Etoile Haven
Aena licked her lips. So she didn't see wrong. Cassidy was indeed pointing to the Etoile Haven.
She could easily tell the building's name due to the exuberant sign protruding out from the roof. While the other shops and businesses along the street hung their signs from the roof overhead or had their name modestly imprinted on the wall, the Etoile Haven was decked with an actual neon sign that blazed brightly even in the well-lit area.
Around twenty feet wide and six feet tall, the letters dominated the street in front and seemed to proclaim to the world its greatness. In the past Aena was used to seeing either crooked handwriting or aesthetic holographic signs, but this looked quite alien. Surprisingly, given that it was in the Academy with its unique architecture, it didn't look too out of place.
While the sign itself was very impressive, the exterior too was nothing to scoff at. While all the buildings matched the elegant architecture unique to Astral Academy, the Etoile Haven had a more sophisticated bearing, reminiscent of buildings from a time long forgotten.
The sleek, modern feel of the surrounding buildings only made the intricate patterns carved into the wall pop out. To complement the exterior, a man in a black and white suit was situated at the entrance.
He had unblemished white gloves and wore shoes polished so thoroughly they reflected the light, the envy of all butlers. He politely greeted patrons as they entered, sweeping his arms in wide arcs.
The Etoile Haven was clearly a place of fine dining.
Aena gulped. She had never been to such a luxuriant place and didn't intend to anytime soon. It was an understatement to say she was currently strapped for cash. Additionally, she had also told Cassidy that she was treating her.
There was no way in hell she could afford to pay for two people to eat a few decorated nibbles of meat. Nor was she willing to if she could.
"Er, how about that restaurant over there?" Aena asked shakily, pointing to the next closest dining house.
"But I want to eat here?" Cassidy replied innocently.
"I've been to the, uh," Aena squinted her eyes at the adjacent building's sign, "the WcDonalds."
"Um, yeah. Great place. Great food," Aena persuaded, and started walking towards the WcDonalds.
Cassidy looked unmoved.
"Please?" she said in a soft voice, grabbing Aena's sleeve, stopping her.
Aena halted and her face contorted. How did her expression change so fast, was this even the same girl? Why did this girl want to go there that much anyway? Why was she so dead set on tormenting her poor wallet?
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Cassidy said, tugging on her sleeve once more. Their bodies were close, and Aena was very aware of the spot Cassidy was pinching, even though they were separated by a layer of fabric. Her breath became hitched and her head started buzzing.
She took a deep breath to clear her body of the strange feeling.
"Okay," Aena said painfully, finally relenting. Cassidy let go of her sleeve, and they walked to the butler standing in front. Seeing their approach, he greeted the warmly.
"Welcome to Etoile Haven, I hope you ladies are enjoying this fine evening," he said in a pleasant gravelly voice.
"Just you two, I presume?" he said with a suggestive smile, his graying mustache twitching.
"Yes," Aena responded, ignoring his antics. He bowed lightly and extended his arm toward the entrance.
"A waiter will direct you to your table. Please enjoy your time at the Etoile Haven."
Aena and Cassidy walked inside and found the interior more opulent than the outside. Well-dressed students and adults of all stations chatted with each other, and soft jazz music played from hidden speakers.
The tables and chairs were all of exquisite taste, and various decorations contributed to the sophisticated atmosphere. Some locations were partitioned into booths with plush-looking seats with the capacity to seat more people and offered a semblance of privacy.
The glossy wood floors reflected the light from the light fixtures from above, giving the space an ambient feel.
Aena stared upwards at the elaborate shape of the lights, which looked like abstract art.
"Ahem." Aena heard a light cough.
"This way please."
Aena looked back down hurriedly to see a well-groomed man in a well-designed waiter outfit and slicked-back hair. Aena's cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. She must've seemed like a poor commoner.
The waiter kept a professional expression, pretending like he saw nothing, and led them deeper into the restaurant. Aena followed obediently from behind, trying not to stare at the other new things around her.
Aena marveled at the leafy vines snaking up the wooden paneling of the wall, and her eyes bulged at the indoor aquarium installation, but she felt her heart sting deep down. If the environment was already this lavish, what would the food be like? She was already hurting thinking about the prices.
Next to her, Cassidy cracked a small smile of amusement.
They at last arrived at a booth, and Aena slipped into one side. Cassidy sat down on the opposite side.
The waiter smoothly slipped two menus in front of them and left, off to perform some other duty.
Enjoying the pleasing sounds of dining around her, Aena opened the menu. Most places now didn't employ such frivolities as menus because it was simply too much work. It was actually Aena's first time seeing a physical one, but the concept itself was pretty intuitive, so it wasn't like she had any trouble.
Usually, restaurants used overhead screens to display their menus or used digital ordering combined with holograms to streamline the process. Only a place as lavish as this had the quirkiness and revenue to do such a silly thing.
Aena scanned the main courses… and quickly flipped to another page. Nope. She chastised herself for ever thinking it was going to be within her range of reasonable. 5000 whole credits! For a chicken breast plate! It wasn't even something expensive like seafood or some rare exotic mushroom. It was chicken for god's sake!
She could buy something similar at WcDonalds for only 500 credits! She flipped to the appetizers and started pursuing that section. While they were still astronomically high prices, at least they wouldn't suck her funds dry.
She considered just ordering "a water," but she felt like that would be weird in front of Cassidy. She settled on some Truffle Parmesan Chips with Garlic Aioli. Even the name sounded excessively fancy.
Aena put the menu down and glanced up at Cassidy. She should ask what the other girl was ordering.
However, instead of reading the menu, Cassidy had her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her interlaced fingers. She was staring straight at her, her eyebrows raised in amusement.
"Are you not going to read the menu?" Aena asked.
"I already know my order."
"Oh."
It was weird and slightly unnerving that Cassidy was staring at her, but right now she was stressed out enough to start pulling her hair out, so she didn't mention it. Maybe Cassidy was staring at the soul currently leaving her body.
How could godamn chips cost so much?