Helix walked out onto the stage to the light sound of light clapping.
By capping, it refers to polite applause hovering the border between none and sarcastic.
He gave the front row audience a slight smile before panning the rows and moving his eyes to the skyboxes.
There were dozens of skyboxes.
Unlike modern times, they were private rooms on the second and third floors that people rented.
The auction house made nobles pay for the right to seating, which they explained themselves.
Helix smiled at everyone and raised his hands slightly for quiet.
Most people sneered in hatred and disdain.
Those in skyboxes looked down upon him with murderous eyes.
They wanted Helix's head.
—
"The starting bid will be one gold." Helix announced.
I think that's a fitting number. Don't you think?"
The nobles roared with laughter and excitement.
"It symbolizes day one of a new era of fashion!"
Explosive applause followed.
Everyone was in a festive mood, and their fevered emotions were boiling over.
Helix gave the nobles a slight grin.
"You may begin."
—
"Proud, Alzerian nobles. Tonight, we make history!" Helix's voice boomed.
The nobles looked at each other with suspicious confusion.
They were both bitter and confused about how things ended up the way they did.
If tonight was a historical event, it should belong to [them] to begin with.
However, they were here to purchase that right, like gutter rats.
"Tonight, we bring out the first line of clothing the legendary designer Samma Shaw has released in a decade!"
The nobles' eyes widened when they remembered why they were putting up with Helix in the first place.
While many were resentful or scornful toward Helix, they didn't feel the same way toward Samma Shaw.
Genuine applause followed.
"You will have the opportunity to participate in the auction tonight." He said with a slight smile.
"We are auctioning off these tickets.
Before we do, there are some surprises that we have for [you]!"
Whispers of confused excitement passed from noble to noble in a storm.
Helix touched his neck.
"Anyone that obtains a ticket to the exclusive auction will get one of two items instantly!"
—
"You may begin." Whispered.
"One hundred gold!" The first voice rang out.
"One hundred fifty gold!" The second cried.
The numbers started multiplying in a frenzy.
Everyone was yelling at the top of their lungs.
Those in skyboxes were yelling to ensure the auctioneers heard them.
It was devolving into pandemonium and chaos.
Charlotte and the Knights were roaring with laughter.
They were in a building surrounded by Circles of Silences to prevent their impending giggles and laughter from raging other nobles.
Everyone in the Kina district, which housed the top nobles, could hear the numbers.
"Five hundred gold!"
"Five fifty!"
"Six hundred!"
Helix gave the crowd a slight smile as he watched the scene unfold.
—
A few claps sparked another set until the entire house was applauding aside from those in private boxes.
Whether they hated Helix or not, they were interested in the two items they would obtain.
Most felt they would be complementary and thus insulting.
Helix pulled out two boxes from his item storage.
Gasps exploded from many noble's mouths when they saw the packages.
They were beautifully decorated and had the same detailed flair associated with Samma's Exotic Fashion Bizarre clothes.
"It seems that some have bought personally tailored products from Samma before." Helix chuckled with a grin.
"So you know that these packages are not ordinary, and what it means to receive one."
Some nobles started breaking out into a frenzy, while others watched them with excitement.
Helix put up his hand.
The crowd begrudgingly quieted down.
Being ordered to do [anything] from Helix was a slight to their authority.
That was their mindset, anyway.
"For those who do not know, these personally crafted boxes are given to VIP clients." Helix explained.
"All of their buyers are nobles, so VIP has a different connotation."
He panned the room to ensure everyone was listening.
Every skybox met his gaze.
"Everyone who wins a skybox ticket tonight will get one!" Helix yelled.
Thunderous applause filled the streets of the Kina district.
Amplifiers were playing the auction publicly for those who could not enter.
"That's right! These VIP packaged clothing boxes are unique.
Therefore, everyone that wins a seat tonight will not be purchasing the [ability] to participate." Helix explained with a slight smile.
"They are purchasing a legendary item before an auction that will change Myriad history!"
—
"Six hundred fifty!"
"Nine hundred!"
"One thousand!"
—
An explosion of cheers met his words.
The nobles instantly forgot their grievances with Helix the moment he explained.
"Let's talk about what is in these boxes." He announced with a mysterious smile.
He carefully opened a royal blue box and pulled out a clothing item.
The crowd saw it, and whispers of excitement passed over the crowd.
"For the females, you will receive a pair of [yoga pants]." Helix announced.
—
"Twelve hundred!"
"Fifteen hundred!"
The females were screaming in a frenzy and beating their partners if they didn't bid higher.
The men were chuckling and thankful that Helix was selling the tickets in sets for couples.
Otherwise, the place would be scrambling, and the building might burn down.
Helix was glad he obtained riot control guards ahead of schedule.
They were keeping the nobles from rushing into the isles.
—
"They are elastic and perfectly fit around your body in the most comfortable way possible.
During our collaboration, the primary inspired motivation was the female comfort that noble women deserve.
Those who tested her product call them the most comfortable item of the century!?
The women burst into applause and excitement.
"This form of clothing will become instantly successful and the number one product of Samma's Exotic Fashion Bizzare!
While many are for sale, each VIP tailored product was handcrafted and unique.
So you will be the first—before Earthians other than my partners—to obtain one.
You will be legendary trendsetters, paving the road for modern fashion!"
Explosive applause rang through the streets.
Their partners watched them with a desire to buy them in at all costs.
—
"Samma, do you like your yoga pants?" Helix asked with a slight smile.
"... Yes. These pants are nothing short of incredible." Samma confessed.
She was annoyed that Helix was calling her out for her skepticism.
However, she couldn't deny it.
"Heh. So will everyone else." Helix chuckled.
"When we go back to Alzeria, I suggest you send me a thousand pairs, even if 95% of what we sell."
"One thousand!? Value comes through exclusivity!" She cried.
"Yes, I agree. However, Samma.
The first auction will bring in the same exorbitant sum. I'll make sure of that." Helix chuckled.
"After that, everyone, and I mean everyone, will continue buying these up."
Samma gave Helix a quizzical expression.
"What do you mean?"
Helix chuckled and gave her a bright smile.
"Samma. Most of these products are used as a style trend.
However, once a woman buys these and talks them up, everyone will start buying them.
Then the original people will start buying them again.
It won't be about exclusivity at that point.
Women will wear these and keep wearing them until they demand to show up to school in them as acceptable fashion."
Samma was shocked.
"On Earth, these pants were designed as workout clothing." He continued with a slight smile.
"Then people got addicted to the feeling and wore them everywhere.
To work, school, and social events.
Eventually, they inspired leggings geared to everyday wear and jeans that were just leggings with denim painted on them.
The addiction is still so real that they are common wear acceptable for half of the white-collar [noble] type jobs.
If you start selling these, exclusivity won't matter.
The world will [explode], and your riches will be the treasury of a small kingdom."
—
Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)
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