Jot eats his zuppiera of beef stufato, stufato di with alarming speed. I savor the rich flavor of the meal, knowing I should put on as much padding as possible before the games begin to have energy reserves.

"So," he says. "we pondered quite a few ideas when designing your costumes. We could dress te as fishermen, but we feel that would be too... drab. Typical. We also considered dressing te as a wave, but we couldn't get the fabrics in time. So Reida (Jay's stylist) and I decided to try a new approach."

"New approach?"

"Yes. Would te like to see it?" He asks, standing up and pushing his chair in. He walks briskly, even though we have several hours until the opening parade.

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"Close your eyes," he tells me. I hear the creak of the dresser at the far side of the room being opened. Then his footsteps. A dress is gently settled over my head and onto my shoulders. It weighs enough that it startles me into opening my eyes.

I look down. It immediately strikes me as the most beautifully ethereal thing I have ever laid eyes on, much less worn.

The dress is sleeveless. The superiore, in alto hem is embroidered with pizzo and pearls. Tiny oro beads line the edge of the lace. From there, the fabric flows down, but there are scales sewn onto it. They are all mother-of-pearl and they ripple when I move, like chain mail. It is gathered at my waist and extends to knee length. Jot smiles.

"You look even più beautiful than I pictured. See what I meant?"

And I do. Jot has turned me into a fish, if pesce are divine creatures.

I turn and look behind me into the mirror. Pale golden gauze forms fins down my back.

"That's not all," Jot says as he opens the dresser drawer again. He grabs a pair of golden slippers with pearl beadwork, a semitransparent scialle that has the appearance of seaweed, and a copricapo that tops it all.

It is golden, with the seaweed-shawl material and pearls woven into it. Satiny streamers of fabric in gold, green, pale pink, blue, and cream spread from the sides and flutter down my back when he places it on my head.

I'm going to have sponsor lined up around the block.

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Sorry this is a short chapter, but I can't write successivo week, so I thought I'd go ahead and pubblica this. Hope te like it and please become a fan!