tail flicking behind her in a way that almost seemed involuntary. "You've got good taste, traveler. I was hoping you'd pick that one."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar. "Luminara isn't like the rest of this ship. Most places follow the rules of physics, gravity, time. Luminara… bends them."

Sol narrowed his eyes slightly. "How?"

Candy twirled a lock of her hair, thinking. "Depends on who you ask. Some say it's a malfunction—old parts of the ship layered over one another, systems that don't sync right. Others think it's something alive, like the ship itself is dreaming in that district. And then there are those who believe reality itself is broken there, fractured at the moment of some ancient event—some even whisper that a god was born in Luminara, and its presence still lingers, warping everything around it."

Sol didn't speak, but his interest deepened. He hadn't expected to hear about gods and broken reality—his mind reeled at the implications.

"You ever been?" he asked, his voice carrying an edge of curiosity he couldn't quite hide.

Candy's tail flicked once. "A couple times. The air feels different there, almost too still sometimes, like the space itself is waiting for something." Her golden eyes flickered with something thoughtful, something unreadable. "You don't just walk through Luminara—you experience it. And trust me, everyone's experience is different."

Sol leaned in slightly. "And the god part? What do people say about that?"

Candy tapped the counter lightly, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. "Oh, now you're interested." She tilted her head. "The stories vary. Some say something divine was born there, and reality hasn't been the same since. Others think it wasn't a birth, but a death—something so powerful that when it perished, it left a scar deep enough to twist time and space itself."