Prep Work

"You want me to do what?"

Of all things, this was nothing like what Lorelei had expected. More lessons? Sure. A nice day off, preferably with some cat videos? Lovely. Getting a job? That's a bit far.

Nico gave a smile. "Look, I know it's sudden," he said. "But Andy's a good friend of mine. If anyone's good for this, it's him."

"Good for what?" Lorelei asked. "Witnessing my complete and utter ineptitude at reacting like a modern individual?"

"Those are some, uh, big words, Lorelei," Nico said cautiously. "I know it sounds bad, but I honestly think you're ready for this."

"Isn't there anything else you can teach me first?" Lorelei asked, slightly hopeful.

"Not really," Nico said. "You've got everything you need and more. At this point, you probably know more than most people when they get out of school."

"That's concerning."

"Eh, it's life," Nico said. "Besides, a lot of the stuff we learn doesn't really come up, anyway."

"Then why learn it in the first place?"

"Not the point," Nico said quickly. "If you do this, you can get both money and experience. Videos and explanations are great and all, but they're nothing to the real thing. I really think this is a good idea, Lorelei."

Lorelei thought about it for a moment. On the one hand, she could very well end up exposing herself as a foreigner to this world. Worse, she could alienate someone who could very well end up being an ally for her. On the other hand, Nico was correct. Experience is crucial to learning, something she knew very well from her etiquette lessons. Further, this could be her best chance at making a friend. 

"Alright," Lorelei said finally. "I will do it."

"Great!" Nico said, beaming at her. "I'll text Andy, then we can start prepping."

"Prepping?"

"Yeah," Nico said, typing on his phone. "You've got a handle on the generals, but it's better to know the specifics of what you'll run into."

"I did not realize that required preparation," Lorelei said. "What did you have in mind?"

"We should probably start with contractions," Nico said, putting his phone down. "You're getting better with them, but you need more practice. I mean, you don't need to speak with them, but they'll definitely help you fit in."

"How do I do that?"

"Try thinking with them. That should get you into the habit of speaking with them," Nico said.

"Alright," Lorelei said. That should be easy enough.

"Next, you'll probably need to learn how to use a sewing machine," Nico said. "Videos should be able to cover that."

"Sewing Machine?!" Lorelei was in shock.

"Yeah."

Lorelei shook her head. "Everything has a machine here," she said. "What here doesn't have a machine?"

"Well, let's see," Nico said. "There's no art machine. . . except there is because of AI. The people aren't automated. . . until you see AI chatbots. Well, writing isn't. . . I give up."

"What about your food?" Lorelei asked. "Surely that isn't automated."

"Not the food itself," Nico replied. "But there is a such thing as a smart grill, so the cooking is kind of automated. Maybe?"

Nico blinked. "We're getting off-track," he said. "The last big thing you should probably learn is the fashion here."

"Is this not in fashion?" Lorelei asked, gesturing to Lydia's nightclothes. The pants had a variety of snowflakes on it, and the gray shirt held the words "Hot or Not, I'm Taking My Shot" written on it.

Nico inhaled deeply. "No."

"Then what is?" Lorelei was quite interested in this.

"I've got an idea for it," Nico said. "We should hold off on it, though. Given how fast these trends change, it's better to that one later."

"When do I start the job?" Lorelei asked.

Nico thought for a moment. "The promo event is coming up, and it lasts a week. It should happen this week or the next. I'll have to double-check with Andy."

"You said earlier that you were working for the event," Lorelei pointed out. "Shouldn't you know when it is happening?"

"Yeah, but I suck at dates," Nico admitted. "Either way, you'll only be working for the one week, so we don't need to be too specific."

"Then why are we going this far?" Lorelei asked.

"First, the practice is good," Nico responded. "Second, I don't really know what else to do."

Nico clapped his hands, smiling at Lorelei. "So, where should we start?"

The next few hours were filled with sewing videos. The two of them had found out pretty quickly that some of Lorelei's sewing methods were a bit outdated. The lesson served to bolster her knowledge, which she enjoyed. The internet rabbit hole led her to learn new types of threadworks. Though she already knew basic sewing and embroidery, she was happy to add crocheting to her arsenal. By the end, Lorelei was itching to begin practicing. As soon as she had time, she would have Sara arrange things for her.

"Oh!" Nico suddenly jumped up. "I almost forgot!" He ran to a white bag he'd brought with him.

From it, he clutched something small in a violet color. "Here," Nico said. "This is for you. Thought it might help with the jitters."

He opened his fist to reveal a violet ribbon. Eyes wide, Lorelei slowly took it from him. As a noble, fiddling with such things was improper. At home, her parents would give her an entire lecture about it. Except, she wasn't at home here. Here, she was just Lorelei, a woman with a strange habit.

Lorelei spoke as she twirled the ribbon. It was made of silk, of all things. "Thank you," she said. "But how did you know to get it in silk?"

Nico raised an eyebrow. "You talk about the stuff like it's a freaking god. It's not hard to figure out."

"Why bother with it?" Lorelei asked. "Jitters does not seem like a sufficient reason."

"But it helps you, doesn't it?" Nico asked. "If it helps, then that's all that matters."

"And you just decided to do this randomly?"

"Yup," Nico replied. "I mean, You only live once."

That was the issue, though. With all the things Lorelei could afford as herself, she never truly got to live. Everything, even her marriage, was decided without her. It was sad that the only way she could have her own life was when she was living the life of another. Was that the only way she could have such freedom?